NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Pittsburgh, PA

Metro Market Score 71.1 (Difficult), ranked #237 of 261 metros. 7,239 establishments, 73,991 jobs.

Metro Market Score 71.1

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Difficult

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

💰High-Cost Market

Pittsburgh scores 71.1 on the Metro Market Score for professional, scientific, and technical services, placing it in the bottom 10%. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

84.7

LQ: 0.96

Rank #221 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

87.0

$115,464 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 35.6

Employment growth index

Rank #169 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

44.4

YoY wage change index

7,239 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Pittsburgh

7,239

Establishments

+3.9% YoY

73,991

Total Employment

-0.6% YoY

$115,464

Average Annual Wage

+6.0% YoY

0.96

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#13 of 14

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

Pennsylvania state rank

#6 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

+27.9

worse than median (43.1)

Pittsburgh vs Pennsylvania Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to Pennsylvania overall. The state ranks #6/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Pittsburgh	PA Statewide
Overall Score	71.1 Difficult	33.7 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#237 of 261 metros	#6 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 Pittsburgh

Accommodation and Food Services 41.0 Retail Trade 42.5 Other Services 46.4 Administrative and Support Services 47.0 Healthcare and Social Assistance 47.2 Construction 50.9 Finance and Insurance 54.9 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 59.5 Information 61.7

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other Pennsylvania Metros

Altoona 21.4 #17/261 Chambersburg 30.4 #40/261 Erie 30.6 #41/261 Gettysburg 33.2 #52/261 Johnstown 40.8 #86/261 Williamsport 42.2 #92/261 Lebanon 42.5 #94/261 Lancaster 43.1 #102/261 Reading 46.2 #119/261 York-Hanover 46.3 #121/261

+ 3 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Pittsburgh's 71.1 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Pueblo, CO 71.1 #238/261 Pensacola-Ferry Pass-Brent, FL 70.9 #236/261 Portland-South Portland, ME 71.4 #239/261 Manchester-Nashua, NH 71.4 #240/261 Olympia-Lacey-Tumwater, WA 71.5 #241/261 Battle Creek, MI 70.5 #235/261 Ogden, UT 70.4 #234/261 Huntsville, AL 70.2 #233/261 Bozeman, MT 70.1 #232/261 Kalamazoo-Portage, MI 70.1 #231/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in States Bordering Pennsylvania

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

West Virginia 34.4 #8/51 Ohio 36.9 #17/51 Maryland 38.4 #23/51 Delaware 38.9 #24/51 New Jersey 45.4 #44/51 New York 52.4 #49/51

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 Pittsburgh's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the wage competitiveness component (87.0) 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 Pittsburgh, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment