NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Lafayette, LA

Metro Market Score 62.8 (Difficult), ranked #203 of 261 metros. 2,508 establishments, 10,283 jobs.

Metro Market Score 62.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

Lafayette's professional, scientific, and technical services sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 16.5). That contraction, combined with a 62.8 market score, puts this metro in the bottom quartile for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

80.5

LQ: 0.84

Rank #210 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

34.9

$79,612 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 16.5

Employment growth index

Rank #219 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

44.4

YoY wage change index

2,508 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Lafayette

2,508

Establishments

-7.8% YoY

10,283

Total Employment

-3.0% YoY

$79,612

Average Annual Wage

+6.0% YoY

0.84

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Louisiana

#7 of 7

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

Louisiana state rank

#15 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

+25.9

worse than median (36.9)

Lafayette vs Louisiana Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to Louisiana overall. The state ranks #15/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Lafayette	LA Statewide
Overall Score	62.8 Difficult	36.4 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#203 of 261 metros	#15 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

Finance and Insurance 60.6 Accommodation and Food Services 62.3 Construction 63.4 Retail Trade 71.2 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 77.6

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other Louisiana Metros

Alexandria 22.1 #19/261 Hammond 32.6 #48/261 Houma-Bayou Cane-Thibodaux 35.7 #63/261 Lake Charles 36.9 #70/261 Shreveport-Bossier City 52.9 #156/261 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington 53.6 #162/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Lafayette's 62.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Trenton-Princeton, NJ 62.8 #202/261 Iowa City, IA 62.9 #204/261 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 62.6 #201/261 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 62.6 #199/261 Springfield, MA 62.6 #200/261 Cleveland, OH 62.4 #198/261 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 62.3 #197/261 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 63.3 #205/261 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 64.0 #206/261 Wilmington, NC 61.5 #196/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in States Bordering Louisiana

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

Mississippi 33.4 #5/51 Arkansas 37.3 #18/51 Texas 42.2 #30/51

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's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the employment growth component (83.5) 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 Lafayette, LA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment