NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Charleston-North Charleston, SC

Metro Market Score 58.6 (Challenging), ranked #184 of 261 metros. 5,632 establishments, 28,961 jobs.

Metro Market Score 58.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

💰High-Cost Market

Charleston-North Charleston scores 58.6 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

90.0

LQ: 1.08

Rank #235 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

79.3

$103,013 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 73.2

Employment growth index

Rank #71 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

40.9

YoY wage change index

5,632 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Charleston-North Charleston

5,632

Establishments

+8.6% YoY

28,961

Total Employment

+2.4% YoY

$103,013

Average Annual Wage

+4.3% YoY

1.08

Location Quotient

Above national avg

Within South Carolina

#8 of 8

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

South Carolina state rank

#9 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

+5.2

worse than median (53.3)

Charleston-North Charleston vs South Carolina Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to South Carolina overall. The state ranks #9/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Charleston-North Charleston	SC Statewide
Overall Score	58.6 Challenging	34.7 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#184 of 261 metros	#9 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 Charleston-North Charleston

Healthcare and Social Assistance 36.4 Retail Trade 49.4 Construction 49.8 Other Services 59.5 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 62.7 Accommodation and Food Services 63.4 Administrative and Support Services 64.4 Finance and Insurance 70.0 Information 73.8

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other South Carolina Metros

Sumter 24.2 #23/261 Spartanburg 28.8 #34/261 Florence 44.1 #109/261 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal 51.6 #151/261 Greenville-Anderson-Greer 53.3 #160/261 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach 54.0 #163/261 Columbia 55.8 #174/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Charleston-North Charleston's 58.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Waterbury-Shelton, CT 58.3 #183/261 Naples-Marco Island, FL 58.0 #182/261 Lynchburg, VA 57.8 #181/261 State College, PA 59.6 #185/261 Augusta-Richmond County, GA 57.3 #180/261 Santa Fe, NM 59.9 #186/261 Carson City, NV 60.0 #187/261 Madison, WI 60.0 #188/261 Cape Coral-Fort Myers, FL 57.1 #179/261 Bellingham, WA 60.1 #189/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in States Bordering South Carolina

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

North Carolina 37.8 #20/51 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 Charleston-North Charleston's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the industry concentration component (90.0) 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 Charleston-North Charleston, SC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment