NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Columbia, SC

Metro Market Score 55.8 (Challenging), ranked #174 of 261 metros. 3,604 establishments, 19,934 jobs.

Metro Market Score 55.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

Columbia scores 55.8 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

70.9

LQ: 0.73

Rank #185 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

69.3

$95,181 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 63.2

Employment growth index

Rank #97 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

48.7

YoY wage change index

3,604 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Columbia

3,604

Establishments

+6.2% YoY

19,934

Total Employment

+1.2% YoY

$95,181

Average Annual Wage

+8.1% YoY

0.73

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within South Carolina

#7 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

+2.5

worse than median (53.3)

Columbia 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	Columbia	SC Statewide
Overall Score	55.8 Challenging	34.7 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#174 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 Columbia

Construction 30.8 Retail Trade 49.6

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 Charleston-North Charleston 58.6 #184/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Columbia's 55.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Las Cruces, NM 55.8 #173/261 St. George, UT 55.9 #175/261 Akron, OH 55.3 #172/261 Eau Claire, WI 55.3 #171/261 Kennewick-Richland, WA 56.5 #176/261 Providence-Warwick, RI 55.1 #170/261 Missoula, MT 56.6 #177/261 Urban Honolulu, HI 56.7 #178/261 Casper, WY 55.0 #169/261 Wichita, KS 54.7 #168/261

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 Columbia's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the industry concentration component (70.9) 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 Columbia, SC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment