NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA

Metro Market Score 84.7 (Difficult), ranked #261 of 261 metros. 26,807 establishments, 313,756 jobs.

Metro Market Score 84.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

🏭Industry Hub💰High-Cost Market

With a 1.88 location quotient, San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont has an outsized professional, scientific, and technical services presence relative to its population. That concentration (index: 98.8) creates a mature local market where supplier networks are established but differentiation matters more.

Industry Concentration

98.8

LQ: 1.88

Rank #258 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

100.0

$222,173 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 18.4

Employment growth index

Rank #214 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

52.3

YoY wage change index

26,807 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont

26,807

Establishments

+1.4% YoY

313,756

Total Employment

-2.7% YoY

$222,173

Average Annual Wage

+9.9% YoY

1.88

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within California

#24 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

+35.5

worse than median (49.2)

San Francisco-Oakland-Fremont 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 Francisco-Oakland-Fremont	CA Statewide
Overall Score	84.7 Difficult	51.2 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#261 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 Francisco-Oakland-Fremont

Healthcare and Social Assistance 47.0 Other Services 62.0 Administrative and Support Services 63.4 Retail Trade 66.7 Construction 68.3 Accommodation and Food Services 69.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 70.4 Finance and Insurance 75.3 Information 84.0

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 Francisco-Oakland-Fremont's 84.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Boulder, CO 84.0 #260/261 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT 84.0 #259/261 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 81.7 #258/261 Ann Arbor, MI 81.1 #257/261 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA 80.3 #256/261

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 Francisco-Oakland-Fremont's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the wage competitiveness component (100.0) 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 Francisco-Oakland-Fremont, CA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment