Where is it easiest to open: Steel Foundries (except Investment)
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PA | 7 | 65.4 | $72,924 | not matched | — |
| WI | 6 | 167.2 | $76,018 | not matched | — |
| IL | 4 | 4.8 | $48,947 | not matched | — |
| TX | 3 | 90.7 | $60,438 | not matched | — |
| OR | 3 | 40.0 | $70,525 | not matched | — |
| IA | 3 | 108.3 | $79,277 | exam | Sampling Technician |
| MI | 3 | 225.0 | $45,935 | 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.