Tool · free, no account
Where is it easiest to open: Limited-Service Restaurants
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 35-3031” (soc) for Waiters and Waitresses. 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 | 34,524 | 17.5 | $25,204 | not matched | — |
| TX | 24,319 | 22.4 | $20,023 | not matched | — |
| NY | 17,791 | 11.7 | $24,336 | not matched | — |
| FL | 15,966 | 18.5 | $20,162 | not matched | — |
| IL | 10,615 | 17.9 | $21,108 | exam | INTERTRACK EMPLOYEE |
| OH | 10,404 | 19.6 | $18,198 | not matched | — |
| PA | 9,801 | 14.2 | $18,625 | not matched | — |
| GA | 9,720 | 19.3 | $18,604 | not matched | — |
| NC | 8,498 | 21.8 | $18,878 | not matched | — |
| MI | 7,919 | 18.1 | $19,009 | exam | Casino Employees Level 3; Horse Racing Occupational License |
| NJ | 7,670 | 12.0 | $22,825 | not matched | — |
| VA | 7,138 | 18.8 | $20,225 | not matched | — |
| TN | 5,727 | 21.7 | $19,251 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 5,711 | 21.1 | $21,953 | not matched | — |
| MD | 5,487 | 16.7 | $21,867 | not matched | — |
| IN | 5,390 | 21.5 | $17,804 | exam | Occupational Riverboat Gambling Licens |
| MA | 5,336 | 13.5 | $26,140 | exam | GAMING EMPLOYEE |
| WA | 5,165 | 17.6 | $25,718 | not matched | — |
| MO | 4,793 | 20.5 | $19,521 | not matched | — |
| CO | 4,745 | 20.2 | $23,537 | not matched | — |
| AL | 4,439 | 20.3 | $18,060 | not matched | — |
| SC | 4,227 | 20.8 | $17,978 | not matched | — |
| WI | 3,921 | 19.5 | $18,634 | not matched | — |
| MN | 3,835 | 19.7 | $20,652 | not matched | — |
| LA | 3,752 | 18.9 | $18,119 | not matched | — |
| KY | 3,487 | 23.2 | $18,068 | not matched | — |
| OR | 3,393 | 17.4 | $23,767 | licence | Food Handler Cards |
| OK | 3,009 | 22.2 | $17,634 | licence | Employee |
| NV | 2,986 | 18.7 | $22,162 | not matched | — |
| CT | 2,883 | 12.9 | $23,023 | not matched | — |
| UT | 2,798 | 21.2 | $19,102 | not matched | — |
| MS | 2,482 | 22.8 | $16,096 | not matched | — |
| AR | 2,369 | 21.2 | $18,078 | not matched | — |
| KS | 2,176 | 21.4 | $18,687 | licence | Level III Gaming Occupation |
| IA | 2,073 | 19.7 | $18,442 | not matched | — |
| NM | 1,645 | 21.2 | $20,972 | licence | Staff Permit Employees |
| NE | 1,484 | 20.3 | $19,124 | not matched | — |
| HI | 1,414 | 14.7 | $25,749 | not matched | — |
| ID | 1,391 | 20.8 | $18,338 | not matched | — |
| WV | 1,284 | 19.8 | $17,180 | not matched | — |
| NH | 1,074 | 14.3 | $25,126 | not matched | — |
| ME | 1,016 | 12.7 | $25,252 | not matched | — |
| RI | 915 | 12.1 | $24,221 | not matched | — |
| DC | 851 | 15.0 | $28,292 | not matched | — |
| DE | 845 | 16.0 | $20,892 | not matched | — |
| MT | 783 | 19.4 | $21,064 | not matched | — |
| SD | 598 | 21.0 | $19,503 | not matched | — |
| ND | 492 | 18.8 | $20,928 | not matched | — |
| AK | 479 | 14.4 | $26,134 | not matched | — |
| VT | 433 | 12.6 | $25,178 | not matched | — |
| WY | 398 | 19.9 | $20,227 | 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.