Where is it easiest to open: Amusement Arcades
48 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 39-3091” (soc) for Amusement and Recreation Attendants. 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 | 344 | 20.2 | $26,478 | not matched | — |
| TX | 331 | 29.4 | $25,694 | not matched | — |
| FL | 274 | 20.5 | $24,356 | not matched | — |
| NY | 140 | 18.0 | $28,348 | not matched | — |
| NC | 134 | 16.3 | $22,810 | licence | Amusement Devices |
| IL | 127 | 19.4 | $29,486 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 117 | 17.5 | $27,268 | not matched | — |
| GA | 113 | 28.6 | $26,314 | not matched | — |
| PA | 107 | 19.8 | $23,787 | not matched | — |
| OH | 102 | 22.5 | $20,076 | not matched | — |
| MI | 85 | 18.5 | $23,295 | not matched | — |
| MA | 74 | 18.6 | $26,004 | licence | AMUSEMENTS |
| CO | 64 | 29.5 | $23,801 | not matched | — |
| TN | 63 | 33.6 | $25,266 | not matched | — |
| WA | 59 | 19.7 | $24,046 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 59 | 31.6 | $26,168 | not matched | — |
| MO | 59 | 20.6 | $20,299 | not matched | — |
| MD | 57 | 24.4 | $26,176 | not matched | — |
| IN | 47 | 14.5 | $18,594 | not matched | — |
| WI | 46 | 17.7 | $22,323 | not matched | — |
| UT | 40 | 23.2 | $18,387 | not matched | — |
| NV | 35 | 11.3 | $29,551 | not matched | — |
| SC | 34 | 31.1 | $24,098 | licence | Swimming Pool/SPA Operator |
| OR | 34 | 19.5 | $27,715 | not matched | — |
| NH | 31 | 11.4 | $33,540 | not matched | — |
| AL | 30 | 26.4 | $21,163 | not matched | — |
| KY | 29 | 24.5 | $21,945 | not matched | — |
| VA | 29 | 16.3 | $21,241 | not matched | — |
| LA | 28 | 28.2 | $17,276 | not matched | — |
| OK | 23 | 32.2 | $26,520 | not matched | — |
| CT | 23 | 21.2 | $22,428 | licence | Amusement Engineer |
| IA | 22 | 7.8 | $13,971 | not matched | — |
| HI | 21 | 17.0 | $31,813 | not matched | — |
| MN | 19 | 18.2 | $25,549 | licence | Certified Pool Operator Certificate |
| RI | 18 | 13.1 | $27,775 | not matched | — |
| ID | 16 | 28.0 | $19,292 | not matched | — |
| KS | 16 | 27.6 | $26,464 | not matched | — |
| DE | 13 | 13.2 | $43,773 | not matched | — |
| SD | 12 | 14.7 | $33,148 | not matched | — |
| NM | 11 | 36.0 | $28,371 | not matched | — |
| NE | 10 | 17.2 | $23,605 | licence | Swimming Pool Operator |
| ME | 7 | 11.6 | $18,321 | not matched | — |
| MT | 6 | 4.7 | $26,679 | not matched | — |
| WV | 6 | 8.5 | $12,922 | not matched | — |
| AR | 6 | 38.2 | $22,686 | not matched | — |
| MS | 6 | 10.2 | $13,311 | not matched | — |
| WY | 4 | 20.5 | $10,366 | not matched | — |
| VT | 3 | 8.7 | $15,462 | 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.