Where is it easiest to open: Confectionery and Nut Retailers
47 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 41-1011” (soc) for First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers. 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 | 579 | 7.0 | $23,334 | not matched | — |
| NY | 234 | 5.7 | $28,311 | not matched | — |
| IL | 182 | 6.1 | $27,083 | exam | INTERTRACK EMPLOYEE |
| FL | 178 | 6.3 | $21,431 | not matched | — |
| TX | 156 | 5.8 | $23,710 | not matched | — |
| PA | 152 | 6.0 | $20,080 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 117 | 6.1 | $26,327 | not matched | — |
| OH | 105 | 6.1 | $19,120 | not matched | — |
| MA | 75 | 5.8 | $20,265 | exam | GAMING EMPLOYEE |
| WA | 74 | 6.0 | $23,515 | not matched | — |
| CO | 67 | 12.7 | $24,098 | licence | Marijuana Employee License; Meat Program-Custom Processing |
| MI | 63 | 5.1 | $22,124 | exam | Horse Racing Occupational License |
| AZ | 61 | 8.0 | $20,441 | not matched | — |
| NV | 51 | 10.6 | $33,991 | not matched | — |
| MD | 51 | 5.5 | $23,295 | not matched | — |
| NC | 48 | 6.0 | $26,483 | licence | Amphibian and Reptile Possession permi; Cigarette Distributor |
| OR | 47 | 7.3 | $19,436 | not matched | — |
| TN | 45 | 7.5 | $22,414 | not matched | — |
| MO | 42 | 4.4 | $20,158 | not matched | — |
| IN | 37 | 8.0 | $17,071 | exam | Occupational Riverboat Gambling Licens |
| UT | 36 | 6.3 | $16,168 | not matched | — |
| GA | 35 | 7.6 | $20,173 | not matched | — |
| MN | 33 | 8.1 | $28,498 | not matched | — |
| CT | 28 | 8.8 | $18,131 | not matched | — |
| NH | 28 | 4.3 | $28,273 | not matched | — |
| HI | 25 | 10.7 | $21,543 | not matched | — |
| OK | 25 | 5.6 | $16,779 | licence | Employee |
| WI | 25 | 3.6 | $22,258 | not matched | — |
| ME | 22 | 2.9 | $46,906 | not matched | — |
| SC | 21 | 11.1 | $24,747 | not matched | — |
| NM | 21 | 5.2 | $20,991 | licence | Staff Permit Employees |
| VA | 17 | 4.3 | $16,521 | not matched | — |
| LA | 15 | 4.3 | $25,092 | not matched | — |
| DE | 13 | 2.9 | $48,132 | not matched | — |
| ID | 13 | 9.2 | $11,571 | not matched | — |
| AL | 12 | 5.6 | $12,910 | not matched | — |
| KS | 10 | 11.5 | $22,052 | licence | Level III Gaming Occupation |
| NE | 10 | 8.4 | $16,845 | not matched | — |
| AR | 10 | 6.1 | $17,164 | not matched | — |
| MS | 8 | 4.0 | $12,344 | not matched | — |
| RI | 8 | 3.1 | $30,160 | not matched | — |
| SD | 7 | 5.0 | $23,114 | not matched | — |
| KY | 7 | 5.1 | $13,861 | not matched | — |
| MT | 7 | 7.7 | $16,463 | not matched | — |
| DC | 6 | 2.2 | $31,231 | not matched | — |
| VT | 5 | 9.4 | $16,638 | not matched | — |
| IA | 4 | 2.5 | $21,300 | 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.