Where is it easiest to open: Automotive Oil Change and Lubrication Shops
50 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 49-3023” (soc) for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics. 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TX | 1,031 | 8.8 | $35,492 | not matched | — |
| CA | 796 | 9.2 | $37,776 | not matched | — |
| FL | 496 | 7.9 | $32,567 | not matched | — |
| MI | 483 | 6.2 | $31,906 | not matched | — |
| IL | 329 | 8.3 | $32,846 | licence | AUTOMOTIVE PARTS RECYCLER; REBUILDER |
| NC | 279 | 10.6 | $31,666 | licence | Motor Club; Motor Vehicle Manufacturer Branch |
| GA | 276 | 8.6 | $37,996 | not matched | — |
| OH | 251 | 9.1 | $34,812 | not matched | — |
| NY | 234 | 7.8 | $38,652 | not matched | — |
| WA | 208 | 9.6 | $34,484 | not matched | — |
| TN | 197 | 12.0 | $33,960 | licence | AUTOMOBILE CLUB OR AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIAT |
| VA | 190 | 10.0 | $33,350 | not matched | — |
| PA | 183 | 11.0 | $33,229 | licence | Vehicle Manufacturer |
| MA | 177 | 7.5 | $42,549 | not matched | — |
| IN | 175 | 8.9 | $34,766 | not matched | — |
| MO | 162 | 9.7 | $34,585 | not matched | — |
| WI | 156 | 7.4 | $30,455 | not matched | — |
| SC | 145 | 8.8 | $38,507 | not matched | — |
| AL | 145 | 8.9 | $45,548 | not matched | — |
| CO | 142 | 8.4 | $37,615 | not matched | — |
| OR | 137 | 12.3 | $33,157 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 119 | 8.4 | $38,393 | not matched | — |
| LA | 118 | 7.2 | $36,080 | not matched | — |
| UT | 113 | 11.0 | $24,818 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 113 | 7.8 | $35,993 | not matched | — |
| MN | 110 | 10.4 | $35,895 | not matched | — |
| MD | 104 | 12.3 | $40,387 | not matched | — |
| OK | 98 | 6.0 | $33,305 | not matched | — |
| KY | 87 | 9.4 | $35,388 | not matched | — |
| MS | 84 | 9.9 | $35,778 | not matched | — |
| NM | 77 | 9.0 | $32,557 | not matched | — |
| CT | 70 | 8.7 | $38,138 | not matched | — |
| NV | 67 | 9.3 | $33,395 | not matched | — |
| AR | 62 | 8.3 | $37,387 | not matched | — |
| ID | 55 | 9.2 | $37,970 | not matched | — |
| MT | 43 | 8.1 | $37,251 | not matched | — |
| NH | 42 | 7.7 | $44,972 | not matched | — |
| KS | 35 | 10.9 | $33,237 | not matched | — |
| NE | 33 | 8.4 | $32,090 | not matched | — |
| IA | 32 | 10.4 | $39,707 | not matched | — |
| WV | 24 | 5.1 | $30,443 | not matched | — |
| ME | 24 | 7.0 | $41,030 | not matched | — |
| HI | 17 | 10.9 | $40,925 | not matched | — |
| DE | 16 | 10.6 | $38,982 | not matched | — |
| WY | 16 | 7.2 | $39,774 | not matched | — |
| ND | 14 | 9.1 | $38,688 | not matched | — |
| SD | 14 | 7.0 | $40,378 | not matched | — |
| RI | 11 | 7.5 | $46,952 | not matched | — |
| AK | 6 | 11.0 | $28,939 | not matched | — |
| VT | 3 | 7.0 | $30,619 | 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.