NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Lawrence, KS

Metro Market Score 75.6 (Difficult), ranked #248 of 261 metros. 685 establishments, 3,526 jobs.

Metro Market Score 75.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

Lawrence's professional, scientific, and technical services sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 7.3). That contraction, combined with a 75.6 market score, puts this metro in the bottom 10% for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

85.8

LQ: 0.99

Rank #224 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

51.3

$85,176 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 7.3

Employment growth index

Rank #243 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

67.4

YoY wage change index

685 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Lawrence

685

Establishments

+1.6% YoY

3,526

Total Employment

-6.0% YoY

$85,176

Average Annual Wage

+17.3% YoY

0.99

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Kansas

#3 of 3

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

Kansas state rank

#39 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

+20.9

worse than median (54.7)

Lawrence vs Kansas Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to Kansas overall. The state ranks #39/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Lawrence	KS Statewide
Overall Score	75.6 Difficult	44.7 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#248 of 261 metros	#39 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 Lawrence

Healthcare and Social Assistance 16.1 Finance and Insurance 29.0 Construction 29.3 Administrative and Support Services 33.7 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 38.3 Retail Trade 42.2 Information 50.1 Accommodation and Food Services 67.6 Other Services 86.2

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other Kansas Metros

Manhattan 34.8 #56/261 Wichita 54.7 #168/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Lawrence's 75.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington, TX 75.3 #247/261 Worcester, MA 76.1 #249/261 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR 76.3 #250/261 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA 76.6 #251/261 Provo-Orem-Lehi, UT 74.0 #246/261 Fort Collins-Loveland, CO 73.6 #245/261 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX 73.2 #244/261 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 78.2 #252/261 New Haven, CT 78.5 #253/261 Omaha, NE 72.3 #243/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in States Bordering Kansas

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

Nebraska 31.6 #3/51 Oklahoma 45.4 #43/51 Missouri 45.5 #45/51 Colorado 46.4 #46/51

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 Lawrence's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the employment growth component (92.7) 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 Lawrence, KS MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment