NAICS 23

Construction in Pittsburgh, PA

Metro Market Score 50.9 (Challenging), ranked #203 of 342 metros. 5,728 establishments, 55,479 jobs.

Metro Market Score 50.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national construction average.

💰High-Cost Market

Pittsburgh's construction market sits near the national metro median, ranking #203 of 342 with a market score of 50.9. No single metric stands out as an outlier, which means entry conditions depend more on your specific business model than on broad market forces.

Industry Concentration

48.8

LQ: 0.96

Rank #167 of 342 metros

Wage Competitiveness

78.4

$80,009 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 59.9

Employment growth index

Rank #138 of 342 metros

Wage Pressure

35.4

YoY wage change index

5,728 Construction Firms in Pittsburgh

5,728

Establishments

+3.2% YoY

55,479

Total Employment

+3.1% YoY

$80,009

Average Annual Wage

+5.1% YoY

0.96

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#10 of 14

construction metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#3 of 51

for construction entry risk

vs State Median

+5.2

worse than median (45.7)

Pittsburgh vs Pennsylvania Statewide

How this metro's construction market compares to Pennsylvania overall. The state ranks #3/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Pittsburgh	PA Statewide
Overall Score	50.9 Challenging	28.4 Low
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#203 of 342 metros	#3 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 Pittsburgh

Accommodation and Food Services 41.0 Retail Trade 42.5 Other Services 46.4 Administrative and Support Services 47.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 47.2 Finance and Insurance 54.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 59.5 Information 61.7 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 71.1

Construction in Other Pennsylvania Metros

Johnstown 26.0 #21/342 Altoona 29.8 #39/342 Chambersburg 31.6 #49/342 Erie 36.6 #74/342 Williamsport 40.7 #112/342 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre 43.2 #130/342 Lebanon 43.3 #132/342 Harrisburg-Carlisle 45.7 #152/342 State College 46.0 #154/342 Gettysburg 53.4 #229/342

+ 3 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Construction Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Pittsburgh's 50.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Bloomington, IL 50.9 #202/342 Peoria, IL 50.9 #204/342 Redding, CA 50.9 #205/342 Casper, WY 51.0 #206/342 Jefferson City, MO 50.8 #201/342 Manchester-Nashua, NH 50.7 #200/342 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 51.1 #207/342 Mankato, MN 51.1 #208/342 Fort Wayne, IN 51.4 #209/342 Indianapolis-Carmel-Greenwood, IN 51.4 #210/342

Construction in States Bordering Pennsylvania

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

Maryland 35.0 #12/51 Ohio 41.7 #24/51 Delaware 43.0 #26/51 New Jersey 48.3 #33/51 West Virginia 49.5 #35/51 New York 51.1 #37/51

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 Pittsburgh's construction sector, the wage competitiveness component (78.4) 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 Pittsburgh, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment