Tool · free, no account
Where is it easiest to open: Open-End Investment Funds
19 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 13-2052” (soc) for Personal Financial Advisors. 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 | 52 | 2.3 | $118,230 | licence | Central Registration Depository (CRD) |
| CA | 29 | 5.7 | $243,945 | licence | Investment Adviser Certificate; Professional Fiduciary License |
| NY | 27 | 4.9 | $349,473 | not matched | — |
| TX | 21 | 9.8 | $409,228 | licence | SECURITIES DEALER/INVESTMENT ADVISOR |
| IL | 17 | 17.9 | $205,207 | licence | INVESTMENT ADVISOR REPRESENTATIVE |
| DE | 7 | 1.6 | $121,909 | not matched | — |
| MI | 7 | 3.0 | $124,905 | exam | Investment Advisor |
| AZ | 6 | 6.2 | $64,676 | licence | Fiduciary; Investment Adviser |
| CO | 6 | 1.8 | $122,273 | exam | Investment Advisory Representative |
| MD | 6 | 4.2 | $92,920 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 6 | 7.3 | $45,250 | not matched | — |
| DC | 4 | 2.2 | $214,667 | not matched | — |
| OR | 3 | 2.0 | $102,667 | licence | Investment Adviser Representative |
| PA | 3 | 17.7 | $184,170 | not matched | — |
| SC | 3 | 5.7 | $23,353 | not matched | — |
| TN | 3 | 4.3 | $79,077 | not matched | — |
| UT | 3 | 1.0 | $110,667 | licence | SECURITIES-INVESTMENT ADVISER |
| MA | 3 | 4.7 | $149,357 | exam | INSURANCE ADVISER; INVESTMENT ADVISER/REPRESENTATIVE |
| WA | 3 | 9.0 | $282,593 | exam | Financial Planner; Investment Advisor |
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.