Tool · free, no account
Where is it easiest to open: Sawmill, Woodworking, and Paper Machinery Manufacturing
16 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 17-2141” (soc) for Mechanical Engineers. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| WI | 32 | 65.0 | $96,278 | licence | DESIGNER OF ENGINEERING SYSTEMS - HVAC; DESIGNER OF ENGINEERING SYSTEMS - Plum |
| OR | 18 | 17.9 | $70,351 | licence | Engineer, Licensed Professional |
| WA | 8 | 22.8 | $76,692 | licence | Engineer; Mechanical Engineer |
| NC | 7 | 21.3 | $54,369 | exam | Engineer Privilege; Professional Engineer |
| NY | 6 | 4.2 | $73,960 | exam | Professional Engineer |
| CA | 5 | 5.2 | $41,500 | licence | Engineer In Training (E.I.T.); General Engineering Contractor |
| MI | 5 | 2.8 | $69,286 | exam | Engineer, Licensed Professional; Stationary Engineer |
| PA | 3 | 25.3 | $77,079 | exam | Professional Engineer |
| TX | 3 | 24.0 | $53,181 | licence | ENGINEER, PROFESSIONAL; PODIATRIST |
| NJ | 3 | 21.0 | $63,317 | exam | ENGINEER-IN-TRAINING; PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER |
| AR | 3 | 71.0 | $64,385 | exam | Engineer Intern; Professional Engineer |
| IN | 3 | 3.7 | $35,909 | exam | Engineer Intern; Professional Engineer |
| LA | 3 | 93.3 | $61,718 | exam | Engineer, Professional |
| MA | 3 | 69.3 | $142,394 | exam | ENGINEER-IN-TRAINING; ENGINEER, PROFESSIONAL |
| MN | 3 | 45.0 | $85,052 | licence | Engineer-In-Training; Professional Engineer |
| AL | 3 | 22.3 | $64,134 | exam | Licensed Professional Engineer |
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.