Where is it easiest to open: Asphalt Paving Mixture and Block Manufacturing
35 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 51-8093” (soc) for Petroleum Pump System Operators, Refinery Operators, and Gaugers. 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 | 74 | 10.9 | $101,983 | not matched | — |
| NY | 69 | 9.0 | $110,519 | not matched | — |
| PA | 66 | 9.5 | $72,909 | not matched | — |
| TX | 52 | 31.8 | $62,956 | exam | LPST CORRECTIVE ACTION PROJECT MANAGER |
| MA | 42 | 11.1 | $116,109 | not matched | — |
| OH | 41 | 11.0 | $92,234 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 32 | 13.3 | $72,831 | not matched | — |
| FL | 30 | 39.3 | $63,684 | not matched | — |
| IL | 28 | 8.4 | $152,962 | not matched | — |
| GA | 22 | 7.8 | $84,093 | not matched | — |
| MD | 17 | 11.9 | $67,532 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 16 | 10.2 | $99,378 | not matched | — |
| NC | 16 | 9.4 | $59,860 | licence | Refiner (Oil) |
| AK | 15 | 2.1 | $70,516 | not matched | — |
| CT | 13 | 6.5 | $94,167 | not matched | — |
| TN | 13 | 10.9 | $81,120 | not matched | — |
| NV | 13 | 19.0 | $63,850 | not matched | — |
| MO | 12 | 22.2 | $94,789 | not matched | — |
| MI | 12 | 5.0 | $84,117 | not matched | — |
| IN | 9 | 20.4 | $86,745 | not matched | — |
| SC | 8 | 5.9 | $51,021 | not matched | — |
| OR | 6 | 11.5 | $99,116 | not matched | — |
| VA | 6 | 40.7 | $63,799 | not matched | — |
| OK | 4 | 13.8 | $73,273 | not matched | — |
| WA | 4 | 8.8 | $74,457 | not matched | — |
| KS | 4 | 9.5 | $65,553 | not matched | — |
| UT | 4 | 36.2 | $86,966 | not matched | — |
| WY | 3 | 13.0 | $60,846 | not matched | — |
| CO | 3 | 27.7 | $106,687 | not matched | — |
| DE | 3 | 8.7 | $51,192 | not matched | — |
| KY | 3 | 4.0 | $92,833 | not matched | — |
| ME | 3 | 16.3 | $62,857 | not matched | — |
| RI | 3 | 7.3 | $116,727 | not matched | — |
| WV | 3 | 10.0 | $73,800 | not matched | — |
| AL | 3 | 3.0 | $71,556 | 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.