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.
Security Guard, Unarmed
License required in 34 states
80th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
37th most heavily regulated occupation among moderate-income occupations
What They Do
Security guards guard, patrol or monitor premises to prevent theft, violence or infractions of rules.Licensing
Thirty-four states license unarmed security guards. On average, aspirants must pay $89, demonstrate 10 days of education and experience, and pass about one exam to become licensed—the 80th most burdensome requirements. However, because many states license the occupation, it ranks as the 37th most widely and onerously licensed.
Some license requirements vary significantly across states. For example, most states (28) require between zero and about four days of education or experience, but North Dakota requires about 244 (44 hours of classroom instruction and 1,000 hours of field service training). Similarly, while 15 states require no exams, Florida, Louisiana and Oklahoma each require two. And fees range from $5 in Rhode Island to $201 in Connecticut, though most states’ (23) fees are between $60 and $116.
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 | North Dakota | 34 | $92 | 244 | 44 clock hours | 1000 clock hours | 0 | 12 | 18 |
| 2 | D C | 34 | $188 | 11 | 48 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 3 | Hawaii | 34 | $150 | 1 | 8 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 4 | Oregon | 34 | $115 | 2 | 12 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 18 | |
| 5 | Oklahoma | 34 | $91 | 9 | 40 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 6 | Florida | 34 | $87 | 9 | 40 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 7 | Alaska | 34 | $102 | 11 | 48 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
| 8 | Vermont | 34 | $60 | 9 | 40 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 9 | Louisiana | 34 | $81 | 3 | 16 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 18 | |
| 10 | Connecticut | 34 | $201 | 1 | 8 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
| 11 | New York | 34 | $135 | 1 | 8 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 12 | Washington | 34 | $91 | 3 | 16 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 13 | Delaware | 34 | $89 | 3 | 16 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 14 | Virginia | 34 | $75 | 3 | 18 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 15 | New Jersey | 34 | $116 | 4 | 24 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
| 16 | California | 34 | $99 | 1 | 8 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 17 | Tennessee | 34 | $108 | 1 | 4 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 18 | New Mexico | 34 | $94 | 1 | 8 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 19 | Arkansas | 34 | $75 | 1 | 6 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 20 | Nevada | 34 | $85 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 21 | South Carolina | 34 | $65 | 1 | 6 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 22 | Texas | 34 | $62 | 1 | 6 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 18 | |
| 23 | Utah | 34 | $100 | 4 | 24 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 24 | Montana | 34 | $127 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 25 | North Carolina | 34 | $68 | 3 | 16 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
| 26 | Alabama | 34 | $90 | 1 | 8 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
| 27 | Wisconsin | 34 | $114 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 28 | Arizona | 34 | $72 | 1 | 8 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 18 | |
| 29 | Illinois | 34 | $55 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 30 | Iowa | 34 | $40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 31 | New Hampshire | 34 | $40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 31 | Ohio | 34 | $40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 33 | Maryland | 34 | $15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 34 | Rhode Island | 34 | $5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |