Where is it easiest to open: Car Washes
51 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CA | 2,225 | 10.5 | $31,636 | not matched | — |
| TX | 1,766 | 12.1 | $26,809 | not matched | — |
| FL | 1,655 | 7.3 | $29,360 | not matched | — |
| NY | 939 | 8.3 | $30,552 | not matched | — |
| IL | 737 | 8.1 | $27,773 | licence | AUTOMOTIVE PARTS RECYCLER; REBUILDER |
| OH | 682 | 8.1 | $27,558 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 661 | 9.2 | $38,537 | not matched | — |
| MI | 633 | 8.2 | $26,147 | not matched | — |
| GA | 632 | 8.7 | $30,125 | not matched | — |
| PA | 602 | 6.9 | $26,943 | licence | Vehicle Manufacturer |
| NC | 581 | 10.3 | $23,634 | licence | Motor Club; Motor Vehicle Manufacturer Branch |
| MA | 444 | 5.2 | $42,193 | not matched | — |
| VA | 422 | 9.5 | $29,376 | not matched | — |
| WA | 420 | 6.5 | $34,477 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 401 | 12.6 | $28,784 | not matched | — |
| IN | 373 | 9.1 | $26,020 | not matched | — |
| CO | 371 | 7.8 | $30,098 | not matched | — |
| TN | 336 | 8.1 | $33,436 | licence | AUTOMOBILE CLUB OR AUTOMOBILE ASSOCIAT |
| MO | 317 | 10.9 | $28,962 | not matched | — |
| MD | 280 | 10.4 | $32,253 | not matched | — |
| SC | 270 | 9.3 | $24,665 | not matched | — |
| UT | 268 | 8.1 | $27,588 | not matched | — |
| AL | 256 | 7.4 | $28,055 | not matched | — |
| IA | 246 | 8.1 | $28,578 | not matched | — |
| OR | 232 | 6.2 | $33,987 | not matched | — |
| WI | 231 | 7.2 | $30,389 | not matched | — |
| CT | 217 | 6.8 | $30,104 | not matched | — |
| OK | 203 | 8.7 | $27,314 | not matched | — |
| MN | 200 | 9.8 | $29,264 | not matched | — |
| NV | 194 | 8.1 | $26,649 | not matched | — |
| KS | 176 | 12.2 | $26,694 | not matched | — |
| AR | 176 | 8.1 | $26,721 | not matched | — |
| KY | 176 | 10.4 | $28,101 | not matched | — |
| LA | 172 | 8.9 | $24,131 | not matched | — |
| NE | 142 | 13.2 | $24,855 | not matched | — |
| NM | 123 | 7.2 | $33,497 | not matched | — |
| ID | 117 | 7.2 | $36,869 | not matched | — |
| MT | 90 | 4.8 | $30,449 | not matched | — |
| NH | 84 | 3.2 | $42,859 | not matched | — |
| MS | 77 | 8.1 | $23,369 | not matched | — |
| RI | 76 | 5.0 | $32,728 | not matched | — |
| ME | 62 | 3.1 | $39,463 | not matched | — |
| HI | 60 | 7.0 | $33,062 | not matched | — |
| SD | 56 | 9.2 | $23,770 | not matched | — |
| DE | 55 | 8.8 | $26,817 | not matched | — |
| WV | 54 | 4.5 | $27,847 | not matched | — |
| WY | 49 | 6.8 | $25,746 | not matched | — |
| ND | 47 | 8.9 | $30,647 | not matched | — |
| AK | 40 | 6.5 | $27,562 | not matched | — |
| VT | 16 | 6.3 | $39,950 | not matched | — |
| DC | 9 | 12.8 | $37,243 | 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.