NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Wilmington, NC

Metro Market Score 61.5 (Difficult), ranked #196 of 261 metros. 2,834 establishments, 12,566 jobs.

Metro Market Score 61.5

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

Wilmington scores 61.5 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

85.4

LQ: 0.97

Rank #223 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

74.7

$99,127 avg wage

Growth Trend

49.8

Employment growth index

Rank #132 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

32.2

YoY wage change index

2,834 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Wilmington

2,834

Establishments

+32.6% YoY

12,566

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$99,127

Average Annual Wage

+0.0% YoY

0.97

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within North Carolina

#8 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

+18.3

worse than median (43.3)

Wilmington 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	Wilmington	NC Statewide
Overall Score	61.5 Difficult	37.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#196 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 Wilmington

Construction 35.6 Other Services 38.6 Finance and Insurance 39.7 Healthcare and Social Assistance 40.0 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 41.9 Retail Trade 42.4 Accommodation and Food Services 50.4

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 Durham-Chapel Hill 67.4 #221/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Wilmington's 61.5 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Syracuse, NY 61.4 #195/261 Mobile, AL 61.2 #194/261 Warner Robins, GA 61.1 #193/261 Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, AZ 62.3 #197/261 Cleveland, OH 62.4 #198/261 Santa Cruz-Watsonville, CA 62.6 #199/261 Springfield, MA 62.6 #200/261 Jackson, MI 60.5 #192/261 Bremerton-Silverdale-Port Orchard, WA 62.6 #201/261 Trenton-Princeton, NJ 62.8 #202/261

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 Wilmington's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the industry concentration component (85.4) 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 Wilmington, NC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment