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Where is it easiest to open: Full-Service Restaurants
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 35-3011” (soc) for Bartenders. 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 | 31,333 | 20.1 | $33,101 | not matched | — |
| TX | 20,771 | 23.7 | $26,066 | not matched | — |
| NY | 19,661 | 16.4 | $35,200 | not matched | — |
| FL | 18,196 | 24.4 | $29,144 | not matched | — |
| IL | 9,920 | 19.0 | $29,407 | exam | INTERTRACK EMPLOYEE |
| PA | 9,433 | 20.2 | $23,152 | not matched | — |
| NC | 8,538 | 21.0 | $24,322 | licence | Air Carrier; Airport Central Storage |
| NJ | 8,060 | 16.0 | $30,635 | not matched | — |
| GA | 7,891 | 22.2 | $24,964 | not matched | — |
| OH | 7,696 | 24.5 | $23,139 | licence | Alcohol Dealer Registration at Retail; Distilled Spirits Plant Permit |
| MI | 7,198 | 20.4 | $24,254 | exam | Casino Employees Level 3; Horse Racing Occupational License |
| VA | 7,147 | 20.0 | $26,578 | not matched | — |
| WA | 6,723 | 16.4 | $35,225 | not matched | — |
| MA | 6,558 | 20.3 | $34,039 | exam | GAMING EMPLOYEE |
| CO | 5,063 | 22.0 | $33,098 | not matched | — |
| WI | 4,986 | 17.5 | $22,116 | not matched | — |
| TN | 4,955 | 24.5 | $26,696 | not matched | — |
| IN | 4,794 | 22.9 | $22,167 | exam | Bartender's Permit Type 300 (Restricte; Bartender's Permit Type 801 (Volunteer |
| SC | 4,582 | 21.4 | $24,362 | not matched | — |
| MO | 4,518 | 22.4 | $24,811 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 4,464 | 26.0 | $29,312 | not matched | — |
| OR | 4,237 | 15.2 | $30,068 | licence | Alcohol Service Permit; Food Handler Cards |
| MN | 3,873 | 22.5 | $26,073 | not matched | — |
| MD | 3,803 | 23.9 | $28,235 | not matched | — |
| CT | 3,484 | 16.8 | $30,347 | not matched | — |
| LA | 3,076 | 23.3 | $23,850 | not matched | — |
| OK | 2,984 | 20.6 | $21,676 | not matched | — |
| KY | 2,786 | 22.9 | $22,690 | not matched | — |
| AL | 2,765 | 22.8 | $23,118 | not matched | — |
| IA | 2,459 | 17.9 | $20,660 | not matched | — |
| NV | 2,363 | 27.2 | $31,600 | not matched | — |
| KS | 2,177 | 20.8 | $21,524 | licence | Level III Gaming Occupation |
| AR | 2,009 | 19.2 | $22,732 | not matched | — |
| UT | 1,797 | 22.9 | $24,499 | not matched | — |
| MS | 1,739 | 21.0 | $20,971 | not matched | — |
| ME | 1,446 | 15.5 | $34,924 | not matched | — |
| NE | 1,398 | 19.5 | $22,877 | not matched | — |
| NH | 1,371 | 21.0 | $29,603 | not matched | — |
| NM | 1,326 | 23.6 | $25,090 | exam | Alcohol Server Permit; Staff Permit Employees |
| ID | 1,288 | 19.9 | $24,418 | not matched | — |
| HI | 1,238 | 24.5 | $34,105 | not matched | — |
| WV | 1,228 | 19.3 | $20,421 | not matched | — |
| RI | 1,153 | 19.8 | $29,853 | licence | Bartenders |
| MT | 1,048 | 19.2 | $24,759 | not matched | — |
| DC | 974 | 30.6 | $38,070 | not matched | — |
| DE | 899 | 24.7 | $27,717 | not matched | — |
| SD | 656 | 18.5 | $23,768 | not matched | — |
| VT | 595 | 16.9 | $27,497 | not matched | — |
| ND | 560 | 21.1 | $24,605 | not matched | — |
| WY | 528 | 18.3 | $25,363 | not matched | — |
| AK | 526 | 15.8 | $36,242 | licence | Alcohol Server |
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.