Where is it easiest to open: Boat Building
27 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 17-2121” (soc) for Marine Engineers and Naval Architects. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FL | 191 | 54.8 | $55,773 | licence | Engineering Intern; Professional Engineer |
| WA | 55 | 30.5 | $60,303 | licence | Engineer; Ship Design Engineer |
| ME | 54 | 18.5 | $57,424 | exam | Engineer, Professional (All Discipline |
| NC | 38 | 24.6 | $51,717 | exam | Engineer Privilege; Professional Engineer |
| CA | 22 | 21.8 | $57,511 | licence | Engineer In Training (E.I.T.); General Engineering Contractor |
| SC | 17 | 115.9 | $63,778 | licence | Engineer Construction Manager; Engineering and Land Surveying |
| RI | 17 | 9.4 | $51,181 | exam | Engineer, Professional |
| MA | 15 | 8.4 | $51,968 | exam | ENGINEER-IN-TRAINING; ENGINEER, PROFESSIONAL |
| TX | 15 | 9.4 | $47,156 | licence | ENGINEER, PROFESSIONAL |
| IN | 14 | 242.7 | $57,899 | exam | Engineer Intern; Professional Engineer |
| OR | 13 | 26.2 | $62,356 | licence | Engineer, Licensed Professional |
| LA | 11 | 35.5 | $60,728 | exam | Engineer, Professional |
| MO | 10 | 203.0 | $50,365 | licence | Engineer Intern; Professional Engineer |
| NY | 10 | 11.9 | $55,420 | exam | Professional Engineer |
| AR | 9 | 53.7 | $38,195 | exam | Engineer Intern; Professional Engineer |
| MD | 9 | 13.7 | $47,634 | licence | ENGINEER IN TRAINING; PE FIRM CORPORATION |
| AL | 9 | 32.2 | $57,176 | exam | Licensed Professional Engineer |
| AK | 8 | 10.9 | $54,586 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 8 | 13.6 | $47,872 | not matched | — |
| WI | 7 | 95.0 | $51,053 | licence | DESIGNER OF ENGINEERING SYSTEMS - HVAC; DESIGNER OF ENGINEERING SYSTEMS - Plum |
| NJ | 7 | 55.9 | $61,102 | exam | ENGINEER-IN-TRAINING; PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER |
| TN | 6 | 396.7 | $55,375 | exam | ENGINEER INTERNS; PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER |
| MI | 4 | 103.8 | $67,692 | exam | Engineer, Licensed Professional; Stationary Engineer |
| ID | 4 | 6.8 | $47,519 | exam | Engineer; Engineer Intern |
| MS | 3 | 216.7 | $40,445 | exam | Engineer Intern; Professional Engineer |
| MN | 3 | 23.0 | $32,246 | licence | Engineer-In-Training; Professional Engineer |
| VA | 3 | 5.3 | $42,688 | 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.