102 Lower-income Occupations
For its 2017 report License to Work, the Institute for Justice documented the requirements to get a license for 102 lower-income occupations across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read more about the research methods.
State Profiles
For its 2017 report License to Work, the Institute for Justice documented the requirements to get a license for 102 lower-income occupations across all 50 states and the District of Columbia. Read more about the research methods.
Select A State
What is Occupational Licensing?
An “occupational license” is, put simply, government permission to work in a particular field. To earn the license, an aspiring worker must clear various hurdles, such as earning a certain amount of education or training or passing an exam. In the 1950s, only one in 20 U.S. workers needed the government’s permission to pursue their chosen occupation. Today, that figure stands at almost one in four.
Cosmetologist
License required in 51 states
30th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
4th most heavily regulated occupation among moderate-income occupations
What They Do
Cosmetologists and hair stylists provide beauty services, such as shampooing, cutting, coloring and styling hair, and massaging and treating the scalp. They may also apply makeup, dress wigs, perform hair removal, and provide nail and skin care services.Licensing
All 50 states and D.C. require a license to work as a cosmetologist. On average, these laws cost aspiring cosmetologists $177 in fees and over a year (386 days) in education and experience and require them to pass two exams—the 30th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. And because cosmetologists are licensed by every state and D.C., the occupation is the fourth most widely and onerously licensed.
Licensing burdens vary significantly. Fees range from $51 (Ohio) to $450 (Alaska). Similarly, education and experience requirements range from about 233 days in New York (1,000 hours of education) to about 963 days in Massachusetts (1,000 hours of education and two years of experience).
License to Work
The data and information here come from IJ’s License to Work report, released in November 2017.
States Ranked by Average Licensing Burden for 102 Lower-Income Occupations
More Burdensome Less Burdensom
Based on data released in November 2017| Burden Rank | State | States Licensed | Fees | Estimated Calendar Days Lost | Education | Experience | Exams | Minimum Grade | Minimum Age |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Massachusetts | 51 | $270 | 963 | 1000 clock hours | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Kentucky | 51 | $200 | 602 | 1800 clock hours | 6 months | 3 | 12 | 16 |
| 3 | South Dakota | 51 | $80 | 490 | 2100 clock hours | 3 | 12 | 18 | |
| 4 | Nebraska | 51 | $78 | 490 | 2100 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 17 | |
| 5 | Montana | 51 | $254 | 467 | 2000 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 18 | |
| 6 | Iowa | 51 | $118 | 490 | 2100 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 0 | |
| 7 | Idaho | 51 | $186 | 467 | 2000 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 17 | |
| 8 | Wyoming | 51 | $123 | 467 | 2000 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 16 | |
| 9 | West Virginia | 51 | $134 | 420 | 1800 clock hours | 3 | 12 | 18 | |
| 10 | North Dakota | 51 | $185 | 420 | 1800 clock hours | 3 | 12 | 0 | |
| 11 | Hawaii | 51 | $110 | 420 | 1800 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 16 | |
| 12 | Colorado | 51 | $177 | 420 | 1800 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 16 | |
| 13 | New Mexico | 51 | $253 | 373 | 1600 clock hours | 3 | 10 | 17 | |
| 14 | Arizona | 51 | $247 | 373 | 1600 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 16 | |
| 15 | Vermont | 51 | $360 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 3 | 12 | 18 | |
| 16 | Oregon | 51 | $115 | 397 | 1700 clock hours | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 17 | Alaska | 51 | $450 | 385 | 1650 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 18 | Nevada | 51 | $145 | 373 | 1600 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 18 | |
| 19 | California | 51 | $125 | 373 | 1600 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 17 | |
| 20 | Minnesota | 51 | $285 | 362 | 1550 clock hours | 3 | 12 | 0 | |
| 21 | Washington | 51 | $230 | 373 | 1600 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 17 | |
| 22 | Wisconsin | 51 | $391 | 362 | 1550 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 23 | Mississippi | 51 | $233 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 17 | |
| 24 | Kansas | 51 | $195 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 17 | |
| 25 | D C | 51 | $230 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 18 | |
| 26 | Texas | 51 | $176 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 17 | |
| 27 | Alabama | 51 | $235 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 16 | |
| 28 | Delaware | 51 | $225 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 16 | |
| 29 | Georgia | 51 | $139 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 17 | |
| 30 | Michigan | 51 | $200 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 9 | 17 | |
| 31 | Rhode Island | 51 | $100 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 18 | |
| 32 | South Carolina | 51 | $175 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 16 | |
| 33 | Utah | 51 | $234 | 373 | 1600 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 34 | Missouri | 51 | $150 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 17 | |
| 35 | Maine | 51 | $148 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 17 | |
| 36 | Arkansas | 51 | $125 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 16 | |
| 37 | Maryland | 51 | $104 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 9 | 17 | |
| 38 | Louisiana | 51 | $75 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 16 | |
| 39 | New Hampshire | 51 | $198 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 0 | |
| 40 | Ohio | 51 | $51 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 16 | |
| 41 | Oklahoma | 51 | $60 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 8 | 16 | |
| 42 | Indiana | 51 | $92 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 1 | 10 | 18 | |
| 43 | Tennessee | 51 | $190 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 16 | |
| 44 | Virginia | 51 | $280 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 45 | Illinois | 51 | $210 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 16 | |
| 46 | North Carolina | 51 | $197 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 47 | Connecticut | 51 | $100 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 1 | 9 | 0 | |
| 48 | New Jersey | 51 | $119 | 280 | 1200 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 17 | |
| 49 | Pennsylvania | 51 | $110 | 292 | 1250 clock hours | 1 | 10 | 16 | |
| 50 | Florida | 51 | $90 | 280 | 1200 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 16 | |
| 51 | New York | 51 | $70 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 17 |