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.
Pipelayer Contractor
License required in 27 states
22nd most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
46th most heavily regulated occupation among moderate-income occupations
What They Do
Pipelayer contractors contract with clients to lay pipe for storm or sanitation sewers, drains and water mains. Work may involve any of the following: grading trenches or culverts, positioning pipe, or sealing joints. This report looks only at contractors, not the pipelayer workers who work for them, though they may also be licensed. Many states have contract minimums before the contractor’s license applies. See Appendix B for details.Licensing
Twenty-seven states license pipelayer contractors. On average, these laws impose $377 in fees, 546 days in education and experience, and around one exam—the 22nd most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied. However, because pipelayers are licensed by only slightly more than half the states, the occupation ranks as the 46th most widely and onerously licensed.
License requirements vary widely across states. Twelve states require between two and five years of experience working under a licensed contractor, while another two (Alabama and Mississippi) require completion of three contracted jobs. Twelve states require no education or experience. Similarly, California and New Mexico require three exams, while eight states require none.
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 | Arkansas | 27 | $180 | 1825 | 5 years | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2 | Nevada | 27 | $1,078 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 3 | Arizona | 27 | $886 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 4 | California | 27 | $579 | 1460 | 4 years | 3 | 0 | 18 | |
| 5 | Hawaii | 27 | $615 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 6 | Florida | 27 | $364 | 1460 | 4 years | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 7 | Oregon | 27 | $385 | 1463 | 16 clock hours | 4 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 8 | Georgia | 27 | $253 | 1097 | 12 clock hours | 3 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 9 | New Mexico | 27 | $318 | 730 | 2 years | 3 | 0 | 18 | |
| 10 | Virginia | 27 | $320 | 731 | 8 clock hours | 2 years | 1 | 0 | 18 |
| 11 | Utah | 27 | $549 | 733 | 20 clock hours | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 12 | South Carolina | 27 | $310 | 730 | 2 years | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 13 | Mississippi | 27 | $640 | 67 | 3 jobs, contractors | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 14 | Alabama | 27 | $592 | 67 | 3 jobs, contractors | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 15 | Wisconsin | 27 | $540 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 16 | Louisiana | 27 | $460 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 17 | Rhode Island | 27 | $200 | 1 | 5 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
| 18 | West Virginia | 27 | $174 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 19 | D C | 27 | $655 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 20 | North Dakota | 27 | $125 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 21 | Tennessee | 27 | $305 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 22 | North Carolina | 27 | $145 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 23 | Alaska | 27 | $300 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 24 | Washington | 27 | $113 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 25 | Iowa | 27 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 26 | Idaho | 27 | $30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 27 | Nebraska | 27 | $0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |