NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Las Cruces, NM

Metro Market Score 55.8 (Challenging), ranked #173 of 261 metros. 645 establishments, 3,191 jobs.

Metro Market Score 55.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

Las Cruces's professional, scientific, and technical services sector saw employment decline over the past year (growth trend: 14.2). That contraction, combined with a 55.8 market score, puts this metro in the lower half for market conditions. Understand why the local market is shrinking before committing.

Industry Concentration

53.6

LQ: 0.58

Rank #140 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

29.1

$77,113 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 14.2

Employment growth index

Rank #225 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

46.8

YoY wage change index

645 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Las Cruces

645

Establishments

+6.8% YoY

3,191

Total Employment

-3.4% YoY

$77,113

Average Annual Wage

+7.2% YoY

0.58

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within New Mexico

#2 of 3

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

New Mexico state rank

#51 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (55.8)

Las Cruces vs New Mexico Statewide

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

Measure	Las Cruces	NM Statewide
Overall Score	55.8 Challenging	59.3 High
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#173 of 261 metros	#51 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 Las Cruces

Retail Trade 26.0 Construction 28.3 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 32.4 Other Services 33.5 Finance and Insurance 34.7 Information 40.7 Healthcare and Social Assistance 41.0 Administrative and Support Services 44.7 Accommodation and Food Services 60.8

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

Farmington 18.5 #11/261 Santa Fe 59.9 #186/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Las Cruces's 55.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Columbia, SC 55.8 #174/261 St. George, UT 55.9 #175/261 Akron, OH 55.3 #172/261 Eau Claire, WI 55.3 #171/261 Kennewick-Richland, WA 56.5 #176/261 Providence-Warwick, RI 55.1 #170/261 Missoula, MT 56.6 #177/261 Casper, WY 55.0 #169/261 Urban Honolulu, HI 56.7 #178/261 Wichita, KS 54.7 #168/261

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

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

Arizona 41.2 #28/51 Texas 42.2 #30/51 Utah 42.2 #31/51 Oklahoma 45.4 #43/51 Colorado 46.4 #46/51

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 Las Cruces's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the employment growth component (85.8) 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 Las Cruces, NM MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment