NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Watertown-Fort Drum, NY

Metro Market Score 21.9 (Favorable), ranked #18 of 261 metros. 191 establishments, 990 jobs.

Metro Market Score 21.9

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Favorable

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

📈Rapid Growth✓Favorable Market🌱Emerging Market

Employment in Watertown-Fort Drum's professional, scientific, and technical services sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 82.8. Combined with a 21.9 market score, this metro sits in the top 10% for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

15.7

LQ: 0.35

Rank #41 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

19.9

$72,351 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 82.8

Employment growth index

Rank #46 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

39.1

YoY wage change index

191 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Watertown-Fort Drum

191

Establishments

+3.2% YoY

990

Total Employment

+4.2% YoY

$72,351

Average Annual Wage

+3.4% YoY

0.35

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within New York

#1 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

-29.5

better than median (51.4)

Watertown-Fort Drum 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	Watertown-Fort Drum	NY Statewide
Overall Score	21.9 Favorable	52.4 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#18 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 Watertown-Fort Drum

Finance and Insurance 33.6 Information 38.7 Construction 42.6 Other Services 48.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 50.3 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 50.5 Administrative and Support Services 53.5 Accommodation and Food Services 67.0 Retail Trade 74.3

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

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 Ithaca 65.4 #214/261 New York-Newark-Jersey City 79.1 #255/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Watertown-Fort Drum's 21.9 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Alexandria, LA 22.1 #19/261 Altoona, PA 21.4 #17/261 Brunswick-St. Simons, GA 22.7 #20/261 Lewiston, ID 21.1 #16/261 Sherman-Denison, TX 20.8 #15/261 Fresno, CA 23.2 #21/261 Janesville-Beloit, WI 20.4 #14/261 Sheboygan, WI 20.1 #13/261 El Paso, TX 23.8 #22/261 Elkhart-Goshen, IN 19.7 #12/261

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 Watertown-Fort Drum's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the wage pressure component (39.1) 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 Watertown-Fort Drum, NY MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment