NAICS 56

Administrative and Support Services Industry: 2026 Market Survival & Risk Analysis

Office administration, staffing, security, cleaning services

Administrative and Support Services: 690,379 Establishments Nationwide

690,379
Total Establishments
9,123,838
Total Employment
$56,112
Average Annual Wage
39.9
Average Entry Risk Score

What Drives Administrative and Support Services Risk

Administrative and support services, including staffing agencies, janitorial firms, and security companies, is a labor-intensive sector where margins are thin and turnover is constant. At $56,112, average wages fall 21% below the all-industry mean of $71,298. That low wage floor makes it easier to launch, but harder to retain workers. Nebraska, South Dakota, and Iowa rank as the lowest-risk states, driven by tight labor markets that paradoxically boost firm survival by keeping competition for contracts manageable.

Administrative and Support Services vs. All-Industry Average

How this sector compares to the average across all ten tracked industries.

Avg Entry Risk
39.9 This sector
43.1 All sectors
Avg Annual Wage
$56,112 This sector
$73,293 All sectors
Total Employment
9.1M This sector
9.6M Avg per sector

State Leaderboards for Administrative and Support Services

Lowest Entry Risk

Best overall market conditions

  1. Nebraska 21.4
  2. South Dakota 21.7
  3. Iowa 22.1
  4. Maine 24.6
  5. Wisconsin 25.2

Highest Entry Risk

Most competitive markets

  1. Montana 67.3
  2. Hawaii 60.7
  3. Wyoming 60.4
  4. Nevada 53.0
  5. Florida 52.0

Best for Firm Retention

Highest 5-year firm survival rates

  1. South Dakota 100%
  2. Maine 98.04%
  3. Iowa 96.08%
  4. District of Columbia 94.12%
  5. Nebraska 92.16%

Highest Growth Momentum

Fastest new firm formation

  1. Wyoming 100
  2. Idaho 66.91
  3. Delaware 66.49
  4. Vermont 63.96
  5. Utah 61.44

Top Metro Markets for Administrative and Support Services

Best and worst metro areas out of 267 with administrative and support services data.

Most Favorable Metros

Lowest Metro Market Score

  1. Logan, UT 18.4
  2. Merced, CA 19.7
  3. Yakima, WA 20.8
  4. Flagstaff, AZ 21.1
  5. Lebanon, PA 21.9

Most Challenging Metros

Highest Metro Market Score

  1. New Haven, CT 86.9
  2. Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT 82.7
  3. Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL 81.1
  4. New Orleans-Metairie, LA 80.3
  5. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 79.2

Entry Risk by State

Geographic distribution of market entry risk for administrative and support services. Click any state for detailed analysis.

Entry Risk by State Alaska — 38.0 · #20 Alabama — 31.7 · #9 Arkansas — 42.0 · #29 Arizona — 47.6 · #43 California — 42.0 · #27 Colorado — 48.8 · #45 Connecticut — 32.1 · #10 District of Columbia — 41.2 · #25 Delaware — 43.2 · #35 Florida — 52.0 · #47 Georgia — 43.4 · #37 Hawaii — 60.7 · #50 Iowa — 22.1 · #3 Idaho — 42.1 · #30 Illinois — 50.5 · #46 Indiana — 33.5 · #14 Kansas — 39.8 · #22 Kentucky — 35.9 · #19 Louisiana — 43.9 · #40 Massachusetts — 35.4 · #17 Maryland — 32.6 · #11 Maine — 24.6 · #4 Michigan — 33.1 · #13 Minnesota — 34.2 · #15 Missouri — 43.8 · #39 Mississippi — 31.3 · #8 Montana — 67.3 · #51 North Carolina — 42.8 · #32 North Dakota — 34.8 · #16 Nebraska — 21.4 · #1 New Hampshire — 43.2 · #36 New Jersey — 41.0 · #24 New Mexico — 44.6 · #41 Nevada — 53.0 · #48 New York — 47.6 · #44 Ohio — 35.8 · #18 Oklahoma — 32.9 · #12 Oregon — 30.4 · #7 Pennsylvania — 25.3 · #6 Rhode Island — 42.0 · #27 South Carolina — 41.9 · #26 South Dakota — 21.7 · #2 Tennessee — 38.3 · #21 Texas — 43.0 · #34 Utah — 47.5 · #42 Virginia — 43.0 · #33 Vermont — 43.4 · #38 Washington — 42.2 · #31 Wisconsin — 25.2 · #5 West Virginia — 40.6 · #23 Wyoming — 60.4 · #49
Low Moderate Elevated High

Tap a state to view details

All 51 States Ranked for Administrative and Support Services Entry Risk

Complete ranking of all 51 states by Entry Risk Score for administrative and support services. Lower score indicates better market conditions for new entrants.

Administrative and Support Services Entry Risk by State

Rank State Risk Score Classification
#1 Nebraska 21.4 low
#2 South Dakota 21.7 low
#3 Iowa 22.1 low
#4 Maine 24.6 low
#5 Wisconsin 25.2 low
#6 Pennsylvania 25.3 low
#7 Oregon 30.4 moderate
#8 Mississippi 31.3 moderate
#9 Alabama 31.7 moderate
#10 Connecticut 32.1 moderate
#11 Maryland 32.6 moderate
#12 Oklahoma 32.9 moderate
#13 Michigan 33.1 moderate
#14 Indiana 33.5 moderate
#15 Minnesota 34.2 moderate
#16 North Dakota 34.8 moderate
#17 Massachusetts 35.4 moderate
#18 Ohio 35.8 moderate
#19 Kentucky 35.9 moderate
#20 Alaska 38.0 moderate
#21 Tennessee 38.3 moderate
#22 Kansas 39.8 moderate
#23 West Virginia 40.6 moderate
#24 New Jersey 41.0 moderate
#25 District of Columbia 41.2 moderate
#26 South Carolina 41.9 moderate
#27 Rhode Island 42.0 moderate
#27 California 42.0 moderate
#29 Arkansas 42.0 moderate
#30 Idaho 42.1 elevated
#31 Washington 42.2 elevated
#32 North Carolina 42.8 elevated
#33 Virginia 43.0 elevated
#34 Texas 43.0 elevated
#35 Delaware 43.2 elevated
#36 New Hampshire 43.2 elevated
#37 Georgia 43.4 elevated
#38 Vermont 43.4 elevated
#39 Missouri 43.8 elevated
#40 Louisiana 43.9 elevated
#41 New Mexico 44.6 elevated
#42 Utah 47.5 elevated
#43 Arizona 47.6 elevated
#44 New York 47.6 elevated
#45 Colorado 48.8 elevated
#46 Illinois 50.5 elevated
#47 Florida 52.0 elevated
#48 Nevada 53.0 elevated
#49 Wyoming 60.4 high
#50 Hawaii 60.7 high
#51 Montana 67.3 high

Administrative and Support Services: Frequently Asked Questions

2026 sector data answers to common entry-decision questions.

Which state has the lowest administrative and support services entry risk in 2026?

Nebraska ranks #1 with an entry risk score of 21.4, 18.5 points below the 39.9 national average for the administrative and support services sector.

Which state is the most challenging market for new administrative and support services businesses?

Montana sits at the bottom of the 51-state ranking with an entry risk score of 67.3. New administrative and support services firms here face structural headwinds across retention, growth momentum, and wage pressure.

How many administrative and support services establishments operate in the United States?

690,379 administrative and support services establishments are tracked across the 51 U.S. state markets, employing 9,123,838 workers at an average annual wage of $56,112.

Which state has the highest 5-year firm retention for administrative and support services?

South Dakota leads on firm retention with a 100% 5-year survival percentile. New administrative and support services establishments in this state clear the 5-year mark at higher rates than 100% of all states.

What is the average entry risk score for administrative and support services across all U.S. states?

The 51-state average entry risk for administrative and support services is 39.9. Scores range from 21.4 (Nebraska) to 67.3 (Montana), a spread of 45.9 points. Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions for new businesses.

Not in Administrative and Support Services?

Compare entry conditions across other sectors.

NAICS 23 Construction NAICS 62 Healthcare and Social Assistance NAICS 44-45 Retail Trade NAICS 72 Accommodation and Food Services NAICS 54 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services NAICS 52 Finance and Insurance NAICS 53 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing NAICS 51 Information NAICS 81 Other Services

How We Calculate Entry Risk

Entry Risk Score combines five normalized metrics: firm retention rates, growth momentum, market volatility, establishment density, and wage pressure. All indices are scaled 0-100 for consistency.

Read full methodology →