NAICS 51

Information in Pittsburgh, PA

Metro Market Score 61.7 (Difficult), ranked #245 of 294 metros. 953 establishments, 15,745 jobs.

Metro Market Score 61.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national information average.

💰High-Cost Market

Pittsburgh scores 61.7 on the Metro Market Score for information, placing it in the bottom quartile. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

83.3

LQ: 0.76

Rank #245 of 294 metros

Wage Competitiveness

95.6

$158,458 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 58.8

Employment growth index

Rank #122 of 294 metros

Wage Pressure

23.2

YoY wage change index

953 Information Firms in Pittsburgh

953

Establishments

+6.5% YoY

15,745

Total Employment

-1.2% YoY

$158,458

Average Annual Wage

+6.5% YoY

0.76

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#14 of 14

information metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#4 of 51

for information entry risk

vs State Median

+20.0

worse than median (41.8)

Pittsburgh vs Pennsylvania Statewide

How this metro's information market compares to Pennsylvania overall. The state ranks #4/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Pittsburgh	PA Statewide
Overall Score	61.7 Difficult	31.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#245 of 294 metros	#4 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 Construction 50.9 Finance and Insurance 54.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 59.5 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services 71.1

Information in Other Pennsylvania Metros

Gettysburg 14.4 #6/294 Reading 17.4 #15/294 Chambersburg 26.7 #42/294 Williamsport 30.8 #62/294 Erie 32.4 #74/294 York-Hanover 33.4 #77/294 Lebanon 40.6 #119/294 Scranton--Wilkes-Barre 41.8 #126/294 Harrisburg-Carlisle 44.6 #150/294 Lancaster 45.4 #156/294

+ 3 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Information Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Pittsburgh's 61.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Jacksonville, FL 61.7 #246/294 Lansing-East Lansing, MI 61.6 #244/294 Providence-Warwick, RI 61.6 #243/294 Ann Arbor, MI 61.6 #242/294 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 61.6 #241/294 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 62.1 #247/294 Rochester, NY 62.4 #248/294 Urban Honolulu, HI 62.5 #249/294 Medford, OR 62.5 #250/294 Akron, OH 60.9 #240/294

Information in States Bordering Pennsylvania

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

West Virginia 37.3 #11/51 Ohio 44.4 #26/51 Delaware 48.0 #36/51 Maryland 48.9 #40/51 New York 50.5 #42/51 New Jersey 52.0 #46/51

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 Pittsburgh's information sector, the wage competitiveness component (95.6) 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