Tool · free, no account
Where is it easiest to open: Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 27-2091” (soc) for Disc Jockeys, Except Radio. 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 | 18,417 | 1.4 | $261,107 | licence | Public Display Fireworks |
| NY | 4,518 | 1.6 | $187,878 | exam | Pyrotechnician |
| FL | 2,080 | 1.5 | $75,050 | not matched | — |
| TX | 1,149 | 2.1 | $80,695 | licence | PYROTECHNIC/ FLAME EFFECTS OPERATOR |
| GA | 883 | 1.4 | $85,924 | not matched | — |
| CO | 699 | 1.7 | $64,602 | not matched | — |
| IL | 680 | 2.2 | $71,613 | licence | PYROTECHNIC DISTRIBUTORS; PYROTECHNIC OPERATORS |
| NV | 591 | 2.1 | $138,378 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 572 | 2.1 | $87,507 | not matched | — |
| PA | 519 | 2.6 | $56,658 | not matched | — |
| NC | 515 | 2.0 | $48,368 | exam | Pyrotechnic Proximate Audience Assista; Pyrotechnic Proximate Audience Operato |
| WA | 497 | 2.0 | $63,663 | not matched | — |
| TN | 457 | 2.8 | $142,203 | exam | TN FIREWORKS DISPLAY OPERATORS |
| AZ | 420 | 1.8 | $70,828 | not matched | — |
| UT | 411 | 1.7 | $45,489 | not matched | — |
| VA | 368 | 1.9 | $66,701 | not matched | — |
| MA | 336 | 2.6 | $70,924 | not matched | — |
| MI | 335 | 1.8 | $56,088 | not matched | — |
| OH | 330 | 2.1 | $63,800 | not matched | — |
| MN | 328 | 3.4 | $36,346 | licence | Fireworks Operator (Public Display) Ce |
| OR | 323 | 1.9 | $66,372 | not matched | — |
| MD | 264 | 2.3 | $61,829 | licence | FIREWORKS OPERATOR (SHOOTER) |
| CT | 252 | 1.4 | $113,317 | licence | Fireworks Display; Fireworks Shooter |
| MO | 232 | 2.2 | $50,230 | not matched | — |
| WI | 199 | 2.6 | $49,527 | not matched | — |
| SC | 198 | 1.6 | $64,808 | not matched | — |
| IN | 188 | 2.1 | $56,878 | not matched | — |
| LA | 182 | 2.6 | $59,308 | not matched | — |
| MT | 142 | 1.7 | $41,727 | not matched | — |
| NM | 131 | 5.4 | $77,166 | not matched | — |
| OK | 129 | 4.4 | $29,206 | licence | Fireworks Distributor; Fireworks Manufacturer |
| HI | 116 | 2.2 | $51,578 | not matched | — |
| KY | 115 | 1.7 | $55,617 | not matched | — |
| DE | 103 | 2.1 | $113,911 | not matched | — |
| ID | 101 | 1.7 | $47,187 | not matched | — |
| DC | 98 | 2.6 | $110,080 | not matched | — |
| IA | 94 | 1.4 | $39,326 | not matched | — |
| ME | 91 | 2.7 | $64,976 | licence | Fireworks, Sales |
| WY | 74 | 1.6 | $60,897 | not matched | — |
| AL | 74 | 2.5 | $40,147 | not matched | — |
| NE | 66 | 2.8 | $66,400 | licence | Fireworks Display Operator; Fireworks Distributor |
| VT | 65 | 1.7 | $75,773 | not matched | — |
| SD | 64 | 2.7 | $38,771 | not matched | — |
| KS | 61 | 3.1 | $28,723 | not matched | — |
| RI | 56 | 2.3 | $72,508 | licence | Fireworks Shooter; Pyrotechnic Operator |
| NH | 50 | 1.6 | $69,862 | exam | Fireworks Display Specialist |
| AR | 47 | 3.1 | $35,226 | not matched | — |
| AK | 34 | 2.4 | $39,778 | not matched | — |
| ND | 26 | 3.3 | $33,209 | not matched | — |
| MS | 21 | 1.8 | $40,892 | not matched | — |
| WV | 11 | 2.8 | $25,290 | 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.