NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Amherst Town-Northampton, MA

Metro Market Score 48.1 (Challenging), ranked #135 of 261 metros. 480 establishments, 2,062 jobs.

Metro Market Score 48.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services conditions in Amherst Town-Northampton are mixed. The 48.1 market score puts it at #135 of 261, with no metric pulling sharply in either direction. Wages, growth, and competition are all within a normal range for this industry.

Industry Concentration

31.8

LQ: 0.45

Rank #83 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

62.1

$89,990 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 39.5

Employment growth index

Rank #159 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

32.2

YoY wage change index

480 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Amherst Town-Northampton

480

Establishments

+100.0% YoY

2,062

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$89,990

Average Annual Wage

+0.0% YoY

0.45

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Massachusetts

#1 of 6

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

Massachusetts state rank

#29 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

-20.3

better than median (68.4)

Amherst Town-Northampton vs Massachusetts Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to Massachusetts overall. The state ranks #29/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Amherst Town-Northampton	MA Statewide
Overall Score	48.1 Challenging	41.5 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#135 of 261 metros	#29 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 Amherst Town-Northampton

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 35.1 Finance and Insurance 37.8 Information 43.3 Construction 44.4 Administrative and Support Services 45.8 Healthcare and Social Assistance 49.1 Retail Trade 50.5 Accommodation and Food Services 53.6 Other Services 66.3

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other Massachusetts Metros

Springfield 62.6 #200/261 Barnstable Town 67.1 #220/261 Pittsfield 68.4 #225/261 Worcester 76.1 #249/261 Boston-Cambridge-Newton 80.3 #256/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Amherst Town-Northampton's 48.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Lafayette-West Lafayette, IN 47.9 #134/261 Morgantown, WV 47.8 #133/261 Stockton-Lodi, CA 47.8 #132/261 Cleveland, TN 47.7 #131/261 Lima, OH 47.7 #130/261 Muncie, IN 48.5 #136/261 Michigan City-La Porte, IN 47.4 #129/261 Decatur, IL 49.0 #137/261 San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles, CA 49.2 #138/261 Longview-Kelso, WA 46.9 #128/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in States Bordering Massachusetts

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

Rhode Island 35.3 #13/51 New Hampshire 37.5 #19/51 Vermont 43.0 #35/51 Connecticut 45.1 #41/51 New York 52.4 #49/51

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 Amherst Town-Northampton's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the employment growth component (60.5) 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 Amherst Town-Northampton, MA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment