Where is it easiest to open: Saw Blade and Handtool Manufacturing
26 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 | 77 | 20.7 | $55,353 | not matched | — |
| IL | 52 | 23.6 | $57,859 | not matched | — |
| MI | 34 | 10.7 | $58,090 | not matched | — |
| OH | 29 | 70.2 | $67,159 | licence | Weigher, Sampler, and Tester License |
| PA | 22 | 33.7 | $57,613 | not matched | — |
| TX | 21 | 63.6 | $71,851 | not matched | — |
| CT | 20 | 42.5 | $68,218 | licence | Milk Examiner; Operator Of Weighing & Measuring Devic |
| MA | 16 | 96.8 | $61,453 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 16 | 28.6 | $59,146 | not matched | — |
| WI | 14 | 52.8 | $56,884 | not matched | — |
| NY | 14 | 12.5 | $58,349 | not matched | — |
| NC | 11 | 23.3 | $49,715 | exam | Antifreeze Registration; Livestock Market |
| MO | 9 | 19.6 | $59,449 | not matched | — |
| OR | 9 | 73.8 | $75,502 | not matched | — |
| MN | 8 | 55.9 | $64,204 | licence | Bulk Milk Hauler & Sampler License |
| IN | 8 | 14.2 | $49,956 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 8 | 10.2 | $50,878 | not matched | — |
| FL | 8 | 28.9 | $90,693 | not matched | — |
| WA | 6 | 4.8 | $59,448 | not matched | — |
| SC | 6 | 8.7 | $46,615 | not matched | — |
| UT | 5 | 12.6 | $54,206 | not matched | — |
| GA | 4 | 36.8 | $59,476 | not matched | — |
| RI | 4 | 60.0 | $65,996 | not matched | — |
| OK | 3 | 13.7 | $41,732 | not matched | — |
| ME | 3 | 59.0 | $37,876 | licence | Dairy License; Weighmaster, Public |
| CO | 3 | 2.7 | $53,625 | exam | Certified Weigher's License; Egg Seller |
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.