Where is it easiest to open: All Other Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing
46 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 | 305 | 17.1 | $67,470 | not matched | — |
| MI | 225 | 17.7 | $62,917 | not matched | — |
| PA | 194 | 14.8 | $64,165 | not matched | — |
| TX | 181 | 21.3 | $59,103 | not matched | — |
| OH | 163 | 24.0 | $60,760 | licence | Weigher, Sampler, and Tester License |
| IL | 143 | 30.3 | $62,906 | not matched | — |
| FL | 127 | 14.8 | $58,402 | not matched | — |
| WI | 104 | 32.6 | $62,097 | not matched | — |
| NY | 96 | 15.8 | $54,134 | not matched | — |
| MN | 80 | 16.2 | $63,505 | licence | Bulk Milk Hauler & Sampler License |
| WA | 66 | 12.2 | $54,494 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 63 | 17.8 | $58,408 | not matched | — |
| IN | 61 | 47.4 | $65,633 | not matched | — |
| MA | 53 | 23.0 | $77,124 | not matched | — |
| OR | 49 | 20.5 | $77,456 | not matched | — |
| SC | 41 | 27.4 | $56,251 | not matched | — |
| UT | 38 | 30.3 | $55,706 | not matched | — |
| CO | 38 | 8.9 | $58,991 | exam | Certified Weigher's License; Egg Seller |
| NJ | 37 | 19.5 | $68,814 | not matched | — |
| CT | 37 | 14.0 | $67,402 | licence | Milk Examiner; Operator Of Weighing & Measuring Devic |
| ID | 33 | 10.1 | $52,705 | not matched | — |
| GA | 30 | 28.1 | $53,378 | not matched | — |
| NC | 29 | 28.9 | $70,549 | exam | Antifreeze Registration; Livestock Market |
| TN | 28 | 12.7 | $62,800 | not matched | — |
| MO | 24 | 9.0 | $55,421 | not matched | — |
| LA | 22 | 8.6 | $61,658 | exam | Measurer- Sampler, Dairy Products |
| AL | 22 | 15.7 | $60,153 | not matched | — |
| OK | 20 | 13.6 | $65,030 | not matched | — |
| NV | 19 | 13.4 | $59,614 | not matched | — |
| RI | 15 | 31.6 | $50,494 | not matched | — |
| IA | 15 | 17.7 | $77,868 | exam | Sampling Technician |
| NH | 14 | 15.2 | $67,526 | exam | Weighmaster |
| KY | 14 | 26.0 | $87,728 | not matched | — |
| MD | 13 | 28.0 | $89,832 | not matched | — |
| KS | 12 | 34.5 | $69,483 | not matched | — |
| NM | 10 | 19.0 | $44,837 | not matched | — |
| NE | 9 | 24.6 | $63,756 | not matched | — |
| MT | 8 | 8.9 | $62,380 | not matched | — |
| ME | 7 | 7.9 | $69,000 | licence | Dairy License; Weighmaster, Public |
| WY | 6 | 34.5 | $63,179 | licence | CATHODIC PROTECTION TESTER |
| MS | 6 | 16.7 | $71,540 | not matched | — |
| AR | 6 | 18.2 | $47,606 | exam | Class A and B Hydrostatic Testing Tech |
| VA | 4 | 31.2 | $55,168 | not matched | — |
| DE | 4 | 15.0 | $65,367 | not matched | — |
| ND | 3 | 12.7 | $55,895 | not matched | — |
| AK | 3 | 3.0 | $47,889 | 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.