Where is it easiest to open: Other Support Activities for Road Transportation
48 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 53-3032” (soc) for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers. 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 | 828 | 7.3 | $42,480 | licence | Commercial Driver License |
| IL | 277 | 5.4 | $32,708 | exam | COMMERCIAL DRIVER (TRUCK AND BUS OPERA; DRIVER |
| FL | 255 | 7.6 | $34,852 | exam | Teaching Driver Education |
| TX | 226 | 9.7 | $51,686 | exam | TOW TRUCK OPERATOR |
| PA | 122 | 16.7 | $41,054 | not matched | — |
| NY | 96 | 12.2 | $41,534 | exam | Bus Driver; Certified Examiner - Bus Driver |
| MI | 90 | 10.7 | $58,134 | exam | Chauffeur License; Commercial Driver License (C.D.L.) |
| NJ | 76 | 14.1 | $51,891 | exam | BUS DRIVER; HARNESS RACE DRIVER |
| GA | 60 | 24.5 | $59,945 | not matched | — |
| VA | 59 | 11.9 | $64,423 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL); Tow Truck Driver Registration |
| NC | 55 | 11.1 | $37,762 | exam | Classified Drivers License (Non-commer; Commercial Driver License (Class A, B |
| MA | 53 | 11.4 | $74,008 | exam | BUS DRIVER; COMMERCIAL DRIVERS |
| TN | 42 | 19.0 | $47,207 | exam | COMMERCIAL DRIVER |
| MD | 37 | 12.9 | $25,895 | licence | BUS DRIVER, SCHOOL; BUS DRIVER, TRANSIT AND INTERCITY |
| AZ | 36 | 27.5 | $45,888 | licence | Commercial Driver (CDL) |
| LA | 35 | 6.5 | $36,667 | licence | Truck Driver, Certified |
| IN | 34 | 23.6 | $49,169 | not matched | — |
| AL | 32 | 10.9 | $37,461 | exam | CDL Class A |
| CO | 32 | 9.8 | $54,641 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| OH | 30 | 7.3 | $44,000 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| MO | 29 | 3.3 | $27,375 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| UT | 28 | 6.8 | $40,316 | licence | DRIVER - HEAVY TRUCK & TRACTOR TRAILER |
| OR | 27 | 8.1 | $30,468 | licence | Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Truck Eq; School Bus Driver Certificate |
| MN | 25 | 5.2 | $39,674 | licence | Commercial Driver's License (CDL); Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Haza |
| WA | 25 | 12.2 | $41,072 | exam | Commercial Driver |
| OK | 20 | 14.3 | $37,720 | not matched | — |
| SC | 19 | 7.8 | $40,067 | not matched | — |
| NV | 19 | 66.1 | $62,524 | not matched | — |
| KY | 19 | 16.5 | $14,492 | exam | Driver, Hazardous Materials Endorsemen; Licensed Commercial Driver (CDL) |
| IA | 18 | 32.2 | $79,834 | not matched | — |
| WI | 17 | 15.1 | $32,727 | exam | SCHOOL BUS DRIVER |
| RI | 14 | 10.1 | $29,817 | exam | Chauffeur / CDL; Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| DE | 13 | 9.8 | $41,913 | not matched | — |
| ME | 12 | 25.3 | $42,095 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL); Driver Education Instructor, School |
| CT | 12 | 8.7 | $20,394 | not matched | — |
| KS | 12 | 8.1 | $35,485 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| AR | 11 | 10.2 | $39,741 | exam | Commercial Driver (Tractor-Trailer Tru; Liquefied Petroleum Gas Cylinder Deliv |
| ID | 10 | 8.6 | $42,907 | exam | Commercial Drivers |
| NM | 9 | 1.8 | $48,250 | exam | Commercial Vehicle Drivers License |
| AK | 8 | 5.4 | $53,349 | licence | Bus Driver, School; Vehicle for Hire Permit in City of Fai |
| WV | 7 | 1.4 | $23,500 | not matched | — |
| HI | 6 | 13.7 | $21,195 | not matched | — |
| NH | 6 | 26.8 | $39,832 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| MT | 5 | 9.6 | $45,396 | exam | Bus Drivers; Taxi Drivers |
| WY | 4 | 26.2 | $37,724 | exam | SCHOOL BUS DRIVER; TRUCK DRIVER |
| ND | 3 | 11.3 | $37,147 | not matched | — |
| MS | 3 | 6.3 | $25,368 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| NE | 3 | 30.7 | $65,750 | licence | Truck Driver (Heavy); Truck Driver (Light or Delivery Servic |
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.