Where is it easiest to open: Jewelry and Silverware Manufacturing
35 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NY | 340 | 10.6 | $86,140 | not matched | — |
| CA | 248 | 11.4 | $55,418 | not matched | — |
| FL | 88 | 2.9 | $42,737 | not matched | — |
| TX | 81 | 18.7 | $54,799 | not matched | — |
| RI | 78 | 30.7 | $55,570 | not matched | — |
| NM | 57 | 7.6 | $34,480 | not matched | — |
| MA | 55 | 19.6 | $58,024 | not matched | — |
| IL | 47 | 8.1 | $52,634 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 43 | 7.3 | $50,466 | not matched | — |
| PA | 37 | 4.6 | $42,579 | not matched | — |
| CO | 34 | 3.1 | $42,755 | exam | Certified Weigher's License; Egg Seller |
| AZ | 33 | 2.4 | $40,385 | not matched | — |
| WA | 29 | 3.9 | $67,250 | not matched | — |
| GA | 26 | 3.4 | $42,091 | not matched | — |
| OR | 24 | 3.3 | $44,025 | not matched | — |
| UT | 24 | 12.1 | $27,351 | not matched | — |
| HI | 24 | 7.2 | $54,753 | not matched | — |
| MI | 22 | 3.5 | $42,167 | not matched | — |
| NC | 19 | 1.5 | $45,241 | exam | Antifreeze Registration; Livestock Market |
| OH | 17 | 9.4 | $56,597 | licence | Weigher, Sampler, and Tester License |
| TN | 11 | 4.5 | $25,245 | not matched | — |
| MN | 10 | 2.0 | $44,300 | licence | Bulk Milk Hauler & Sampler License |
| ME | 10 | 2.0 | $30,350 | licence | Dairy License; Weighmaster, Public |
| ID | 9 | 3.8 | $49,647 | not matched | — |
| MD | 9 | 3.1 | $32,214 | not matched | — |
| VT | 8 | 2.5 | $39,150 | licence | Weights and Measures Dealer/Repairer |
| KY | 7 | 36.9 | $46,516 | not matched | — |
| WI | 6 | 11.5 | $44,507 | not matched | — |
| MT | 6 | 2.3 | $57,571 | not matched | — |
| OK | 6 | 45.3 | $45,401 | not matched | — |
| NV | 5 | 4.0 | $56,950 | not matched | — |
| NE | 5 | 1.4 | $51,857 | not matched | — |
| VA | 3 | 5.3 | $56,125 | not matched | — |
| MS | 3 | 1.3 | $23,250 | not matched | — |
| LA | 3 | 2.0 | $64,167 | exam | Measurer- Sampler, Dairy Products |
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.