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.
Weigher
License required in 25 states
91st most burdensome licensing requirements among moderate-income occupations
73rd most heavily regulated occupation among moderate-income occupations
What They Do
Weighers, weighmasters or public weighers weigh or measure bulk commodities and issue certificates of accuracy.[c]Adapted from http://www.cdfa.ca.gov/dms/programs/wm/wm.html[/c]Licensing
Twenty-five states require a license of those who weigh bulk commodities for a living. Licensing requirements are somewhat consistent across states, with no states requiring any education or experience. In addition, most states (21) require fees of $75 or less, though Texas requires $500. On average, aspiring weighers must pay a fee of $62—the 91st most burdensome requirements of the 102 occupations studied here. However, because half of states license it, the occupation ranks as the 73rd 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 | New Hampshire | 25 | $116 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 2 | Texas | 25 | $500 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 3 | Arizona | 25 | $48 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 4 | Hawaii | 25 | $25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 5 | Nevada | 25 | $120 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 6 | Louisiana | 25 | $75 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 7 | Colorado | 25 | $25 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 8 | Pennsylvania | 25 | $60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 9 | Mississippi | 25 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 21 | ||
| 10 | Tennessee | 25 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 10 | Washington | 25 | $50 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 12 | Connecticut | 25 | $40 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 13 | North Carolina | 25 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 13 | Vermont | 25 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 13 | Virginia | 25 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 16 | Idaho | 25 | $10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | ||
| 17 | New Mexico | 25 | $150 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 18 | California | 25 | $75 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 19 | Delaware | 25 | $25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 20 | Alabama | 25 | $20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 21 | Georgia | 25 | $15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 21 | New York | 25 | $15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 23 | Maine | 25 | $10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 23 | Ohio | 25 | $10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 25 | South Carolina | 25 | $5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |