How occupational licensing matters for wages and careers
Using new data collected as part of the Current Population Survey, I focus on the ways that licensing affects the more than 20 percent of workers who have a license, as well as their counterparts who do not. This economic analysis extends previous research by examining how licensing relates to wages, tenure, and part-time status by age, race, gender, and wage level. For example, the wage advantage enjoyed by licensed workers relative to comparable unlicensed workers increases with age, rising from about $1.60 per hour at age 25 to $3.50 per hour at age 64.