NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA

Metro Market Score 80.3 (Difficult), ranked #256 of 261 metros. 25,772 establishments, 320,798 jobs.

Metro Market Score 80.3

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

🏭Industry Hub💰High-Cost Market

Boston-Cambridge-Newton is a specialized hub for professional, scientific, and technical services, with a location quotient of 1.70 and industry concentration in the bottom 10%. Higher-than-average firm density means more competition for talent and customers, but also a deeper local supply chain and client pool.

Industry Concentration

98.1

LQ: 1.70

Rank #256 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

99.6

$189,481 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 28.7

Employment growth index

Rank #187 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

47.3

YoY wage change index

25,772 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Boston-Cambridge-Newton

25,772

Establishments

-3.8% YoY

320,798

Total Employment

-1.5% YoY

$189,481

Average Annual Wage

+7.4% YoY

1.70

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within Massachusetts

#6 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

+11.9

worse than median (68.4)

Boston-Cambridge-Newton 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	Boston-Cambridge-Newton	MA Statewide
Overall Score	80.3 Difficult	41.5 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#256 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton

Accommodation and Food Services 54.2 Retail Trade 56.0 Construction 63.2 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 66.6 Other Services 67.7 Administrative and Support Services 69.2 Healthcare and Social Assistance 70.3 Information 72.6 Finance and Insurance 79.1

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other Massachusetts Metros

Amherst Town-Northampton 48.1 #135/261 Springfield 62.6 #200/261 Barnstable Town 67.1 #220/261 Pittsfield 68.4 #225/261 Worcester 76.1 #249/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Boston-Cambridge-Newton's 80.3 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Ann Arbor, MI 81.1 #257/261 New York-Newark-Jersey City, NY 79.1 #255/261 Detroit-Warren-Dearborn, MI 79.1 #254/261 San Diego-Chula Vista-Carlsbad, CA 81.7 #258/261 New Haven, CT 78.5 #253/261 Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue, WA 78.2 #252/261 Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, PA 76.6 #251/261 Bridgeport-Stamford-Danbury, CT 84.0 #259/261 Boulder, CO 84.0 #260/261 Portland-Vancouver-Hillsboro, OR 76.3 #250/261

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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the wage competitiveness component (99.6) 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 Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment