NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Fargo, ND

Metro Market Score 64.7 (Difficult), ranked #209 of 261 metros. 1,460 establishments, 7,253 jobs.

Metro Market Score 64.7

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

Market conditions for professional, scientific, and technical services in Fargo are tougher than average. The 64.7 market score reflects a combination of high labor costs, slowing employment, and an already crowded field. Rank: #209 of 261 metros.

Industry Concentration

67.8

LQ: 0.71

Rank #177 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

66.3

$93,331 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 27.2

Employment growth index

Rank #191 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

46.8

YoY wage change index

1,460 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Fargo

1,460

Establishments

+0.9% YoY

7,253

Total Employment

-1.6% YoY

$93,331

Average Annual Wage

+7.2% YoY

0.71

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within North Dakota

#3 of 3

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

North Dakota state rank

#10 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

+21.7

worse than median (43.1)

Fargo vs North Dakota Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to North Dakota overall. The state ranks #10/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Fargo	ND Statewide
Overall Score	64.7 Difficult	34.8 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#209 of 261 metros	#10 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 Fargo

Accommodation and Food Services 35.3 Retail Trade 42.5 Administrative and Support Services 53.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 54.2 Construction 54.6 Healthcare and Social Assistance 59.5 Other Services 67.5 Information 71.5 Finance and Insurance 72.7

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

Grand Forks 42.0 #91/261 Minot 43.1 #101/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Fargo's 64.7 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, CT 64.8 #210/261 Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura, CA 65.0 #211/261 Albany-Schenectady-Troy, NY 65.1 #212/261 Buffalo-Cheektowaga, NY 65.1 #213/261 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-West Palm Beach, FL 64.3 #208/261 Orlando-Kissimmee-Sanford, FL 64.1 #207/261 Ithaca, NY 65.4 #214/261 Sacramento-Roseville-Folsom, CA 64.0 #206/261 Sierra Vista-Douglas, AZ 65.7 #215/261 Santa Maria-Santa Barbara, CA 65.8 #216/261

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

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

South Dakota 32.9 #4/51 Montana 43.4 #37/51 Minnesota 49.2 #47/51

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 Fargo's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the employment growth component (72.8) 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 Fargo, ND-MN MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment