NAICS 23

Construction in Salem, OR

Metro Market Score 63.0 (Difficult), ranked #299 of 342 metros. 2,074 establishments, 13,116 jobs.

Metro Market Score 63.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

Construction employment in Salem contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the bottom quartile at 19.9. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

79.8

LQ: 1.29

Rank #273 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

47.7

$72,189 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 19.9

Employment growth index

Rank #275 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

35.2

YoY wage change index

2,074 Construction Firms in Salem

2,074

Establishments

+0.2% YoY

13,116

Total Employment

-1.4% YoY

$72,189

Average Annual Wage

+5.0% YoY

1.29

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Oregon

#7 of 8

construction metros in state

Oregon state rank

#44 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+8.2

worse than median (54.8)

Salem vs Oregon Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Oregon overall. The state ranks #44/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Salem	OR Statewide
Overall Score	63.0 Difficult	54.8 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#299 of 342 metros	#44 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 Salem

Administrative and Support Services 33.2 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 35.1 Healthcare and Social Assistance 41.9 Information 42.6 Accommodation and Food Services 43.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 46.5 Retail Trade 56.8 Other Services 57.4 Finance and Insurance 64.0

Construction in Other Oregon Metros

Grants Pass 36.8 #76/342 Corvallis 45.0 #146/342 Bend 47.8 #171/342 Eugene-Springfield 53.9 #233/342 Medford 54.8 #243/342 Albany 56.4 #259/342 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro 67.3 #320/342

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Salem's 63.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA 63.2 #300/342 Midland, TX 63.3 #301/342 Sioux City, IA 63.4 #302/342 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 63.4 #303/342 Lafayette, LA 63.4 #304/342 St. Cloud, MN 62.4 #298/342 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 62.4 #297/342 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 63.5 #305/342 Pueblo, CO 64.1 #306/342 Terre Haute, IN 64.1 #307/342

Construction in States Bordering Oregon

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

Nevada 39.8 #20/51 California 47.8 #32/51 Washington 58.1 #46/51 Idaho 58.4 #48/51

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 Salem's construction sector, the employment growth component (80.1) 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 Salem, OR MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment