Where is it easiest to open: New Car Dealers
50 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 49-3023” (soc) for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics. 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 | 2,061 | 54.1 | $90,966 | not matched | — |
| TX | 1,625 | 64.1 | $86,240 | not matched | — |
| FL | 1,285 | 68.8 | $86,582 | not matched | — |
| NY | 1,125 | 44.1 | $79,588 | not matched | — |
| PA | 1,041 | 45.7 | $67,646 | licence | Vehicle Manufacturer |
| OH | 855 | 51.5 | $72,372 | not matched | — |
| IL | 845 | 51.5 | $75,286 | licence | AUTOMOTIVE PARTS RECYCLER; REBUILDER |
| MI | 688 | 52.9 | $76,040 | not matched | — |
| NC | 671 | 53.0 | $78,236 | licence | Motor Club; Motor Vehicle Manufacturer Branch |
| NJ | 586 | 51.7 | $87,204 | not matched | — |
| GA | 546 | 61.2 | $83,314 | not matched | — |
| WI | 530 | 44.3 | $67,121 | not matched | — |
| VA | 503 | 61.5 | $73,043 | not matched | — |
| MA | 487 | 44.0 | $85,741 | not matched | — |
| WA | 485 | 45.8 | $84,820 | not matched | — |
| IN | 462 | 49.0 | $71,620 | not matched | — |
| MO | 427 | 49.3 | $73,934 | not matched | — |
| TN | 389 | 56.1 | $80,670 | licence | AUTOMOBILE CLUB OR AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIAT |
| MD | 375 | 62.7 | $80,884 | not matched | — |
| MN | 355 | 55.9 | $69,438 | not matched | — |
| SC | 346 | 49.0 | $79,830 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 338 | 73.0 | $88,838 | not matched | — |
| AL | 321 | 46.9 | $76,861 | not matched | — |
| CO | 315 | 61.4 | $83,140 | not matched | — |
| LA | 312 | 51.1 | $71,429 | not matched | — |
| CT | 303 | 42.4 | $82,084 | not matched | — |
| OR | 296 | 46.6 | $76,162 | not matched | — |
| OK | 263 | 49.3 | $68,250 | not matched | — |
| IA | 254 | 46.0 | $71,125 | not matched | — |
| KY | 239 | 50.9 | $72,748 | not matched | — |
| AR | 205 | 43.0 | $71,506 | not matched | — |
| KS | 203 | 47.1 | $69,345 | not matched | — |
| UT | 188 | 56.9 | $74,033 | not matched | — |
| MS | 183 | 41.4 | $70,164 | not matched | — |
| NH | 163 | 43.6 | $88,956 | not matched | — |
| NE | 145 | 49.0 | $71,753 | not matched | — |
| WV | 140 | 38.9 | $63,649 | not matched | — |
| ME | 132 | 41.6 | $77,175 | not matched | — |
| NM | 125 | 48.3 | $72,639 | not matched | — |
| NV | 110 | 85.6 | $94,017 | not matched | — |
| ID | 109 | 55.8 | $74,875 | not matched | — |
| MT | 93 | 41.6 | $70,031 | not matched | — |
| DE | 82 | 50.3 | $74,377 | not matched | — |
| VT | 80 | 36.1 | $71,965 | not matched | — |
| SD | 79 | 40.3 | $70,983 | not matched | — |
| HI | 78 | 48.9 | $79,323 | not matched | — |
| RI | 65 | 45.3 | $80,727 | not matched | — |
| ND | 61 | 60.2 | $71,662 | not matched | — |
| WY | 50 | 41.3 | $61,983 | not matched | — |
| AK | 31 | 58.3 | $73,866 | 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.