Where is it easiest to open: Other Technical and Trade Schools
50 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 25-1194” (soc) for Career/Technical Education Teachers, Postsecondary. 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 | 669 | 14.2 | $56,675 | licence | Baton Training Instructor; Driving School Instructor License |
| TX | 373 | 9.4 | $55,031 | exam | BARBER; COSMETOLOGIST |
| FL | 367 | 9.1 | $48,353 | exam | Firearms Instructor ; Full Specialist |
| NY | 241 | 14.6 | $41,417 | exam | Driving School Instructor |
| IL | 150 | 13.9 | $62,938 | exam | BARBER; BARBER TEACHER |
| NJ | 142 | 13.3 | $38,360 | exam | COOPERATIVE EDUCATION COORDINATOR; DRIVING INSTRUCTOR |
| WA | 137 | 7.8 | $49,584 | exam | Driver Training School Instructor; Instructor (Cosmetology) |
| PA | 133 | 15.7 | $60,657 | exam | Barber; Barber Teacher |
| OH | 108 | 10.5 | $50,168 | exam | Cosmetology Instructor License |
| AZ | 103 | 21.1 | $79,455 | not matched | — |
| GA | 102 | 12.0 | $49,578 | exam | Appraiser Instructor; Barber Instructor |
| MA | 101 | 18.1 | $53,481 | not matched | — |
| MI | 101 | 15.3 | $42,214 | exam | Barber; Barber Instructor |
| CO | 97 | 7.7 | $40,016 | not matched | — |
| NC | 93 | 7.6 | $38,477 | exam | Barber Instructor; Certified Electrolysis Instructor |
| TN | 81 | 12.6 | $46,441 | exam | COSMETOLOGIST; COSMETOLOGY INSTRUCTOR |
| VA | 72 | 7.1 | $45,789 | exam | Cosmetology License and Cosmetologist ; Esthetician License and Esthetics Inst |
| MD | 70 | 11.3 | $41,756 | licence | ASSISTANT TEACHER; STUDENT - ASSISTANT TEACHER |
| UT | 66 | 17.7 | $66,058 | licence | BARBER |
| LA | 58 | 14.1 | $51,526 | not matched | — |
| OR | 58 | 9.9 | $47,798 | not matched | — |
| IN | 57 | 9.8 | $52,223 | exam | Barber Instructor; Beauty Culture Instructor |
| CT | 57 | 14.4 | $37,677 | not matched | — |
| NV | 55 | 16.3 | $48,239 | licence | Cosmetologist |
| MO | 52 | 8.8 | $39,519 | exam | Barber; Barber Instructor |
| SC | 48 | 5.8 | $39,747 | licence | Barber Instructors; CEU Association |
| AL | 39 | 13.3 | $56,000 | exam | Licensed Barber; Licensed Cosmetologist |
| OK | 37 | 10.4 | $48,452 | exam | Barber / Barber Instructor; Cosmetology Instructor |
| WI | 28 | 7.3 | $48,902 | exam | AESTHETICS INSTRUCTOR; ASBESTOS PRINCIPAL INSTRUCTOR |
| MN | 27 | 13.6 | $53,375 | licence | Barbers / Barbershops / Barber Schools; Cosmetology -Individual Licenses |
| KY | 27 | 12.1 | $39,578 | exam | Apprentice Instructor/Cosmetologist In; Barber Instructor |
| AR | 23 | 5.0 | $38,632 | exam | Barber; Barber Instructor |
| HI | 20 | 4.5 | $30,143 | exam | Beauty Instructor; Real Estate Prelicense Instructor |
| NM | 18 | 4.7 | $42,224 | exam | Barber/Cosmetologist Instructor; Barber Instructor |
| NH | 18 | 6.8 | $30,195 | exam | Cosmetology, Barbering, Esthetics, or ; Driver Education Instructor |
| KS | 17 | 9.2 | $67,854 | exam | Barber; Barber Instructor |
| RI | 15 | 13.9 | $58,340 | licence | Real Estate Salesperson Instructor |
| MS | 15 | 11.3 | $47,647 | exam | Barber; Cosmetologist |
| DE | 15 | 7.9 | $61,076 | exam | Teacher of Trade & Industry: Allied He; Teacher of Trade & Industry: Auto Body |
| NE | 15 | 2.9 | $52,045 | licence | Barber Instructor; Cosmetology Instructor |
| ID | 14 | 5.9 | $37,439 | exam | Barber - Instructor; Cosmetologist - Instructor |
| AK | 12 | 5.1 | $57,148 | not matched | — |
| ME | 11 | 17.8 | $44,306 | exam | Aesthetician Instructor; Barber, Instructor |
| IA | 11 | 4.5 | $35,816 | exam | Barber Instructor; Cosmetology Instructor |
| VT | 7 | 11.4 | $53,462 | exam | Commercial Driver Instructor; Driver Instructor, Standard |
| SD | 7 | 4.0 | $34,821 | licence | Cosmetologist Instructor |
| ND | 6 | 6.3 | $55,789 | exam | Barber Instructor; Cosmetology Instructors |
| MT | 6 | 14.0 | $62,381 | exam | Barbers and Cosmetologists - Instructo |
| WY | 6 | 2.8 | $110,765 | exam | COSMETOLOGY INSTRUCTOR |
| WV | 4 | 4.8 | $48,842 | licence | Federal Firearms License |
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.