Where is it easiest to open: Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing
37 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 49-9099” (soc) for Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Workers, All Other. 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 | 219 | 19.1 | $67,096 | not matched | — |
| FL | 106 | 10.1 | $55,831 | not matched | — |
| TX | 64 | 13.5 | $51,793 | exam | FIRE EXTINGUISHER TECHNICIAN |
| WA | 44 | 18.7 | $67,163 | not matched | — |
| OR | 44 | 15.1 | $58,787 | not matched | — |
| UT | 39 | 57.0 | $68,935 | not matched | — |
| CO | 34 | 14.7 | $57,315 | not matched | — |
| MN | 30 | 26.0 | $49,478 | licence | Lake Service Provider (LSP); Placing in Service Permit |
| PA | 29 | 25.7 | $62,486 | not matched | — |
| WI | 28 | 23.8 | $55,750 | exam | ABOVEGROUND TANK SYSTEM INSTALLER; AUTOMATIC FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM APPREN |
| MI | 25 | 7.8 | $52,636 | not matched | — |
| IL | 25 | 26.0 | $98,085 | licence | FIRE EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTOR (CLASS A, B; FIRE EQUIPMENT EMPLOYEE (CLASS 1, 2, 3 |
| NY | 23 | 5.4 | $66,352 | not matched | — |
| ID | 23 | 5.7 | $43,618 | not matched | — |
| MA | 22 | 123.1 | $87,418 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 22 | 96.9 | $80,486 | not matched | — |
| HI | 19 | 3.1 | $34,948 | not matched | — |
| MT | 15 | 11.6 | $66,477 | not matched | — |
| NV | 14 | 20.4 | $84,318 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 12 | 5.8 | $41,386 | not matched | — |
| NC | 12 | 6.8 | $47,024 | exam | Fire Sprinkler Installation Contractor; Residential Fire Sprinkler Installatio |
| CT | 12 | 17.0 | $61,721 | exam | Limited Geothermal Contractor |
| OH | 11 | 153.6 | $67,848 | not matched | — |
| IN | 11 | 7.3 | $39,988 | not matched | — |
| NE | 10 | 15.7 | $56,796 | not matched | — |
| AR | 10 | 37.4 | $90,802 | exam | Portable Fire Extinguisher Technician; Portable/Fixed Apprentice Permits |
| KY | 9 | 13.0 | $57,393 | licence | Kentucky Fire Prevention Contractor - ; Kentucky Fire Prevention Contractor - |
| AL | 8 | 9.4 | $42,667 | not matched | — |
| GA | 8 | 19.1 | $48,105 | not matched | — |
| VT | 8 | 97.1 | $93,515 | exam | Chemical Suppression Systems; Fire Sprinkler Installer, Domestic |
| MO | 7 | 6.6 | $43,609 | not matched | — |
| SC | 7 | 6.4 | $56,689 | not matched | — |
| TN | 6 | 50.5 | $52,934 | exam | FIRE EXTINGUISHER SPECIALIST; FIRE EXTINGUISHER TECHNICIAN |
| MD | 4 | 3.5 | $52,214 | not matched | — |
| NM | 3 | 4.3 | $33,923 | not matched | — |
| NH | 3 | 1.3 | $18,500 | not matched | — |
| RI | 3 | 5.3 | $35,938 | licence | Fire Extinguisher Installer/Servicer |
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.