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.
Pharmacy Technician
License required in 44 states
73rd most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
26th most heavily regulated occupation among moderate-income occupations
What They Do
Pharmacy technicians prepare medications under the direction of a pharmacist. They may measure, mix, count out, label and record amounts and dosages of medications.Licensing
Forty-four states require pharmacy technicians to obtain licenses. On average, these laws require $136 in fees, 46 days of education and experience, and about one exam—the 73rd most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. However, because pharmacy technicians are licensed by most states, the occupation ranks as the 26th most widely and onerously licensed.
License requirements vary greatly across states. While most states (29) require no education or experience, Florida, Nevada and West Virginia require over 220 days—more than seven months—of education and experience. (See Appendix B for details on education and experience requirements.) Similarly, while Utah requires two exams, 19 states require none. Fees also vary, from $25 in Kentucky and Rhode Island to $379 in New Mexico.
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 | Florida | 44 | $105 | 245 | 1050 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 17 | |
| 2 | West Virginia | 44 | $190 | 227 | 20 clock hours | 960 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 3 | Nevada | 44 | $80 | 222 | 600 clock hours | 350 clock hours | 0 | 12 | 18 |
| 4 | Louisiana | 44 | $270 | 140 | 600 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 5 | Utah | 44 | $229 | 140 | 600 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 0 | |
| 6 | Arizona | 44 | $197 | 140 | 600 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 7 | Illinois | 44 | $169 | 140 | 600 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 8 | Oklahoma | 44 | $40 | 140 | 600 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 9 | Washington | 44 | $189 | 140 | 600 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 0 | |
| 10 | New Mexico | 44 | $379 | 140 | 600 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Rhode Island | 44 | $25 | 140 | 600 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
| 12 | North Dakota | 44 | $174 | 91 | 3 months | 1 | 12 | 0 | |
| 13 | Massachusetts | 44 | $150 | 56 | 240 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 14 | Maryland | 44 | $63 | 37 | 160 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 17 | |
| 15 | Wyoming | 44 | $229 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 18 | ||
| 16 | Idaho | 44 | $199 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 18 | ||
| 17 | Indiana | 44 | $193 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 18 | ||
| 18 | Montana | 44 | $189 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 18 | ||
| 19 | Nebraska | 44 | $154 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 18 | ||
| 20 | California | 44 | $290 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 21 | Oregon | 44 | $231 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 22 | Texas | 44 | $209 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 23 | Ohio | 44 | $46 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 18 | ||
| 24 | New Hampshire | 44 | $50 | 19 | 80 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 16 | |
| 25 | Michigan | 44 | $184 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 26 | Iowa | 44 | $169 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 27 | South Dakota | 44 | $154 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 27 | Virginia | 44 | $154 | 0 | 1 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 29 | Alaska | 44 | $120 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 18 | ||
| 30 | Mississippi | 44 | $90 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 18 | ||
| 31 | New Jersey | 44 | $85 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 18 | ||
| 32 | Minnesota | 44 | $38 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 18 | ||
| 33 | Arkansas | 44 | $73 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||
| 34 | North Carolina | 44 | $159 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 35 | Georgia | 44 | $100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | ||
| 36 | Alabama | 44 | $60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | ||
| 37 | Kentucky | 44 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | ||
| 38 | Tennessee | 44 | $127 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 39 | Connecticut | 44 | $100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 40 | Missouri | 44 | $78 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 41 | Kansas | 44 | $68 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 42 | Vermont | 44 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 43 | Maine | 44 | $41 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 44 | South Carolina | 44 | $40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |