NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Trenton-Princeton, NJ

Metro Market Score 62.8 (Difficult), ranked #202 of 261 metros. 1,781 establishments, 24,547 jobs.

Metro Market Score 62.8

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 Trenton-Princeton are tougher than average. The 62.8 market score reflects a combination of high labor costs, mixed growth signals, and an already crowded field. Rank: #202 of 261 metros.

Industry Concentration

95.0

LQ: 1.34

Rank #248 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

97.3

$156,393 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 68.6

Employment growth index

Rank #83 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

26.3

YoY wage change index

1,781 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Trenton-Princeton

1,781

Establishments

-0.4% YoY

24,547

Total Employment

+1.7% YoY

$156,393

Average Annual Wage

-2.9% YoY

1.34

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within New Jersey

#2 of 2

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

New Jersey state rank

#44 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (62.8)

Trenton-Princeton vs New Jersey Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to New Jersey overall. The state ranks #44/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Trenton-Princeton	NJ Statewide
Overall Score	62.8 Difficult	45.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#202 of 261 metros	#44 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 Trenton-Princeton

Retail Trade 42.0 Administrative and Support Services 42.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 44.7 Accommodation and Food Services 46.1 Construction 55.1 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 59.5 Other Services 66.4 Finance and Insurance 74.4 Information 75.7

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other New Jersey Metros

Atlantic City-Hammonton 32.7 #50/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Trenton-Princeton's 62.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Lafayette, LA 62.8 #203/261 Iowa City, IA 62.9 #204/261 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 62.6 #201/261 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 62.6 #199/261 Springfield, MA 62.6 #200/261 Cleveland, OH 62.4 #198/261 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 62.3 #197/261 Baltimore-Columbia-Towson, MD 63.3 #205/261 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 64.0 #206/261 Wilmington, NC 61.5 #196/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in States Bordering New Jersey

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 Delaware 38.9 #24/51 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 Trenton-Princeton's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the wage competitiveness component (97.3) 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 Trenton-Princeton, NJ MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment