Where is it easiest to open: Building Inspection Services
51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FL | 1,070 | 2.6 | $50,255 | licence | Architect |
| CA | 991 | 4.1 | $73,253 | licence | Architects (Architectural Practice) |
| TX | 567 | 5.1 | $66,613 | exam | ARCHITECT |
| NY | 300 | 4.5 | $71,451 | exam | Architect |
| NC | 257 | 2.1 | $45,351 | exam | Architect (By Exam); Architect by Reciprocity |
| PA | 214 | 6.0 | $72,900 | exam | Architect |
| IL | 209 | 3.4 | $60,271 | exam | ARCHITECT |
| CO | 205 | 3.8 | $67,626 | exam | Architect |
| WA | 194 | 2.6 | $67,549 | exam | Architect |
| AZ | 187 | 2.2 | $49,063 | licence | Architect |
| GA | 180 | 4.8 | $64,315 | exam | Registered Architect |
| OH | 157 | 4.3 | $55,614 | exam | Architect |
| NJ | 148 | 3.5 | $62,073 | exam | ARCHITECT |
| MD | 127 | 7.3 | $57,955 | licence | ARCHITECT; ARCHITECT CORPORATION |
| MI | 117 | 3.6 | $55,185 | exam | Architects |
| MA | 114 | 3.0 | $72,294 | licence | ARCHITECT |
| MO | 104 | 5.5 | $101,195 | exam | Architect |
| MN | 100 | 3.8 | $60,517 | licence | Architect |
| SC | 99 | 2.7 | $56,307 | licence | Architect; Architect Construction Manager |
| VA | 98 | 5.9 | $60,981 | exam | Architect License |
| IN | 91 | 4.9 | $59,177 | exam | Architect |
| WI | 90 | 2.2 | $48,614 | exam | ARCHITECT |
| OR | 90 | 3.0 | $50,070 | licence | Architect |
| UT | 87 | 2.3 | $47,515 | licence | ARCHITECT |
| TN | 83 | 8.0 | $61,970 | exam | PROFESSIONAL ARCHITECT |
| NV | 74 | 5.4 | $60,682 | not matched | — |
| AL | 66 | 1.9 | $51,641 | exam | Registered Architect |
| OK | 63 | 4.1 | $68,621 | licence | Architect |
| LA | 59 | 3.9 | $59,524 | exam | Architect |
| CT | 58 | 6.4 | $67,480 | licence | Architect |
| KS | 42 | 6.2 | $93,663 | exam | Architect |
| KY | 40 | 3.8 | $45,680 | exam | Architect |
| ID | 39 | 2.6 | $54,814 | exam | Architect |
| MT | 39 | 2.0 | $49,468 | licence | Architects and Landscape - Architect E; Architects & Landscape - Architect |
| AR | 37 | 2.1 | $40,408 | exam | Architect |
| NM | 34 | 2.6 | $49,556 | exam | Licensed Architect |
| IA | 33 | 1.9 | $46,661 | licence | Architect, Licensed |
| RI | 32 | 1.6 | $42,922 | exam | Architect |
| HI | 30 | 2.9 | $45,391 | exam | Architect |
| ME | 27 | 2.6 | $52,771 | exam | Architect |
| DE | 24 | 5.9 | $65,326 | exam | Architect |
| NE | 21 | 2.0 | $33,683 | licence | Architect; Architectural Engineer |
| NH | 16 | 3.3 | $61,283 | exam | Architect |
| AK | 13 | 3.7 | $76,625 | licence | Architect |
| WY | 11 | 1.7 | $31,895 | exam | ARCHITECT |
| DC | 9 | 1.6 | $73,286 | exam | ARCHITECTURE |
| SD | 7 | 2.3 | $42,000 | licence | Architect |
| MS | 6 | 1.7 | $32,600 | licence | Architect |
| VT | 6 | 4.8 | $52,931 | exam | Architect |
| ND | 3 | 3.3 | $47,500 | exam | Architects |
| WV | 3 | 3.3 | $42,200 | 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.