Where is it easiest to open: Office Equipment Merchant Wholesalers
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 41-4012” (soc) for Sales Representatives, Wholesale and Manufacturing, Except Technical and Scientific Products. 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 | 587 | 12.8 | $88,339 | licence | Designated Representative License - Wh; Hydroseed Spraying Limited Specialty C |
| FL | 351 | 14.7 | $90,460 | not matched | — |
| TX | 345 | 12.6 | $71,089 | licence | EGG DEALER/WHOLESALER |
| NY | 295 | 19.2 | $83,637 | not matched | — |
| PA | 226 | 11.7 | $84,399 | not matched | — |
| IL | 193 | 17.3 | $82,323 | exam | AQUATIC LIFE DEALER, RETAIL & WHOLESAL; BROKER, MEAT/POULTRY/MEAT AND POULTRY |
| OH | 173 | 17.0 | $71,001 | licence | Alcohol Wholesaler/Importer Permit; Brewery/Brewpub Federal Permit |
| NC | 159 | 12.6 | $70,557 | licence | Alcoholic Beverage Distributor/Vendor ; Bedding Manufacturer's |
| NJ | 141 | 16.0 | $81,213 | not matched | — |
| MA | 132 | 11.2 | $86,857 | not matched | — |
| GA | 130 | 19.8 | $86,197 | not matched | — |
| VA | 116 | 11.5 | $77,314 | licence | Charitable Gaming Organization; Commercial Feed License |
| WA | 113 | 12.3 | $81,196 | not matched | — |
| MI | 111 | 15.5 | $72,905 | exam | Livestock Dealer; Livestock Trucker |
| AZ | 93 | 15.1 | $75,366 | not matched | — |
| IN | 92 | 10.2 | $66,627 | not matched | — |
| TN | 91 | 18.8 | $74,447 | not matched | — |
| CT | 89 | 20.6 | $101,092 | licence | Casino Class I Employee; Livestock Dealer/broker |
| MN | 85 | 15.1 | $99,595 | licence | Agricultural Liming Material License; Club On Sale Retail Liquor License |
| WI | 84 | 14.7 | $69,060 | licence | ANIMAL FOOD PROCESSOR |
| CO | 84 | 16.6 | $85,459 | exam | Egg Seller; Liquor License |
| MD | 84 | 16.4 | $76,650 | not matched | — |
| OR | 71 | 21.5 | $73,063 | not matched | — |
| MO | 70 | 15.9 | $75,634 | not matched | — |
| AL | 65 | 22.2 | $76,219 | not matched | — |
| LA | 62 | 9.8 | $67,143 | not matched | — |
| SC | 58 | 12.6 | $58,990 | not matched | — |
| IA | 51 | 12.7 | $73,616 | not matched | — |
| KY | 50 | 14.9 | $54,055 | exam | Limited Livestock Auctioneer; Livestock Dealer |
| OK | 47 | 10.9 | $71,391 | licence | Feeding Assistant |
| KS | 47 | 15.1 | $74,241 | not matched | — |
| NV | 46 | 17.1 | $73,306 | not matched | — |
| DC | 38 | 7.3 | $61,996 | not matched | — |
| UT | 37 | 12.9 | $83,100 | not matched | — |
| NE | 34 | 9.5 | $65,326 | licence | Alcohol Establishment; Commercial Dog or Cat Breeder |
| AR | 30 | 13.0 | $66,440 | licence | Feed Facility License; Grain Dealer |
| RI | 27 | 9.2 | $65,923 | licence | Livestock Dealer |
| MS | 26 | 10.2 | $66,424 | not matched | — |
| ID | 22 | 13.4 | $64,166 | not matched | — |
| MT | 20 | 7.5 | $66,633 | licence | Fire Protection - Firework Wholesaler |
| DE | 20 | 8.0 | $76,296 | not matched | — |
| NH | 17 | 15.2 | $72,768 | not matched | — |
| NM | 17 | 12.2 | $63,068 | not matched | — |
| SD | 15 | 14.0 | $83,552 | not matched | — |
| ND | 15 | 11.4 | $84,901 | not matched | — |
| WV | 13 | 7.8 | $62,851 | not matched | — |
| HI | 12 | 17.5 | $88,881 | not matched | — |
| ME | 11 | 22.3 | $67,490 | not matched | — |
| AK | 10 | 5.1 | $83,471 | not matched | — |
| VT | 8 | 15.0 | $41,242 | not matched | — |
| WY | 3 | 2.0 | $34,500 | 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.