Where is it easiest to open: Electroplating, Plating, Polishing, Anodizing, and Coloring
39 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 | 298 | 24.0 | $57,529 | not matched | — |
| IL | 149 | 21.7 | $62,110 | not matched | — |
| OH | 129 | 27.1 | $55,660 | licence | Weigher, Sampler, and Tester License |
| MI | 120 | 32.5 | $52,795 | not matched | — |
| TX | 95 | 19.4 | $60,467 | not matched | — |
| PA | 66 | 18.5 | $55,630 | not matched | — |
| CT | 57 | 24.6 | $62,710 | licence | Milk Examiner; Operator Of Weighing & Measuring Devic |
| WI | 56 | 22.5 | $51,323 | not matched | — |
| FL | 55 | 18.6 | $55,662 | not matched | — |
| MA | 54 | 35.9 | $62,046 | not matched | — |
| IN | 49 | 38.3 | $52,372 | not matched | — |
| NY | 46 | 14.5 | $55,156 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 31 | 22.0 | $53,949 | not matched | — |
| MN | 31 | 40.4 | $63,822 | licence | Bulk Milk Hauler & Sampler License |
| MO | 29 | 18.8 | $46,487 | not matched | — |
| WA | 29 | 40.7 | $62,695 | not matched | — |
| RI | 27 | 30.0 | $53,278 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 24 | 24.4 | $50,485 | not matched | — |
| OR | 23 | 22.1 | $48,927 | not matched | — |
| UT | 19 | 19.2 | $46,814 | not matched | — |
| NC | 15 | 12.2 | $51,377 | exam | Antifreeze Registration; Livestock Market |
| OK | 13 | 10.4 | $47,681 | not matched | — |
| KS | 13 | 39.8 | $52,871 | not matched | — |
| MD | 12 | 5.6 | $55,537 | not matched | — |
| AL | 10 | 17.5 | $53,651 | not matched | — |
| TN | 8 | 12.1 | $53,732 | not matched | — |
| VA | 6 | 14.3 | $77,895 | not matched | — |
| NV | 5 | 5.2 | $31,500 | not matched | — |
| NH | 5 | 14.6 | $56,260 | exam | Weighmaster |
| AR | 5 | 7.0 | $38,114 | exam | Class A and B Hydrostatic Testing Tech |
| SC | 5 | 35.2 | $51,994 | not matched | — |
| CO | 4 | 30.5 | $100,984 | exam | Certified Weigher's License; Egg Seller |
| GA | 4 | 3.5 | $50,643 | not matched | — |
| KY | 4 | 50.0 | $34,125 | not matched | — |
| ME | 3 | 24.7 | $58,595 | licence | Dairy License; Weighmaster, Public |
| NM | 3 | 13.3 | $46,250 | not matched | — |
| LA | 3 | 6.7 | $41,950 | exam | Measurer- Sampler, Dairy Products |
| WV | 3 | 31.0 | $70,527 | not matched | — |
| IA | 3 | 5.7 | $60,118 | exam | Sampling Technician |
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.