OVERVIEW
Occupational licensing affects more than 20% of workers in the United States. The extent of occupational licensing greatly differs across states. From both a research and public policy standpoint, it is important to have a comprehensive measure of occupational licensure across states and occupations.
The State Occupational Licensing Index (SOLI) strives to provide an additional state-level index that will be useful to both researchers and the public policy community. We are excited to share the results of the 2025 edition, along with some small changes and improvements to our data.
For the 2025 release, readers will note a few changes from the previous editions. Once again, the index contains fewer overall occupations, 254 compared to 284 in 2024 and 331 in 2023. This decrease is due to the removal of potentially duplicate licenses, combinations of occupation titles on our part, and the overall removal of some regulations that we believe should not be classified as licenses.
As we provide yearly updates to the index, it has become more clear what tasks are included under the various licenses created by each state, which occupations are different in title alone, and which occupation titles should be kept separate. We hope to one day provide a panel of data that represents the change in occupational licensing over time, but due to these updates, we urge readers not to assume any changes in ranking are exclusively attributed to changes in occupational licensing policies. A detailed summary of occupational licensing changes from 2024 to 2025 is available in the appendix.
RANKINGS
Interactive Map: Click on a state to reveal its occupational licensing burden.
- West South Central
- East South Central
- South Atlantic
- Pacific
- Mountain
- West North Central
- East North Central
- Middle Atlantic
- New England
In 2025, the state with the highest occupational licensing burden is Oregon (#1), followed by Tennessee (#2), Texas (#3), Kentucky (#4), and Florida (#5); the state with the lowest occupational licensing burden is Kansas (#51), preceded by Missouri (#50), Wyoming (#49), Indiana (#48), and New York (#47).
The overall state rankings show that traditionally “blue” and “red” states alike struggle with occupational licensing requirements, and there is opportunity for bipartisan reform across the country’s various regions.
Universal Recognition
As of 2025, 28 states have adopted some form of universal licensing recognition. It is important to note that the potential effectiveness of the reform varies depending upon two key provisions. First, some states have “substantially equivalent” or “substantially similar” clauses, thus limiting the number of workers that can utilize the reform. Second, some states have residency requirements that also can limit the ability of workers to utilize the reform.
We use a medal system to rank each state by the potential effectiveness of its reform. States with gold medals do not have substantially similar or residency requirements. States with silver medals do not have substantially similar requirements but do require residency. States with bronze medals have substantially similar requirements and may require residency. States with no designation have not yet enacted universal recognition.
State Profiles
Each state profile features the overall U.S. rank, a regional comparison, the total number of barriers and licenses and their respective scores, the status of universal recognition reforms, and the state’s most uniquely licensed occupation. This information provides useful insights for researchers and policymakers.
From the authors:
It’s a privilege to share the 2025 State Occupational Licensing Index. Each year we’ve worked to improve this resource, and this edition represents our strongest effort yet. With occupational licensing becoming an increasingly central policy concern, we’re excited to continue to provide a tool that supports meaningful research, informed debate, and thoughtful reforms. It’s my hope that the 2025 State Occupational Licensing Index can contribute to a more informed conversation about the role of licensing in shaping work, opportunity, and human flourishing.
– Noah Trudeau, lead author of the State Occupational Licensing Index
Occupational licensing affects millions of working Americans, not to mention millions of Americans who consider entering licensed professions. With over 20 percent of workers directly affected by these rules, it is imperative that people understand where states and regions rank in terms of barriers to work, in addition to which professions are more burdensome or less. Public awareness is the key to change: By understanding what we get right and wrong about occupational licensing, we can strive for reforms that make it easier for people to work and flourish. SOLI 2025 is exactly the education we need for real, lasting change.
– Edward Timmons, co-author of the State Occupational Licensing Index
Data
The State Occupational Licensing Index datasets are available for download. Contact Noah Trudeau at ntrudeau@troy.edu with questions or further inquiries.
Download the State Occupational Licensing Index 2025 Master Data.
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