NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN

Metro Market Score 47.9 (Moderate), ranked #134 of 261 metros. 671 establishments, 3,288 jobs.

Metro Market Score 47.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

Lafayette-West Lafayette has a relatively low concentration of professional, scientific, and technical services firms (index: 34.5) paired with positive employment growth. This suggests an underpenetrated market where demand may outpace current supply.

Industry Concentration

34.5

LQ: 0.46

Rank #90 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

60.1

$89,577 avg wage

Growth Trend

50.6

Employment growth index

Rank #130 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

47.0

YoY wage change index

671 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Lafayette-West Lafayette

671

Establishments

+9.5% YoY

3,288

Total Employment

+0.1% YoY

$89,577

Average Annual Wage

+7.3% YoY

0.46

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Indiana

#5 of 8

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

Indiana state rank

#50 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (47.9)

Lafayette-West Lafayette vs Indiana Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to Indiana overall. The state ranks #50/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Lafayette-West Lafayette	IN Statewide
Overall Score	47.9 Moderate	56.7 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#134 of 261 metros	#50 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette

Construction 32.3

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other Indiana Metros

Elkhart-Goshen 19.7 #12/261 Kokomo 35.5 #61/261 Bloomington 46.5 #122/261 Michigan City-La Porte 47.4 #129/261 Muncie 48.5 #136/261 South Bend-Mishawaka 50.1 #144/261 Columbus 53.0 #157/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Lafayette-West Lafayette's 47.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Morgantown, WV 47.8 #133/261 Stockton-Lodi, CA 47.8 #132/261 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA 48.1 #135/261 Cleveland, TN 47.7 #131/261 Lima, OH 47.7 #130/261 Michigan City-La Porte, IN 47.4 #129/261 Muncie, IN 48.5 #136/261 Longview-Kelso, WA 46.9 #128/261 Ames, IA 46.9 #126/261 Yuma, AZ 46.9 #127/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in States Bordering Indiana

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

Kentucky 35.7 #14/51 Ohio 36.9 #17/51 Michigan 41.2 #27/51 Illinois 42.6 #33/51

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 Lafayette-West Lafayette's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the wage competitiveness component (60.1) 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 Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment