Lawmakers should evaluate whether the state has an interest in regulating the quality or potential health impacts of a profession, Roth said, but they should also consider the effects such regulations have on those looking to enter the professions. Most of the 10 professions studied by WILL are predicted by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics to have faster-than-average job growth over the next decade, and pay between $10 and $22 per hour, making them good workforce entry points.

Crystal Wallin decided a career in banking wasn't for her, becoming first an EMT in 2004 and an EMT-paramedic with Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance in 2010. On Friday, Wallin was working a 24-hour-shift alongside EMT Brittany Cincoski, and both said they thought the licensing requirements struck the right balance for protecting public health.

Cincoski, who said she hopes to go to school to eventually become a physician's assistant, said the training and license requirements weren't a big barrier to her entering the field. She attended Western Technical College for her EMT training and said her teachers and coursework were designed to facilitate the licensing process.