Where is it easiest to open: Drafting Services
46 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 17-1011” (soc) for Architects, Except Landscape and Naval. 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 | 391 | 3.1 | $74,993 | licence | Architects (Architectural Practice) |
| FL | 343 | 2.6 | $61,386 | licence | Architect |
| TX | 186 | 4.7 | $69,190 | exam | ARCHITECT |
| NY | 172 | 3.6 | $84,439 | exam | Architect |
| UT | 85 | 3.0 | $64,387 | licence | ARCHITECT |
| AZ | 82 | 4.0 | $80,994 | licence | Architect |
| WA | 81 | 4.2 | $66,574 | exam | Architect |
| CO | 81 | 3.0 | $72,439 | exam | Architect |
| GA | 56 | 2.2 | $69,065 | exam | Registered Architect |
| IL | 56 | 6.1 | $79,612 | exam | ARCHITECT |
| PA | 49 | 5.2 | $63,750 | exam | Architect |
| NC | 41 | 1.9 | $69,253 | exam | Architect (By Exam); Architect by Reciprocity |
| AL | 40 | 1.6 | $37,609 | exam | Registered Architect |
| MN | 38 | 3.7 | $75,270 | licence | Architect |
| SC | 38 | 2.7 | $45,139 | licence | Architect; Architect Construction Manager |
| MO | 35 | 5.4 | $79,138 | exam | Architect |
| MI | 35 | 8.9 | $84,945 | exam | Architects |
| NV | 34 | 5.6 | $66,683 | not matched | — |
| ID | 32 | 2.4 | $45,882 | exam | Architect |
| OR | 31 | 3.0 | $73,424 | licence | Architect |
| NJ | 28 | 7.8 | $45,197 | exam | ARCHITECT |
| VA | 28 | 2.3 | $94,188 | exam | Architect License |
| OH | 26 | 4.0 | $54,631 | exam | Architect |
| LA | 26 | 3.1 | $62,420 | exam | Architect |
| MT | 26 | 1.2 | $40,567 | licence | Architects and Landscape - Architect E; Architects & Landscape - Architect |
| MA | 22 | 1.8 | $110,256 | licence | ARCHITECT |
| MD | 21 | 3.8 | $57,012 | licence | ARCHITECT; ARCHITECT CORPORATION |
| WI | 21 | 3.7 | $67,295 | exam | ARCHITECT |
| OK | 18 | 3.8 | $60,913 | licence | Architect |
| HI | 17 | 2.2 | $62,378 | exam | Architect |
| NH | 16 | 2.3 | $62,919 | exam | Architect |
| TN | 15 | 3.7 | $64,073 | exam | PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECT |
| IN | 14 | 2.8 | $121,462 | exam | Architect |
| DE | 13 | 3.3 | $43,326 | exam | Architect |
| ME | 11 | 5.1 | $43,482 | exam | Architect |
| SD | 10 | 1.6 | $65,125 | licence | Architect |
| NE | 9 | 2.2 | $60,000 | licence | Architect; Architectural Engineer |
| NM | 8 | 3.9 | $56,968 | exam | Licensed Architect |
| IA | 8 | 7.9 | $98,079 | licence | Architect, Licensed |
| RI | 7 | 6.7 | $94,319 | exam | Architect |
| CT | 6 | 4.0 | $76,583 | licence | Architect |
| VT | 4 | 2.0 | $50,125 | exam | Architect |
| MS | 4 | 5.2 | $40,667 | licence | Architect |
| AK | 4 | 1.0 | $43,250 | licence | Architect |
| KS | 4 | 1.2 | $54,800 | exam | Architect |
| KY | 3 | 0.7 | $75,000 | exam | Architect |
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.