NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Reading, PA

Metro Market Score 46.2 (Moderate), ranked #119 of 261 metros. 736 establishments, 6,209 jobs.

Metro Market Score 46.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

At #119 of 261 metros, Reading's professional, scientific, and technical services sector scores 46.2 on the market index. Concentration (46.4), wage levels (57.9), and growth (60.1) all track close to the median. Local factors like lease costs and client access will matter more than macro signals.

Industry Concentration

46.4

LQ: 0.51

Rank #121 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

57.9

$88,499 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 60.1

Employment growth index

Rank #105 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

41.1

YoY wage change index

736 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Reading

736

Establishments

+3.1% YoY

6,209

Total Employment

+0.9% YoY

$88,499

Average Annual Wage

+4.4% YoY

0.51

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#9 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

+3.1

worse than median (43.1)

Reading 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	Reading	PA Statewide
Overall Score	46.2 Moderate	33.7 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#119 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.

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 York-Hanover 46.3 #121/261 Harrisburg-Carlisle 52.6 #154/261

+ 3 more metros. View all in Pennsylvania →

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Reading's 46.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Coeur d'Alene, ID 46.2 #120/261 York-Hanover, PA 46.3 #121/261 Kingston, NY 46.1 #118/261 Fort Smith, AR 46.0 #117/261 Bloomington, IN 46.5 #122/261 Enid, OK 46.0 #116/261 Albany, OR 46.6 #123/261 Greeley, CO 46.8 #124/261 Billings, MT 46.8 #125/261 Ames, IA 46.9 #126/261

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 Reading's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the wage competitiveness component (57.9) 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 Reading, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment