Where is it easiest to open: Solid Waste Landfill
36 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 53-3032” (soc) for Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TX | 107 | 14.1 | $77,337 | exam | TOW TRUCK OPERATOR |
| CA | 74 | 18.2 | $83,382 | licence | Commercial Driver License |
| PA | 54 | 25.5 | $54,924 | not matched | — |
| FL | 49 | 13.1 | $71,427 | exam | Teaching Driver Education |
| IL | 48 | 16.0 | $79,770 | exam | COMMERCIAL DRIVER (TRUCK AND BUS OPERA; DRIVER |
| OH | 42 | 26.0 | $72,340 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| NY | 30 | 13.6 | $89,665 | exam | Bus Driver; Certified Examiner - Bus Driver |
| AZ | 30 | 77.1 | $50,372 | licence | Commercial Driver (CDL) |
| MA | 29 | 6.0 | $89,092 | exam | BUS DRIVER; COMMERCIAL DRIVERS |
| MI | 21 | 11.6 | $77,864 | exam | Chauffeur License; Commercial Driver License (C.D.L.) |
| NC | 20 | 8.0 | $64,862 | exam | Classified Drivers License (Non-commer; Commercial Driver License (Class A, B |
| IN | 19 | 10.5 | $74,910 | not matched | — |
| MN | 18 | 13.2 | $72,747 | licence | Commercial Driver's License (CDL); Commercial Driver's License (CDL) Haza |
| SC | 16 | 17.4 | $42,237 | not matched | — |
| AL | 16 | 19.3 | $58,625 | exam | CDL Class A |
| GA | 15 | 6.4 | $62,146 | not matched | — |
| MD | 15 | 16.7 | $49,268 | licence | BUS DRIVER, SCHOOL; BUS DRIVER, TRANSIT AND INTERCITY |
| TN | 14 | 6.3 | $67,205 | exam | COMMERCIAL DRIVER |
| CO | 14 | 27.7 | $76,946 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| NJ | 13 | 7.6 | $79,111 | exam | BUS DRIVER; HARNESS RACE DRIVER |
| VA | 11 | 9.7 | $88,206 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL); Tow Truck Driver Registration |
| MS | 9 | 5.4 | $64,878 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| OK | 9 | 8.4 | $66,908 | not matched | — |
| UT | 9 | 33.6 | $65,364 | licence | DRIVER - HEAVY TRUCK & TRACTOR TRAILER |
| KS | 6 | 4.7 | $63,750 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| WA | 5 | 11.4 | $116,895 | exam | Commercial Driver |
| MO | 5 | 7.0 | $83,571 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL) |
| OR | 4 | 11.8 | $92,383 | licence | Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) Truck Eq; School Bus Driver Certificate |
| AR | 4 | 5.2 | $64,190 | exam | Commercial Driver (Tractor-Trailer Tru; Liquefied Petroleum Gas Cylinder Deliv |
| NV | 4 | 47.5 | $68,932 | not matched | — |
| MT | 3 | 2.0 | $51,667 | exam | Bus Drivers; Taxi Drivers |
| ME | 3 | 17.3 | $60,115 | exam | Commercial Drivers License (CDL); Driver Education Instructor, School |
| LA | 3 | 8.3 | $62,480 | licence | Truck Driver, Certified |
| HI | 3 | 8.3 | $132,720 | not matched | — |
| CT | 3 | 17.3 | $74,385 | not matched | — |
| WI | 3 | 2.0 | $75,500 | exam | SCHOOL BUS DRIVER |
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.