NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Lake Charles, LA

Metro Market Score 36.9 (Moderate), ranked #70 of 261 metros. 758 establishments, 3,858 jobs.

Metro Market Score 36.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

📈Rapid Growth

Employment in Lake Charles's professional, scientific, and technical services sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 78.5. Combined with a 36.9 market score, this metro sits in the upper half for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

49.8

LQ: 0.55

Rank #130 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

55.9

$87,955 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 78.5

Employment growth index

Rank #57 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

20.2

YoY wage change index

758 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Lake Charles

758

Establishments

+13.1% YoY

3,858

Total Employment

+3.5% YoY

$87,955

Average Annual Wage

-5.9% YoY

0.55

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Louisiana

#4 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

0.0

matches median (36.9)

Lake Charles 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	Lake Charles	LA Statewide
Overall Score	36.9 Moderate	36.4 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#70 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 Lake Charles

Other Services 28.8 Retail Trade 39.0 Construction 49.1 Administrative and Support Services 51.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 58.2

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 Shreveport-Bossier City 52.9 #156/261 Slidell-Mandeville-Covington 53.6 #162/261 Lafayette 62.8 #203/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Lake Charles's 36.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Kingsport-Bristol, TN 37.0 #71/261 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 37.0 #72/261 Huntington-Ashland, WV 37.0 #73/261 Burlington, NC 37.0 #74/261 Wheeling, WV 36.8 #69/261 Grants Pass, OR 36.7 #68/261 Bangor, ME 36.4 #67/261 Homosassa Springs, FL 36.2 #66/261 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 36.1 #65/261 Anniston-Oxford, AL 37.9 #75/261

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 Lake Charles's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the wage competitiveness component (55.9) 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 Lake Charles, LA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment