NAICS 51

Information in Salem, OR

Metro Market Score 42.6 (Moderate), ranked #133 of 294 metros. 309 establishments, 1,661 jobs.

Metro Market Score 42.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

📈Rapid Growth

Salem ranks in the upper half for information market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 42.6, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

49.7

LQ: 0.46

Rank #146 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

73.8

$95,783 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 76.5

Employment growth index

Rank #70 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

23.7

YoY wage change index

309 Information Firms in Salem

309

Establishments

+5.8% YoY

1,661

Total Employment

+0.6% YoY

$95,783

Average Annual Wage

+7.0% YoY

0.46

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Oregon

#2 of 8

information metros in state

Oregon state rank

#45 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

-19.9

better than median (62.5)

Salem vs Oregon Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Oregon overall. The state ranks #45/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Salem	OR Statewide
Overall Score	42.6 Moderate	52.0 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#133 of 294 metros	#45 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 Accommodation and Food Services 43.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 46.5 Retail Trade 56.8 Other Services 57.4 Construction 63.0 Finance and Insurance 64.0

Information in Other Oregon Metros

Grants Pass 34.8 #82/294 Albany 43.8 #145/294 Eugene-Springfield 59.5 #233/294 Medford 62.5 #250/294 Corvallis 66.2 #261/294 Bend 68.5 #271/294 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro 70.7 #278/294

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Salem's 42.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Hanford-Corcoran, CA 42.6 #132/294 Homosassa Springs, FL 42.8 #134/294 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 42.9 #135/294 Walla Walla, WA 42.9 #136/294 Staunton-Stuarts Draft, VA 42.2 #131/294 La Crosse-Onalaska, WI 43.1 #137/294 Panama City-Panama City Beach, FL 42.1 #130/294 Palm Bay-Melbourne-Titusville, FL 42.0 #129/294 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA 43.3 #138/294 Elizabethtown, KY 42.0 #128/294

Information in States Bordering Oregon

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

Idaho 43.8 #24/51 Washington 55.7 #49/51 Nevada 56.3 #50/51 California 56.6 #51/51

Browse Information in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for information 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 information sector, the wage competitiveness component (73.8) 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