Where is it easiest to open: Other Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment Rental and Leasing
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 49-3042” (soc) for Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanics, Except Engines. 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 | 1,534 | 12.2 | $79,537 | not matched | — |
| TX | 1,065 | 16.2 | $80,712 | not matched | — |
| FL | 744 | 13.0 | $76,600 | not matched | — |
| NY | 422 | 10.4 | $79,351 | not matched | — |
| IL | 371 | 23.3 | $68,620 | licence | ELEVATOR CONTRACTOR |
| GA | 341 | 10.2 | $73,738 | not matched | — |
| LA | 273 | 19.5 | $68,949 | not matched | — |
| PA | 260 | 13.9 | $76,428 | not matched | — |
| OH | 243 | 13.7 | $61,775 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 223 | 15.4 | $91,689 | not matched | — |
| NC | 221 | 9.6 | $81,727 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 219 | 14.0 | $62,328 | not matched | — |
| WA | 212 | 9.5 | $78,675 | not matched | — |
| TN | 212 | 14.0 | $73,853 | not matched | — |
| CO | 211 | 11.2 | $79,095 | not matched | — |
| MI | 189 | 12.1 | $69,540 | not matched | — |
| MA | 180 | 13.9 | $77,968 | not matched | — |
| VA | 170 | 14.4 | $56,338 | not matched | — |
| MD | 161 | 12.1 | $75,737 | not matched | — |
| MO | 157 | 12.6 | $58,653 | not matched | — |
| NV | 156 | 22.9 | $77,390 | not matched | — |
| IN | 154 | 11.3 | $68,699 | not matched | — |
| SC | 129 | 8.2 | $77,691 | not matched | — |
| UT | 107 | 9.6 | $65,741 | not matched | — |
| MN | 106 | 9.1 | $79,265 | not matched | — |
| OR | 105 | 10.1 | $71,277 | not matched | — |
| AL | 105 | 11.6 | $79,139 | not matched | — |
| OK | 102 | 6.9 | $76,009 | not matched | — |
| WI | 92 | 8.0 | $68,997 | not matched | — |
| HI | 84 | 6.9 | $63,466 | not matched | — |
| CT | 69 | 8.3 | $86,352 | not matched | — |
| NM | 67 | 8.2 | $78,118 | not matched | — |
| KY | 63 | 13.2 | $62,522 | not matched | — |
| KS | 60 | 9.9 | $65,963 | not matched | — |
| AR | 60 | 10.8 | $109,598 | not matched | — |
| NE | 47 | 6.1 | $80,336 | not matched | — |
| IA | 45 | 21.3 | $70,039 | not matched | — |
| MS | 40 | 11.9 | $64,572 | not matched | — |
| DC | 35 | 8.2 | $65,237 | not matched | — |
| DE | 34 | 11.6 | $71,743 | not matched | — |
| WV | 30 | 16.8 | $45,554 | not matched | — |
| ID | 29 | 6.9 | $71,542 | not matched | — |
| ND | 28 | 13.2 | $93,987 | not matched | — |
| ME | 26 | 7.2 | $59,431 | licence | Elevator Contractor; Lift Mechanic |
| WY | 25 | 13.8 | $84,881 | not matched | — |
| NH | 22 | 14.3 | $76,889 | not matched | — |
| AK | 20 | 4.0 | $58,383 | not matched | — |
| MT | 19 | 4.5 | $74,814 | not matched | — |
| RI | 17 | 6.8 | $68,478 | not matched | — |
| SD | 14 | 7.1 | $79,222 | not matched | — |
| VT | 7 | 5.0 | $61,286 | 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.