Where is it easiest to open: Plastics Pipe and Pipe Fitting Manufacturing
14 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 33 | 52.7 | $89,276 | not matched | — |
| TX | 23 | 47.0 | $66,449 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 10 | 37.8 | $80,521 | not matched | — |
| UT | 7 | 37.3 | $63,490 | not matched | — |
| FL | 6 | 43.7 | $67,317 | not matched | — |
| GA | 6 | 54.3 | $50,025 | not matched | — |
| AL | 4 | 49.5 | $61,616 | not matched | — |
| NE | 4 | 32.8 | $62,885 | not matched | — |
| OH | 4 | 24.2 | $66,660 | licence | Weigher, Sampler, and Tester License |
| PA | 4 | 47.5 | $68,853 | not matched | — |
| WA | 3 | 28.3 | $66,165 | not matched | — |
| KS | 3 | 1.7 | $30,000 | not matched | — |
| ND | 3 | 97.0 | $87,127 | not matched | — |
| AR | 3 | 139.0 | $49,477 | exam | Class A and B Hydrostatic Testing Tech |
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.