Where is it easiest to open: Tobacco Manufacturing
7 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 51-9061” (soc) for Inspectors, Testers, Sorters, Samplers, and Weighers. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NC | 13 | 173.8 | $95,530 | exam | Antifreeze Registration; Livestock Market |
| FL | 5 | 33.0 | $184,230 | not matched | — |
| VA | 4 | 436.5 | $99,927 | not matched | — |
| CA | 4 | 25.8 | $40,689 | not matched | — |
| MD | 3 | 2.0 | $24,167 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 3 | 32.0 | $50,740 | not matched | — |
| NY | 3 | 61.0 | $37,842 | 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.