NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA

Metro Market Score 81.7 (Difficult), ranked #258 of 261 metros. 17,843 establishments, 148,122 jobs.

Metro Market Score 81.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services employment in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the bottom 10% at 16.1. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

96.2

LQ: 1.39

Rank #251 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

96.9

$152,586 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 16.1

Employment growth index

Rank #220 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

41.3

YoY wage change index

17,843 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

17,843

Establishments

+0.6% YoY

148,122

Total Employment

-3.1% YoY

$152,586

Average Annual Wage

+4.5% YoY

1.39

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within California

#23 of 24

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

California state rank

#48 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

+32.5

worse than median (49.2)

San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad vs California Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to California overall. The state ranks #48/51 for entry risk.

Measure	San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad	CA Statewide
Overall Score	81.7 Difficult	51.2 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#258 of 261 metros	#48 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad

Healthcare and Social Assistance 38.9 Other Services 59.2 Retail Trade 60.6 Construction 62.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 62.6 Information 71.5 Finance and Insurance 72.0 Administrative and Support Services 72.7 Accommodation and Food Services 72.7

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other California Metros

El Centro 10.5 #3/261 Visalia 17.2 #7/261 Fresno 23.2 #21/261 Modesto 24.5 #24/261 Yuba City 26.3 #28/261 Riverside-San Bernardino-Ontario 28.0 #33/261 Hanford-Corcoran 29.6 #35/261 Merced 29.9 #38/261 Salinas 39.8 #80/261 Napa 41.9 #90/261

+ 13 more metros. View all in California →

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad's 81.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Ann Arbor, MI 81.1 #257/261 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA 80.3 #256/261 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT 84.0 #259/261 Boulder, CO 84.0 #260/261 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY 79.1 #255/261 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 79.1 #254/261 San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA 84.7 #261/261 New Haven, CT 78.5 #253/261 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 78.2 #252/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in States Bordering California

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

Arizona 41.2 #28/51 Nevada 42.6 #34/51 Oregon 45.2 #42/51

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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the employment growth component (83.9) 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 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment