NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD

Metro Market Score 63.3 (Difficult), ranked #205 of 261 metros. 13,123 establishments, 121,936 jobs.

Metro Market Score 63.3

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

Market conditions for professional, scientific, and technical services in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson are tougher than average. The 63.3 market score reflects a combination of high labor costs, mixed growth signals, and an already crowded field. Rank: #205 of 261 metros.

Industry Concentration

94.6

LQ: 1.29

Rank #247 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

92.3

$124,567 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 71.7

Employment growth index

Rank #75 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

40.1

YoY wage change index

13,123 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

13,123

Establishments

+2.4% YoY

121,936

Total Employment

+2.2% YoY

$124,567

Average Annual Wage

+3.9% YoY

1.29

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Maryland

#2 of 3

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

Maryland state rank

#23 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (63.3)

Baltimore-Columbia-Towson vs Maryland Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to Maryland overall. The state ranks #23/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Baltimore-Columbia-Towson	MD Statewide
Overall Score	63.3 Difficult	38.4 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#205 of 261 metros	#23 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson

Accommodation and Food Services 45.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 47.8 Retail Trade 48.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 58.6 Construction 61.5 Administrative and Support Services 61.5 Finance and Insurance 72.8

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other Maryland Metros

Hagerstown-Martinsburg 26.8 #31/261 Lexington Park 68.8 #228/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Baltimore-Columbia-Towson's 63.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Iowa City, IA 62.9 #204/261 Lafayette, LA 62.8 #203/261 Trenton-Princeton, NJ 62.8 #202/261 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 62.6 #201/261 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 64.0 #206/261 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 62.6 #199/261 Springfield, MA 62.6 #200/261 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 64.1 #207/261 Cleveland, OH 62.4 #198/261 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 64.3 #208/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in States Bordering Maryland

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

Pennsylvania 33.7 #6/51 West Virginia 34.4 #8/51 Delaware 38.9 #24/51 Virginia 42.3 #32/51 District of Columbia 44.8 #40/51

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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the industry concentration component (94.6) 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 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment