Where is it easiest to open: Musical Instrument 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 90 | 37.1 | $52,216 | not matched | — |
| NY | 24 | 50.8 | $67,254 | not matched | — |
| WA | 22 | 10.0 | $45,703 | not matched | — |
| TN | 17 | 66.0 | $46,484 | exam | FIRE EXTINGUISHER SPECIALIST; FIRE EXTINGUISHER TECHNICIAN |
| OR | 17 | 7.9 | $49,896 | not matched | — |
| MA | 16 | 11.7 | $54,893 | not matched | — |
| IL | 16 | 15.7 | $59,251 | licence | FIRE EQUIPMENT DISTRIBUTOR (CLASS A, B; FIRE EQUIPMENT EMPLOYEE (CLASS 1, 2, 3 |
| PA | 15 | 5.9 | $42,135 | not matched | — |
| TX | 14 | 9.5 | $49,534 | exam | FIRE EXTINGUISHER TECHNICIAN |
| OH | 10 | 14.5 | $51,800 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 10 | 4.7 | $43,085 | not matched | — |
| UT | 8 | 3.6 | $27,069 | not matched | — |
| NC | 7 | 20.6 | $38,556 | exam | Fire Sprinkler Installation Contractor; Residential Fire Sprinkler Installatio |
| AZ | 6 | 1.7 | $39,200 | not matched | — |
| KS | 4 | 7.0 | $32,464 | not matched | — |
| MN | 4 | 6.0 | $50,375 | licence | Lake Service Provider (LSP); Placing in Service Permit |
| MO | 3 | 6.7 | $60,100 | not matched | — |
| MI | 3 | 1.3 | $37,000 | not matched | — |
| MD | 3 | 5.7 | $48,353 | not matched | — |
| IN | 3 | 89.7 | $53,000 | not matched | — |
| HI | 3 | 23.0 | $35,348 | not matched | — |
| NV | 3 | 2.7 | $46,500 | not matched | — |
| GA | 3 | 0.7 | $57,000 | not matched | — |
| MT | 3 | 28.3 | $55,624 | 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.