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.
Shampooer
License required in 37 states
45th most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
32nd most heavily regulated occupation among moderate-income occupations
What They Do
Shampooers shampoo and rinse customers’ hair.Licensing
Thirty-seven states license shampooers. Seven of these states—Alabama, Louisiana, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Carolina, Tennessee and West Virginia—issue a license specific to shampooers. In the other 30 states, shampooing is interpreted as falling under the scope of other licenses administered by barbering and cosmetology boards (see Appendix B for details). On average, aspiring shampooers must pay $130 in fees, complete 248 days of education and experience, and pass about two exams—the 45th most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied here. Because many states license shampooers, the occupation ranks as the 32nd most widely and onerously licensed.
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 | Kentucky | 37 | $400 | 532 | 1500 clock hours | 6 months | 2 | 12 | 18 |
| 2 | South Dakota | 37 | $80 | 490 | 2100 clock hours | 3 | 12 | 18 | |
| 3 | Nebraska | 37 | $78 | 490 | 2100 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 17 | |
| 4 | Iowa | 37 | $118 | 490 | 2100 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 0 | |
| 5 | North Dakota | 37 | $185 | 420 | 1800 clock hours | 3 | 12 | 0 | |
| 6 | Kansas | 37 | $180 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 3 | 12 | 16 | |
| 7 | Delaware | 37 | $225 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 16 | |
| 8 | Michigan | 37 | $200 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 9 | 17 | |
| 9 | Missouri | 37 | $160 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 17 | |
| 10 | Montana | 37 | $80 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 18 | |
| 11 | Rhode Island | 37 | $75 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 18 | |
| 12 | California | 37 | $125 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 17 | |
| 13 | Oklahoma | 37 | $60 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 8 | 16 | |
| 14 | Mississippi | 37 | $85 | 350 | 1500 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 0 | |
| 15 | New Mexico | 37 | $160 | 280 | 1200 clock hours | 3 | 10 | 17 | |
| 16 | Hawaii | 37 | $110 | 292 | 1250 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 16 | |
| 17 | Oregon | 37 | $100 | 315 | 1350 clock hours | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 18 | Ohio | 37 | $51 | 280 | 1200 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 16 | |
| 19 | Wisconsin | 37 | $391 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 18 | |
| 20 | Colorado | 37 | $155 | 280 | 1200 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 16 | |
| 21 | Vermont | 37 | $110 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | 3 | 12 | 18 | |
| 22 | Wyoming | 37 | $185 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 17 | |
| 23 | Idaho | 37 | $186 | 210 | 900 clock hours | 2 | 10 | 17 | |
| 24 | New Jersey | 37 | $80 | 210 | 900 clock hours | 2 | 12 | 17 | |
| 25 | Washington | 37 | $25 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 17 | |
| 26 | Utah | 37 | $234 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 27 | Massachusetts | 37 | $188 | 233 | 1000 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 28 | Texas | 37 | $156 | 70 | 300 clock hours | 2 | 7 | 16 | |
| 29 | Tennessee | 37 | $190 | 70 | 300 clock hours | 2 | 0 | 16 | |
| 30 | New York | 37 | $70 | 54 | 231 clock hours | 3 | 0 | 17 | |
| 31 | South Carolina | 37 | $90 | 42 | 6 weeks | 1 | 0 | 16 | |
| 32 | Nevada | 37 | $115 | 12 | 50 clock hours | 1 | 10 | 16 | |
| 33 | Arkansas | 37 | $35 | 31 | 20 days | 20 clock hours | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 34 | New Hampshire | 37 | $25 | 35 | 150 clock hours | 0 | 0 | 16 | |
| 35 | West Virginia | 37 | $35 | 1 | 3 clock hours | 0 | 9 | 16 | |
| 36 | Alabama | 37 | $75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | ||
| 37 | Louisiana | 37 | $0 | 9 | 40 clock hours | 1 | 0 | 0 |