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Where is it easiest to open: Real Estate Credit
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 13-2072” (soc) for Loan Officers. 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 | 2,113 | 16.7 | $107,672 | licence | California Finance Lender Law; California Residential Mortgage Lendin |
| TX | 1,380 | 22.1 | $102,276 | licence | Title Escrow Officer |
| FL | 1,352 | 10.3 | $109,564 | licence | Loan Originators; Title Loan Lender |
| WA | 627 | 6.9 | $133,864 | exam | Escrow Agent, Officer; Loan Originator |
| VA | 571 | 12.0 | $109,917 | not matched | — |
| NC | 569 | 9.0 | $93,016 | exam | Check Cashing License; Check Cashing Privilege |
| GA | 559 | 8.8 | $108,979 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 507 | 27.6 | $88,622 | licence | Advance Fee Loan Broker; Commercial Mortgage Banker |
| CO | 504 | 14.1 | $99,628 | exam | Mortgage Broker; Mortgage Loan Originator |
| NJ | 446 | 15.4 | $95,058 | licence | MORTGAGE BANKER AND BROKER |
| PA | 409 | 17.6 | $105,329 | not matched | — |
| MD | 393 | 13.6 | $138,346 | not matched | — |
| IL | 388 | 19.5 | $108,098 | licence | LOAN BROKERS; OWNER OF CREDIT SERVICES ORGANIZATION |
| NY | 377 | 24.3 | $141,348 | exam | Mortgage Loan Originator |
| MN | 374 | 11.1 | $78,780 | licence | Accelerated Mortgage Payment Provider; Mortgage Loan Originator License |
| OH | 374 | 20.6 | $87,854 | not matched | — |
| SC | 349 | 10.3 | $84,371 | not matched | — |
| OR | 325 | 6.3 | $98,515 | licence | Escrow Agents; Loan Originators |
| MA | 321 | 7.0 | $127,209 | not matched | — |
| TN | 319 | 18.8 | $96,075 | not matched | — |
| MI | 290 | 68.1 | $87,231 | licence | Loan Originator, Mortgage |
| UT | 281 | 14.5 | $94,054 | licence | RESIDENTIAL MORTGAGE LENDER |
| MO | 251 | 12.2 | $103,344 | not matched | — |
| NV | 243 | 9.6 | $111,269 | not matched | — |
| IN | 223 | 15.4 | $89,775 | not matched | — |
| AL | 207 | 7.9 | $86,437 | not matched | — |
| CT | 168 | 9.4 | $107,604 | not matched | — |
| LA | 167 | 7.7 | $95,690 | not matched | — |
| ID | 151 | 5.3 | $106,539 | exam | Loan Originator Licensees; Mortgage Licensees |
| KY | 147 | 10.0 | $84,631 | exam | Mortgage Individuals (Loan Officers, M; Specialty Credit Producer and Managing |
| WI | 142 | 10.6 | $99,017 | exam | MORTGAGE BANKER; MORTGAGE BROKER |
| AR | 124 | 7.4 | $75,907 | licence | Loan Officer; Mortgage Broker, Mortgage Banker, Mort |
| OK | 107 | 22.1 | $89,057 | licence | Mortgage Loan Originators |
| KS | 101 | 30.5 | $83,514 | exam | Loan Originator |
| NM | 92 | 10.2 | $85,551 | exam | Licensed Mortgage Loan Companies; Mortgage Loan Originators |
| HI | 85 | 8.6 | $141,517 | not matched | — |
| IA | 84 | 5.8 | $89,286 | licence | Mortgage Banker/Broker License/Mortgag |
| DE | 81 | 6.1 | $108,835 | licence | Loan Officers and Counselors |
| MS | 80 | 4.7 | $86,929 | not matched | — |
| MT | 76 | 5.1 | $99,269 | licence | Loan Originators; Mortgage Brokers |
| NH | 66 | 5.6 | $133,890 | not matched | — |
| RI | 52 | 15.4 | $90,567 | not matched | — |
| ME | 45 | 5.4 | $103,889 | not matched | — |
| WY | 44 | 3.2 | $91,845 | exam | MORTGAGE LOAN ORIGINATORS |
| AK | 38 | 7.2 | $90,693 | licence | Mortgage Brokers, Mortgage Lenders and |
| NE | 38 | 5.3 | $94,706 | licence | Credit Union Loan Officer; Mortgage Loan Originator |
| WV | 34 | 3.6 | $76,049 | not matched | — |
| DC | 30 | 3.7 | $207,829 | not matched | — |
| SD | 22 | 10.0 | $72,468 | not matched | — |
| ND | 20 | 3.1 | $94,484 | not matched | — |
| VT | 9 | 3.1 | $60,786 | 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.