Where is it easiest to open: Gasket, Packing, and Sealing Device Manufacturing
24 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TX | 51 | 52.8 | $72,258 | exam | FIRE EXTINGUISHER TECHNICIAN |
| CA | 49 | 46.1 | $67,809 | not matched | — |
| IL | 28 | 84.1 | $68,364 | licence | FIRE EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTOR (CLASS A, B; FIRE EQUIPMENT EMPLOYEE (CLASS 1, 2, 3 |
| OH | 23 | 22.8 | $57,693 | not matched | — |
| OK | 18 | 30.8 | $81,392 | exam | Aboveground Storage Tank Installer; Aboveground Storage Tank Remover |
| PA | 15 | 87.3 | $79,526 | not matched | — |
| CT | 13 | 48.9 | $136,230 | exam | Limited Geothermal Contractor |
| MI | 13 | 31.6 | $118,127 | not matched | — |
| NY | 11 | 37.8 | $72,904 | not matched | — |
| IN | 10 | 123.0 | $53,993 | not matched | — |
| WA | 10 | 30.0 | $57,840 | not matched | — |
| MA | 9 | 63.0 | $95,845 | not matched | — |
| SC | 8 | 75.1 | $95,544 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 7 | 33.4 | $87,248 | not matched | — |
| FL | 6 | 10.5 | $75,508 | not matched | — |
| CO | 6 | 7.7 | $42,109 | not matched | — |
| UT | 6 | 93.8 | $74,282 | not matched | — |
| WI | 5 | 29.0 | $100,559 | exam | ABOVEGROUND TANK SYSTEM INSTALLER; AUTOMATIC FIRE SPRINKLER SYSTEM APPREN |
| LA | 5 | 49.0 | $83,718 | exam | Fire Extinguisher Contractor/ Technici |
| NH | 4 | 56.0 | $92,210 | not matched | — |
| NC | 3 | 18.7 | $51,643 | exam | Fire Sprinkler Installation Contractor; Residential Fire Sprinkler Installatio |
| OR | 3 | 9.7 | $59,897 | not matched | — |
| MO | 3 | 19.7 | $76,576 | not matched | — |
| MN | 3 | 105.3 | $59,633 | licence | Lake Service Provider (LSP); Placing in Service Permit |
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.