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.
Fisher, Commercial
License required in 43 states
97th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
30th most heavily regulated occupation among moderate-income occupations
What They Do
Commercial fishers use nets, fishing rods, traps or other equipment to catch and gather fish or other aquatic animals from rivers, lakes or oceans for human consumption or other uses. This report looks at what is required to run one’s own commercial fishing business.Licensing
Forty-three states require commercial fishers to have a license. A fee is generally the only requirement for a license, except for in a handful of states that set a minimum age. Fees vary quite a bit, from $2 in Wisconsin to $500 in Montana and Nevada. In several states, license fees vary according to the type of fish being caught, the type of water being fished on (saltwater versus freshwater), the type of vessel being used, or the number and type of fishing tools being used (nets, traps, etc.). In such cases, when possible, the least restrictive options were observed. The average fee is $142, giving the occupation the 97th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied here. However, because it is widely licensed, commercial fisher is the 30th most widely and onerously licensed occupation.
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 | Connecticut | 43 | $385 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | ||
| 2 | New York | 43 | $250 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | ||
| 3 | Washington | 43 | $200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | ||
| 4 | California | 43 | $137 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | ||
| 5 | Montana | 43 | $500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 5 | Nevada | 43 | $500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 7 | Georgia | 43 | $17 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 8 | Oregon | 43 | $454 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 9 | Oklahoma | 43 | $427 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 10 | North Carolina | 43 | $400 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 11 | Maryland | 43 | $300 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 12 | Iowa | 43 | $202 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 13 | Tennessee | 43 | $200 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 14 | Massachusetts | 43 | $195 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 15 | Virginia | 43 | $190 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 16 | Delaware | 43 | $150 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 16 | Kentucky | 43 | $150 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 16 | Utah | 43 | $150 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 19 | Minnesota | 43 | $120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 20 | Idaho | 43 | $112 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 21 | New Jersey | 43 | $102 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 22 | Alabama | 43 | $100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 23 | Alaska | 43 | $99 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 23 | Nebraska | 43 | $99 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 25 | Michigan | 43 | $66 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 26 | Illinois | 43 | $60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 27 | Louisiana | 43 | $55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 28 | Texas | 43 | $53 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 29 | Hawaii | 43 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 29 | New Hampshire | 43 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 29 | Rhode Island | 43 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 32 | Maine | 43 | $48 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 33 | Colorado | 43 | $40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 34 | Mississippi | 43 | $30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 35 | Arkansas | 43 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 35 | Florida | 43 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 35 | Missouri | 43 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 35 | New Mexico | 43 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 35 | South Carolina | 43 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 40 | Indiana | 43 | $20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 40 | Ohio | 43 | $20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 42 | North Dakota | 43 | $15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 43 | Wisconsin | 43 | $2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |