Where is it easiest to open: Other Building Finishing Contractors
50 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 47-2131” (soc) for Insulation Workers, Floor, Ceiling, and Wall. A blank gate means NO RECORD MATCHED, which is not the same as no licence.
| State | Operators | Avg staff | Pay / employee | Gate | Licence titles matched |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 869 | 12.0 | $63,024 | licence | Asbestos Certification; Asbestos Consultant Certification |
| FL | 709 | 8.1 | $53,590 | exam | Asbestos Consultant; Asbestos Consultant (AF) |
| TX | 498 | 15.0 | $60,541 | exam | ASBESTOS-RELATED WORKER (Various) |
| NY | 417 | 7.0 | $72,908 | exam | Asbestos Handler |
| IL | 344 | 9.7 | $76,479 | licence | ASBESTOS AIR SAMPLING PROFESSIONAL; ASBESTOS CONTRACTOR |
| GA | 243 | 18.2 | $65,586 | not matched | — |
| PA | 236 | 7.3 | $60,741 | licence | Asbestos Contractor (Individual); Asbestos Project Designer |
| NC | 235 | 9.6 | $61,095 | licence | Asbestos Accreditation |
| CO | 233 | 9.8 | $62,167 | exam | Asbestos Project Designer; Asbestos Worker |
| OH | 227 | 13.1 | $60,147 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 222 | 12.8 | $63,698 | licence | ASBESTOS SAFETY TECHNICIAN; ASBESTOS WORKER PERMIT |
| MI | 217 | 10.0 | $64,807 | licence | Asbestos Abatement Contractor/Supervis; Asbestos Abatement Project Designer |
| MD | 211 | 14.6 | $67,357 | licence | Asbestos Designer; Asbestos Worker |
| MN | 183 | 11.4 | $71,591 | licence | Asbestos Contractor License; Asbestos Individual Certification (Ins |
| VA | 175 | 10.1 | $65,033 | licence | Asbestos Contractor License; Asbestos Project Designer License |
| MA | 173 | 12.3 | $83,982 | licence | ASBESTOS WORKER |
| WA | 172 | 9.5 | $66,032 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 148 | 11.4 | $52,288 | not matched | — |
| TN | 140 | 14.7 | $58,429 | not matched | — |
| SC | 131 | 6.7 | $62,003 | not matched | — |
| UT | 123 | 7.6 | $56,319 | not matched | — |
| MO | 119 | 9.5 | $65,857 | not matched | — |
| IN | 101 | 10.9 | $62,369 | not matched | — |
| WI | 97 | 14.5 | $55,298 | licence | ASBESTOS PROJECT DESIGNER; ASBESTOS ROOFING WORKER |
| NV | 97 | 17.9 | $42,757 | not matched | — |
| OR | 90 | 9.0 | $67,978 | not matched | — |
| CT | 77 | 12.7 | $71,364 | licence | Asbestos Abatement Worker; Asbestos Contractor |
| AL | 66 | 12.3 | $66,263 | not matched | — |
| KY | 63 | 8.6 | $43,123 | not matched | — |
| LA | 51 | 11.7 | $43,302 | not matched | — |
| NE | 49 | 15.1 | $64,897 | licence | Asbestos Worker |
| IA | 48 | 7.6 | $62,292 | not matched | — |
| ID | 47 | 6.8 | $54,481 | not matched | — |
| KS | 45 | 17.7 | $66,173 | not matched | — |
| NH | 43 | 10.0 | $89,323 | exam | Asbestos Abatement Worker; Asbestos Disposal Site Worker |
| OK | 35 | 6.4 | $45,676 | not matched | — |
| AR | 32 | 7.5 | $54,793 | exam | Asbestos Abatement Contractor or Abate; Asbestos Abatement Worker |
| ME | 31 | 15.4 | $70,023 | not matched | — |
| HI | 29 | 9.5 | $68,309 | not matched | — |
| MT | 24 | 4.7 | $53,584 | not matched | — |
| MS | 23 | 7.8 | $48,183 | not matched | — |
| DE | 21 | 6.9 | $60,862 | licence | Asbestos Abatement Worker (Class A); Asbestos Abatement Worker (Class B Lim |
| SD | 21 | 8.0 | $78,716 | licence | Asbestos Abatement Contractor; Asbestos Abatement Project Designer |
| RI | 17 | 2.7 | $84,348 | not matched | — |
| NM | 17 | 10.6 | $45,572 | not matched | — |
| VT | 14 | 9.2 | $70,488 | licence | Contractor, Residential |
| ND | 11 | 8.4 | $74,761 | not matched | — |
| AK | 11 | 2.7 | $43,567 | licence | Asbestos Removal Worker |
| DC | 5 | 6.0 | $83,833 | not matched | — |
| WY | 4 | 3.5 | $81,786 | not matched | — |
Axes are shown side by side and deliberately NOT collapsed into a ranking. A composite would be a score with no measured interval, and an unmeasured score is the thing this product exists to argue against. A high licence gate is a cost to enter and a moat once cleared — which of those matters more is the operator's call, not ours.
Licence data courtesy of CareerOneStop, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor. Free to read, no account, always — a condition of the data licence as well as our own position.