Ohio’s Licensed Workforce by the Numbers (2026)
Ohio regulates 262 distinct license types across 24 boards. We broke down the whole roster: who’s licensed, in what, and how many are still active.
August 22, 2026 · 6 min read · Original analysis by OhioLicenseCheck
2.09 million
issued professional & occupational licenses in the Ohio eLicense system
Ohio’s licensing system is vast: 24 boards and commissions regulate 262 distinct license types, from registered nurses and physicians to cosmetologists, engineers, accountants, and funeral directors. Using our complete copy of the Ohio eLicense dataset, here is the shape of that licensed workforce.
Active vs. inactive
918,754
Active licenses
986,893
Inactive licenses
187,007
Closed licenses
Roughly as many Ohio licenses are inactive as active. That is normal for a mature licensing system: it accumulates decades of records — people who moved out of state, retired, changed careers, or let a credential lapse — alongside the currently practicing population. It is also exactly why verifying a license (rather than assuming it is current) matters: a name in the system is not the same as an active license.
The largest licensed professions in Ohio
Healthcare dominates. Nursing alone — RNs plus LPNs — accounts for more than half a million license records, and the medical, pharmacy, dental, and allied-health boards add hundreds of thousands more. Cosmetology and barbering form the next-largest cluster, followed by accountancy and the skilled trades.
| Profession | Licenses on record |
|---|---|
| Registered Nurse (RN) | 401,068 |
| Licensed Practical Nurse (LPN) | 135,843 |
| Doctor of Medicine (MD) | 123,830 |
| Advanced Cosmetologist | 99,921 |
| Cosmetologist | 83,113 |
| Certified Public Accountant | 52,734 |
| Radiographer | 47,954 |
What this is good for
Aggregate figures like these help students weigh career demand, help employers understand the size of a talent pool, and help journalists and researchers put a single license in context. Every number here is derived in-house from the primary record and refreshed daily.
Methodology
Computed by OhioLicenseCheck from the complete Ohio eLicense dataset, counting issued licenses (application records excluded). Figures as of August 2026 and refreshed daily. Status counts reflect the primary status recorded by each Ohio board.
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