NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Portland-South Portland, ME

Metro Market Score 71.4 (Difficult), ranked #239 of 261 metros. 6,179 establishments, 18,032 jobs.

Metro Market Score 71.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market

Portland-South Portland scores 71.4 on the Metro Market Score for professional, scientific, and technical services, placing it in the bottom 10%. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

83.5

LQ: 0.90

Rank #218 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

84.7

$109,627 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 31.4

Employment growth index

Rank #180 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

43.8

YoY wage change index

6,179 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Portland-South Portland

6,179

Establishments

+7.4% YoY

18,032

Total Employment

-1.3% YoY

$109,627

Average Annual Wage

+5.7% YoY

0.90

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Maine

#3 of 3

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

Maine state rank

#26 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

+3.3

worse than median (68.0)

Portland-South Portland vs Maine Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to Maine overall. The state ranks #26/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Portland-South Portland	ME Statewide
Overall Score	71.4 Difficult	40.2 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#239 of 261 metros	#26 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 Portland-South Portland

Healthcare and Social Assistance 51.7 Other Services 52.3 Retail Trade 52.7 Accommodation and Food Services 60.9

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other Maine Metros

Bangor 36.4 #67/261 Lewiston-Auburn 68.0 #223/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Portland-South Portland's 71.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Manchester-Nashua, NH 71.4 #240/261 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA 71.5 #241/261 Pueblo, CO 71.1 #238/261 Pittsburgh, PA 71.1 #237/261 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 70.9 #236/261 Los Angeles-Long Beach-Anaheim, CA 72.2 #242/261 Battle Creek, MI 70.5 #235/261 Omaha, NE 72.3 #243/261 Ogden, UT 70.4 #234/261 Huntsville, AL 70.2 #233/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in States Bordering Maine

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

New Hampshire 37.5 #19/51

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 Portland-South Portland's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the wage competitiveness component (84.7) 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 Portland-South Portland, ME MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment