Where is it easiest to open: Scenic and Sightseeing Transportation, Land
29 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 53-3052” (soc) for Bus Drivers, Transit and Intercity. 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 | 86 | 8.6 | $45,518 | not matched | — |
| HI | 42 | 29.4 | $46,432 | not matched | — |
| AK | 37 | 6.6 | $108,012 | licence | Bus Driver, School |
| NY | 35 | 11.8 | $60,005 | exam | Bus Driver; Certified Examiner - Bus Driver |
| FL | 28 | 29.0 | $80,772 | exam | Cardroom Bus Officer/Director/Sharehol |
| TX | 22 | 7.8 | $23,673 | not matched | — |
| NV | 21 | 14.8 | $45,109 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 17 | 34.2 | $37,024 | not matched | — |
| TN | 12 | 16.6 | $34,261 | not matched | — |
| ME | 12 | 0.8 | $265,500 | not matched | — |
| MA | 12 | 13.0 | $56,045 | exam | BUS DRIVER |
| CO | 11 | 23.2 | $58,859 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| PA | 10 | 9.9 | $26,010 | not matched | — |
| SC | 7 | 27.7 | $38,923 | not matched | — |
| DC | 7 | 29.9 | $44,100 | not matched | — |
| LA | 7 | 19.6 | $38,007 | not matched | — |
| SD | 6 | 3.7 | $72,455 | licence | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| IL | 5 | 13.2 | $50,591 | exam | COMMERCIAL DRIVER (TRUCK AND BUS OPERA |
| UT | 4 | 3.5 | $37,714 | licence | DRIVER - TRANSIT AND INTERCITY |
| NJ | 4 | 3.2 | $55,154 | exam | BUS DRIVER |
| GA | 4 | 57.2 | $30,825 | not matched | — |
| OR | 4 | 6.8 | $41,296 | licence | School Bus Driver Certificate; Special Pupil Activity Bus (SPAB) Driv |
| MO | 4 | 3.8 | $12,733 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| WY | 3 | 23.7 | $45,070 | exam | SCHOOL BUS DRIVER |
| MD | 3 | 7.7 | $35,478 | licence | BUS DRIVER, SCHOOL; BUS DRIVER, TRANSIT AND INTERCITY |
| MT | 3 | 25.7 | $14,013 | exam | Bus Drivers |
| NM | 3 | 4.3 | $58,077 | not matched | — |
| VA | 3 | 1.3 | $8,500 | not matched | — |
| WI | 3 | 5.0 | $50,600 | exam | SCHOOL BUS DRIVER |
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.