NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA

Metro Market Score 68.5 (Difficult), ranked #226 of 261 metros. 1,735 establishments, 8,517 jobs.

Metro Market Score 68.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services employment in Santa Rosa-Petaluma contracted year-over-year, placing the growth trend in the bottom quartile at 5.8. Declining job counts can indicate consolidation, population shifts, or reduced local demand. Due diligence on the local economy is especially important here.

Industry Concentration

55.9

LQ: 0.59

Rank #146 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

74.0

$98,379 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 5.8

Employment growth index

Rank #247 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

38.9

YoY wage change index

1,735 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Santa Rosa-Petaluma

1,735

Establishments

+1.4% YoY

8,517

Total Employment

-7.6% YoY

$98,379

Average Annual Wage

+3.3% YoY

0.59

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within California

#21 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

+19.3

worse than median (49.2)

Santa Rosa-Petaluma 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	Santa Rosa-Petaluma	CA Statewide
Overall Score	68.5 Difficult	51.2 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#226 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma

Information 46.7 Administrative and Support Services 54.3 Healthcare and Social Assistance 61.3 Other Services 63.7 Finance and Insurance 67.4 Construction 68.6 Retail Trade 68.7 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 69.5 Accommodation and Food Services 76.1

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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma's 68.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Pittsfield, MA 68.4 #225/261 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 68.7 #227/261 Lexington Park, MD 68.8 #228/261 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO 68.2 #224/261 Lewiston-Auburn, ME 68.0 #223/261 Corvallis, OR 69.4 #229/261 Salt Lake City-Murray, UT 69.4 #230/261 Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 67.5 #222/261 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC 67.4 #221/261 Barnstable Town, MA 67.1 #220/261

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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the employment growth component (94.3) 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 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment