NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Fort Smith, AR

Metro Market Score 46.0 (Moderate), ranked #117 of 261 metros. 523 establishments, 2,251 jobs.

Metro Market Score 46.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

ⓘ Lower is better. Relative to national professional, scientific, and technical services average.

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services employment in Fort Smith contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the upper half at 2.7. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

13.8

LQ: 0.34

Rank #36 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

7.3

$64,687 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 2.7

Employment growth index

Rank #255 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

57.8

YoY wage change index

523 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Fort Smith

523

Establishments

-17.0% YoY

2,251

Total Employment

-15.8% YoY

$64,687

Average Annual Wage

+12.6% YoY

0.34

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Arkansas

#4 of 5

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

Arkansas state rank

#18 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

+0.9

worse than median (45.2)

Fort Smith vs Arkansas Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to Arkansas overall. The state ranks #18/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Fort Smith	AR Statewide
Overall Score	46.0 Moderate	37.3 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#117 of 261 metros	#18 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 Fort Smith

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 39.1 Other Services 44.7 Construction 46.4 Finance and Insurance 51.6 Accommodation and Food Services 59.5 Retail Trade 60.2 Information 66.8

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other Arkansas Metros

Jonesboro 16.1 #5/261 Hot Springs 35.5 #60/261 Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers 45.2 #115/261 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway 50.3 #145/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Fort Smith's 46.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Enid, OK 46.0 #116/261 Kingston, NY 46.1 #118/261 Reading, PA 46.2 #119/261 Coeur d'Alene, ID 46.2 #120/261 York-Hanover, PA 46.3 #121/261 Bloomington, IN 46.5 #122/261 Albany, OR 46.6 #123/261 Greeley, CO 46.8 #124/261 Billings, MT 46.8 #125/261 Ames, IA 46.9 #126/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in States Bordering Arkansas

State-level entry risk for professional, scientific, and technical services in adjacent states. Use this to weigh cross-border options.

Mississippi 33.4 #5/51 Louisiana 36.4 #15/51 Tennessee 39.4 #25/51 Texas 42.2 #30/51 Oklahoma 45.4 #43/51 Missouri 45.5 #45/51

Browse Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other States

State-level entry risk reports for professional, scientific, and technical services 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 Fort Smith's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the employment growth component (97.3) 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 Fort Smith, AR-OK MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment