Where is it easiest to open: Other Airport Operations
49 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 49-3011” (soc) for Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FL | 241 | 77.6 | $37,710 | not matched | — |
| CA | 215 | 96.8 | $41,899 | not matched | — |
| TX | 192 | 82.8 | $37,937 | not matched | — |
| NY | 95 | 96.9 | $41,631 | not matched | — |
| VA | 58 | 89.9 | $31,811 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 50 | 39.9 | $39,749 | not matched | — |
| IL | 49 | 133.0 | $39,912 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 44 | 100.4 | $39,785 | not matched | — |
| WA | 41 | 93.9 | $47,015 | not matched | — |
| GA | 40 | 88.9 | $40,763 | not matched | — |
| HI | 35 | 45.1 | $28,954 | not matched | — |
| MO | 35 | 52.9 | $31,088 | not matched | — |
| MI | 35 | 56.4 | $33,855 | not matched | — |
| NC | 34 | 76.4 | $29,347 | not matched | — |
| CO | 34 | 90.9 | $34,081 | not matched | — |
| PA | 32 | 55.8 | $33,107 | not matched | — |
| OH | 32 | 25.7 | $35,292 | licence | Airframe, Power Plant, or Repairer Lic |
| LA | 32 | 38.4 | $26,349 | not matched | — |
| MD | 28 | 34.1 | $37,255 | not matched | — |
| TN | 28 | 42.1 | $33,866 | not matched | — |
| MN | 26 | 70.2 | $31,928 | not matched | — |
| NV | 25 | 110.1 | $27,705 | not matched | — |
| IN | 23 | 70.7 | $36,843 | not matched | — |
| AL | 23 | 23.1 | $41,113 | licence | Licensed Aircraft Mechanic |
| OK | 22 | 23.5 | $29,255 | exam | Aircraft Mechanic; Aircraft Repairperson |
| MA | 22 | 111.5 | $34,801 | not matched | — |
| KY | 20 | 64.0 | $30,668 | not matched | — |
| WI | 20 | 35.2 | $38,250 | not matched | — |
| UT | 19 | 113.4 | $44,917 | licence | AIRCRAFT MECHANIC |
| NM | 17 | 16.1 | $37,575 | not matched | — |
| AK | 16 | 29.1 | $43,469 | licence | Aircraft Mechanic |
| KS | 15 | 16.3 | $52,465 | exam | Aircraft Mechanic |
| CT | 15 | 25.3 | $29,805 | not matched | — |
| SC | 14 | 51.6 | $28,102 | not matched | — |
| MT | 13 | 45.9 | $37,831 | licence | Aircraft Mechanics |
| OR | 13 | 164.3 | $33,838 | licence | Apprentice, Registered (Industrial Tra |
| IA | 12 | 24.5 | $38,497 | not matched | — |
| MS | 11 | 23.2 | $28,051 | not matched | — |
| NH | 10 | 31.9 | $62,107 | not matched | — |
| NE | 10 | 22.5 | $30,453 | licence | Aviation Mechanic, Certificated |
| SD | 8 | 13.8 | $32,936 | not matched | — |
| DC | 7 | 11.9 | $118,735 | exam | Aircraft Mechanic - A & P; Aircraft Repairer |
| DE | 6 | 15.0 | $114,656 | not matched | — |
| ME | 5 | 72.4 | $30,575 | not matched | — |
| AR | 5 | 43.6 | $37,486 | not matched | — |
| ID | 4 | 102.5 | $27,137 | not matched | — |
| WY | 4 | 12.5 | $47,380 | exam | AIRCRAFT MECHANIC |
| ND | 3 | 50.3 | $55,477 | not matched | — |
| RI | 3 | 17.7 | $50,094 | 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.