Tool · free, no account
Where is it easiest to open: Commercial and Industrial Machinery and Equipment (except Automotive and Electronic) Repair and Maintenance
51 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 49-9021” (soc) for Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers. 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 | 2,175 | 18.9 | $80,712 | licence | AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION CONTR |
| CA | 1,871 | 8.3 | $75,019 | licence | Air and Water Balancing Limited Specia; Drilling, Blasting and Oil Field Work |
| FL | 1,399 | 7.6 | $70,986 | exam | Certified Air Conditioning Contractor,; Certified Air Conditioning Contractor, |
| PA | 980 | 8.8 | $65,345 | not matched | — |
| OH | 864 | 11.5 | $75,822 | exam | HVAC Certificate |
| IL | 829 | 13.8 | $77,127 | not matched | — |
| NC | 769 | 7.1 | $58,686 | exam | Air Quality (Part I "Title V Operation; Commercial Refrigeration Contractor |
| NY | 740 | 6.5 | $75,770 | not matched | — |
| MI | 733 | 12.5 | $70,038 | exam | Mechanical Contractor; Mechanic, Master |
| GA | 638 | 11.4 | $82,022 | exam | Conditioned Air Restricted; Conditoned Air Non-Restricted |
| IN | 573 | 10.6 | $66,161 | not matched | — |
| LA | 567 | 14.5 | $80,408 | exam | Medical (gas Vacuum System Verifier) |
| WI | 474 | 6.8 | $71,380 | exam | HVAC CONTRACTOR; HVAC QUALIFIER |
| MN | 470 | 6.8 | $69,029 | licence | Commercial Mechanical Control Permit; Journeyman (Conditional/Limited/Journe |
| MO | 420 | 7.2 | $68,774 | licence | Automotive Service Technicians and Mec |
| VA | 418 | 7.7 | $72,536 | not matched | — |
| SC | 418 | 10.0 | $64,442 | licence | HVAC Heating and Air; Mechanical Construction Manager |
| OK | 400 | 6.9 | $65,687 | exam | Commercial Drilling and Plugging of He; Mechanical Contractor |
| AL | 392 | 11.1 | $63,965 | exam | Licensed HVAC Contractor; Licensed Refrigeration Contractor |
| CO | 389 | 7.6 | $78,576 | exam | Water Conditioning Contractor; Water Conditioning Installer |
| WA | 387 | 7.1 | $80,797 | licence | Motor Vehicle Air Conditioning Technic |
| NJ | 380 | 8.6 | $75,849 | exam | HEATING, VENTILATION, AIR CONDITIONING; REFRIGERATION ENGINEER, BLUE SEAL |
| AZ | 373 | 9.5 | $71,882 | not matched | — |
| IA | 369 | 5.4 | $61,926 | not matched | — |
| MA | 322 | 6.3 | $75,255 | licence | OIL BURNER TECHNICIAN; REFRIGERATION APPRENTICE |
| MD | 310 | 9.9 | $79,588 | licence | HEATING, VENTILATION, A/C, & REFRIGERA; HEATING, VENTILATION, A/C, & REFRIGERA |
| TN | 302 | 13.2 | $65,374 | not matched | — |
| OR | 286 | 10.4 | $100,145 | licence | Apprentice Plumber (Speciality), Solar; Apprentice, Registered (Industrial Tra |
| KY | 271 | 10.2 | $66,712 | exam | Heating, Ventilation and Air Condition; Heating, Ventilation and Air Condition |
| UT | 263 | 8.2 | $71,515 | licence | CONTRACTOR |
| KS | 251 | 6.6 | $60,110 | not matched | — |
| NE | 238 | 6.0 | $61,626 | not matched | — |
| AR | 214 | 6.4 | $54,516 | exam | Air Conditioning Electrician; HVAC/R Contractor |
| ID | 195 | 5.9 | $65,886 | exam | HVAC Apprentice; HVAC Contractor |
| CT | 193 | 8.3 | $75,441 | exam | Heating, Piping & Cooling Limited Cont; Heating, Piping & Cooling Limited Jour |
| NV | 173 | 5.9 | $76,398 | not matched | — |
| NM | 151 | 9.4 | $64,697 | not matched | — |
| MS | 150 | 8.5 | $67,214 | licence | Heating And Air Conditioning Mechanics |
| WV | 145 | 11.7 | $65,971 | not matched | — |
| ND | 139 | 5.9 | $83,200 | exam | Water Conditioning Apprentices; Water Conditioning Contractors |
| SD | 132 | 5.2 | $65,831 | licence | Water Conditioning Apprentice; Water Conditioning Contractor |
| ME | 124 | 3.9 | $66,080 | exam | Manufactured Housing Mechanic; Motor Vehicle Inspection Mechanic, Cer |
| MT | 117 | 5.2 | $67,920 | not matched | — |
| WY | 106 | 6.1 | $73,105 | not matched | — |
| NH | 100 | 5.5 | $76,468 | not matched | — |
| AK | 87 | 5.4 | $78,116 | licence | Mechanical Administrator |
| DE | 61 | 7.9 | $60,010 | exam | Master HVACR; Master HVACR - License by Reciprocity |
| RI | 56 | 7.3 | $60,699 | exam | Oil Burnerperson; Refrigeration Mechanic |
| HI | 56 | 3.6 | $59,813 | exam | Mechanic |
| VT | 38 | 3.2 | $57,595 | exam | Oil Burner Installer; Propane or Natural Gas Installer |
| DC | 4 | 5.5 | $62,318 | exam | Airmen Other Than Flight Crewmembers (; REFRIGERATION/AIR CONDITIONING |
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.