NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in State College, PA

Metro Market Score 59.6 (Challenging), ranked #185 of 261 metros. 422 establishments, 2,993 jobs.

Metro Market Score 59.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

State College scores 59.6 on the Metro Market Score for professional, scientific, and technical services, placing it in the lower half. High wage costs, strong existing competition, or slowing growth contribute to tougher entry conditions compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

58.6

LQ: 0.63

Rank #153 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

61.3

$89,735 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 28.0

Employment growth index

Rank #189 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

40.1

YoY wage change index

422 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in State College

422

Establishments

-1.9% YoY

2,993

Total Employment

-1.6% YoY

$89,735

Average Annual Wage

+3.9% YoY

0.63

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Pennsylvania

#12 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

+16.5

worse than median (43.1)

State College 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	State College	PA Statewide
Overall Score	59.6 Challenging	33.7 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#185 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 State College

Other Services 30.2 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 38.5 Administrative and Support Services 40.5 Accommodation and Food Services 41.8 Construction 46.0 Information 48.3 Retail Trade 48.9 Finance and Insurance 49.5 Healthcare and Social Assistance 54.1

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 State College's 59.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Santa Fe, NM 59.9 #186/261 Carson City, NV 60.0 #187/261 Madison, WI 60.0 #188/261 Bellingham, WA 60.1 #189/261 Tyler, TX 60.2 #190/261 Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL 60.3 #191/261 Jackson, MI 60.5 #192/261 Charleston-North Charleston, SC 58.6 #184/261 Waterbury-Shelton, CT 58.3 #183/261 Warner Robins, GA 61.1 #193/261

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 State College's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the employment growth component (72.0) 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 State College, PA MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment