NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Ithaca, NY

Metro Market Score 65.4 (Difficult), ranked #214 of 261 metros. 347 establishments, 2,394 jobs.

Metro Market Score 65.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

Ithaca scores 65.4 on the Metro Market Score for professional, scientific, and technical services, placing it in the bottom quartile. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

69.3

LQ: 0.72

Rank #181 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

71.7

$96,555 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 26.4

Employment growth index

Rank #193 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

40.5

YoY wage change index

347 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Ithaca

347

Establishments

+1.8% YoY

2,394

Total Employment

-1.7% YoY

$96,555

Average Annual Wage

+4.1% YoY

0.72

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within New York

#10 of 11

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

New York state rank

#49 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

+14.0

worse than median (51.4)

Ithaca vs New York Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to New York overall. The state ranks #49/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Ithaca	NY Statewide
Overall Score	65.4 Difficult	52.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#214 of 261 metros	#49 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 Ithaca

Construction 31.6 Retail Trade 34.3 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 36.4 Administrative and Support Services 40.6 Information 54.0 Accommodation and Food Services 54.9 Other Services 60.1 Finance and Insurance 62.4

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

Watertown-Fort Drum 21.9 #18/261 Elmira 40.0 #82/261 Kiryas Joel-Poughkeepsie-Newburgh 43.2 #103/261 Glens Falls 44.2 #110/261 Kingston 46.1 #118/261 Utica-Rome 51.4 #148/261 Syracuse 61.4 #195/261 Albany-Schenectady-Troy 65.1 #212/261 Buffalo-Cheektowaga 65.1 #213/261 New York-Newark-Jersey City 79.1 #255/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Ithaca's 65.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 65.7 #215/261 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 65.1 #213/261 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 65.1 #212/261 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 65.8 #216/261 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 65.0 #211/261 Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 64.8 #210/261 Fargo, ND 64.7 #209/261 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH 66.1 #217/261 Colorado Springs, CO 66.4 #218/261 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 64.3 #208/261

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

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 Massachusetts 41.5 #29/51 Vermont 43.0 #35/51 Connecticut 45.1 #41/51 New Jersey 45.4 #44/51

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 Ithaca's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the employment growth component (73.6) 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 Ithaca, NY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment