NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Durham-Chapel Hill, NC

Metro Market Score 67.4 (Difficult), ranked #221 of 261 metros. 4,314 establishments, 40,823 jobs.

Metro Market Score 67.4

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

🏭Industry Hub💰High-Cost Market

Durham-Chapel Hill is a specialized hub for professional, scientific, and technical services, with a location quotient of 1.71 and industry concentration in the bottom quartile. Higher-than-average firm density means more competition for talent and customers, but also a deeper local supply chain and client pool.

Industry Concentration

98.5

LQ: 1.71

Rank #257 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

95.4

$134,526 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 69.0

Employment growth index

Rank #82 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

48.3

YoY wage change index

4,314 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Durham-Chapel Hill

4,314

Establishments

+2.8% YoY

40,823

Total Employment

+1.8% YoY

$134,526

Average Annual Wage

+7.9% YoY

1.71

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within North Carolina

#9 of 9

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

North Carolina state rank

#20 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

+24.2

worse than median (43.3)

Durham-Chapel Hill vs North Carolina Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to North Carolina overall. The state ranks #20/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Durham-Chapel Hill	NC Statewide
Overall Score	67.4 Difficult	37.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#221 of 261 metros	#20 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 Durham-Chapel Hill

Construction 31.9 Accommodation and Food Services 40.0 Retail Trade 40.3 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 40.8 Other Services 49.7 Administrative and Support Services 50.5 Finance and Insurance 62.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 66.1 Information 80.0

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other North Carolina Metros

Goldsboro 18.3 #10/261 Greenville 32.3 #45/261 Burlington 37.0 #74/261 Rocky Mount 39.9 #81/261 Jacksonville 43.3 #105/261 Greensboro-High Point 49.9 #142/261 Pinehurst-Southern Pines 54.1 #165/261 Wilmington 61.5 #196/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Durham-Chapel Hill's 67.4 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Milwaukee-Waukesha, WI 67.5 #222/261 Barnstable Town, MA 67.1 #220/261 Bay City, MI 67.0 #219/261 Lewiston-Auburn, ME 68.0 #223/261 Denver-Aurora-Centennial, CO 68.2 #224/261 Pittsfield, MA 68.4 #225/261 Colorado Springs, CO 66.4 #218/261 Santa Rosa-Petaluma, CA 68.5 #226/261 Crestview-Fort Walton Beach-Destin, FL 68.7 #227/261 Dayton-Kettering-Beavercreek, OH 66.1 #217/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in States Bordering North Carolina

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

South Carolina 34.7 #9/51 Tennessee 39.4 #25/51 Virginia 42.3 #32/51 Georgia 43.5 #38/51

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 Durham-Chapel Hill's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the industry concentration component (98.5) 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 Durham-Chapel Hill, NC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment