New Data Show that Roughtly One-Quarter of US Workers Hold an Occupational License
While licensing is more prevalent in high-income professions such as healthcare and law, it is common in many middle- and lower-income professions as well. Among middle- and lower-income occupations with median weekly earnings below $850 in 2015 (or about $44,000 annually), licensing is especially prevalent in services such as healthcare support (47 percent), protective services (38 percent), and personal care (28 percent). The costs of obtaining a license—which often include licensing fees, tuition, and lost wages while completing educational requirements—can be especially burdensome for low-income workers and may even prevent them from accessing certain occupations.
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