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Where is it easiest to open: Parking Lots and Garages
48 states, side by side. Operator counts and wages from Census and BLS; licence records matched on “SOC 39-2021” (soc) for Animal Caretakers. 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 | 2,713 | 8.9 | $32,886 | not matched | — |
| NY | 1,463 | 8.7 | $38,568 | licence | Farrier; Groom |
| FL | 1,001 | 13.6 | $25,385 | exam | General Individual Occupational; Professional Individual Occupational |
| TX | 661 | 17.3 | $27,165 | exam | Racing --Assistant Farrier/Plater/Blac; Racing --Assistant Starter |
| MA | 597 | 7.7 | $39,237 | licence | HORSE Racing |
| IL | 531 | 7.5 | $45,441 | licence | BLACKSMITH FARRIER; EXERCISE PERSON |
| OH | 424 | 9.1 | $25,506 | not matched | — |
| DC | 418 | 6.6 | $36,177 | not matched | — |
| PA | 362 | 11.1 | $26,725 | not matched | — |
| GA | 358 | 13.1 | $26,686 | not matched | — |
| MD | 261 | 9.4 | $32,453 | not matched | — |
| NJ | 253 | 14.5 | $26,684 | licence | GROOM |
| WA | 239 | 8.2 | $38,009 | exam | Animal Massage |
| CT | 231 | 10.8 | $32,098 | not matched | — |
| CO | 224 | 10.4 | $38,926 | exam | Occupational Registration (groom, pony; Pet Animal Care and Facilities |
| VA | 187 | 8.8 | $32,956 | not matched | — |
| MN | 174 | 10.9 | $28,332 | licence | Animal Chiropractic Registration; Animal Exhibition Permit |
| MO | 173 | 9.8 | $30,133 | not matched | — |
| IN | 151 | 6.1 | $28,834 | exam | Falconry License |
| TN | 147 | 11.8 | $34,899 | exam | ANIMAL CHEMICAL CAPTURE CERTIFICATION |
| NC | 125 | 10.2 | $23,498 | licence | Animal Contact Exhibit Permit; Animal Shelter Registration |
| HI | 125 | 11.5 | $24,274 | not matched | — |
| AZ | 114 | 18.9 | $28,644 | not matched | — |
| MI | 111 | 21.7 | $30,126 | exam | Horse Racing Occupational License |
| LA | 105 | 13.7 | $31,734 | licence | Horse Racing Occupations (Jockey, Hot |
| OR | 86 | 12.2 | $33,383 | not matched | — |
| OK | 83 | 8.3 | $23,293 | licence | Horse Racing Blacksmith |
| RI | 72 | 6.0 | $30,894 | not matched | — |
| WI | 72 | 7.9 | $28,733 | not matched | — |
| NV | 54 | 9.9 | $34,168 | not matched | — |
| KY | 43 | 15.7 | $29,044 | not matched | — |
| AL | 40 | 4.8 | $25,969 | not matched | — |
| UT | 29 | 20.0 | $33,528 | not matched | — |
| NE | 22 | 15.3 | $26,834 | not matched | — |
| SC | 20 | 7.4 | $22,088 | not matched | — |
| ME | 16 | 13.0 | $36,841 | licence | Animal Kennels, Boarding; Animal Kennels, Breeding |
| NH | 16 | 10.2 | $30,884 | not matched | — |
| IA | 16 | 13.9 | $16,910 | not matched | — |
| AR | 15 | 8.1 | $25,246 | licence | Horseshoer |
| MS | 13 | 3.8 | $21,102 | not matched | — |
| WV | 12 | 3.1 | $17,108 | not matched | — |
| DE | 9 | 7.0 | $46,571 | not matched | — |
| AK | 8 | 13.1 | $39,762 | licence | Animal Facility License/Commercial or |
| NM | 8 | 5.8 | $25,043 | not matched | — |
| KS | 5 | 8.0 | $28,400 | not matched | — |
| VT | 5 | 11.2 | $30,500 | not matched | — |
| ID | 4 | 107.5 | $33,170 | not matched | — |
| ND | 3 | 4.7 | $38,071 | 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.