NAICS 23

Construction in Salisbury, MD

Metro Market Score 50.1 (Challenging), ranked #197 of 342 metros. 316 establishments, 2,666 jobs.

Metro Market Score 50.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Construction wages in Salisbury run well below the metro average (competitiveness index: 12.3), and year-over-year wage pressure is low at 24.0. For labor-intensive operations, this cost advantage could improve unit economics significantly.

Industry Concentration

49.1

LQ: 0.96

Rank #168 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

12.3

$61,399 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 0.3

Employment growth index

Rank #342 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

24.0

YoY wage change index

316 Construction Firms in Salisbury

316

Establishments

-81.0% YoY

2,666

Total Employment

-73.1% YoY

$61,399

Average Annual Wage

+0.4% YoY

0.96

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Maryland

#2 of 4

construction metros in state

Maryland state rank

#12 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

-8.0

better than median (58.1)

Salisbury vs Maryland Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Maryland overall. The state ranks #12/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Salisbury	MD Statewide
Overall Score	50.1 Challenging	35.0 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#197 of 342 metros	#12 of 51 states

Metro and state scores use different methodologies (metro has 4 QCEW-based metrics; state adds BDS survival and momentum data). Direct score comparisons are approximate.

Other Industries in Salisbury

Finance and Insurance 43.0 Information 47.2 Accommodation and Food Services 50.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 52.0 Other Services 70.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 77.0 Retail Trade 78.6

Construction in Other Maryland Metros

Hagerstown-Martinsburg 23.3 #13/342 Lexington Park 58.1 #272/342 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson 61.5 #294/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Salisbury's 50.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Niles, MI 50.1 #196/342 Prescott Valley-Prescott, AZ 50.1 #195/342 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 50.0 #194/342 Decatur, IL 50.0 #193/342 Boise City, ID 50.0 #192/342 Binghamton, NY 50.0 #191/342 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington, LA 50.3 #198/342 Abilene, TX 50.3 #199/342 Akron, OH 49.8 #188/342 Charleston-North Charleston, SC 49.8 #189/342

Construction in States Bordering Maryland

State-level entry risk for construction in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Pennsylvania 28.4 #3/51 Virginia 39.0 #18/51 Delaware 43.0 #26/51 West Virginia 49.5 #35/51 District of Columbia 56.9 #45/51

Browse Construction in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for construction across all 51 markets, sorted by rank.

About Metro Market Score: A weighted composite of industry concentration (25%), wage competitiveness (25%), wage pressure (20%), and employment growth trend (30%). Lower scores indicate more favorable conditions. For Salisbury's construction sector, the employment growth component (99.7) has the strongest pull on the composite. Metro scores use QCEW data only (no BDS survival data at metro level). Read full methodology →

Data Sources

Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (QCEW), Bureau of Labor Statistics. MSA-level establishment counts, employment, wages, and location quotients for the Salisbury, MD MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment