NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA

Metro Market Score 49.2 (Challenging), ranked #138 of 261 metros. 1,072 establishments, 5,582 jobs.

Metro Market Score 49.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles ranks in the lower half for professional, scientific, and technical services market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 49.2, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

61.3

LQ: 0.66

Rank #160 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

65.5

$92,724 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 66.3

Employment growth index

Rank #89 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

36.9

YoY wage change index

1,072 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles

1,072

Establishments

+2.6% YoY

5,582

Total Employment

+1.5% YoY

$92,724

Average Annual Wage

+2.3% YoY

0.66

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within California

#13 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

0.0

matches median (49.2)

San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles 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 Luis Obispo-Paso Robles	CA Statewide
Overall Score	49.2 Challenging	51.2 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#138 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 Luis Obispo-Paso Robles

Healthcare and Social Assistance 34.9 Other Services 38.8 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 46.9 Finance and Insurance 55.3 Information 58.7 Administrative and Support Services 58.9 Accommodation and Food Services 60.6 Construction 63.4 Retail Trade 63.6

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 Luis Obispo-Paso Robles's 49.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Decatur, IL 49.0 #137/261 Norwich-New London-Willimantic, CT 49.6 #139/261 Logan, UT 49.7 #140/261 Eugene-Springfield, OR 49.7 #141/261 Muncie, IN 48.5 #136/261 Greensboro-High Point, NC 49.9 #142/261 Las Vegas-Henderson-North Las Vegas, NV 50.0 #143/261 South Bend-Mishawaka, IN 50.1 #144/261 Little Rock-North Little Rock-Conway, AR 50.3 #145/261 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA 48.1 #135/261

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 Luis Obispo-Paso Robles's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the wage competitiveness component (65.5) 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 Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment