NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC

Metro Market Score 51.6 (Challenging), ranked #151 of 261 metros. 1,282 establishments, 4,062 jobs.

Metro Market Score 51.6

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Challenging

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

Despite a mature professional, scientific, and technical services presence (concentration: 68.2), Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal is still adding jobs in this sector. Growth trend sits at 70.1, and the overall 51.6 market score lands in the lower half. Established markets with growth are worth a closer look.

Industry Concentration

68.2

LQ: 0.71

Rank #178 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

63.6

$91,160 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 70.1

Employment growth index

Rank #79 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

48.7

YoY wage change index

1,282 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal

1,282

Establishments

+6.6% YoY

4,062

Total Employment

+2.0% YoY

$91,160

Average Annual Wage

+8.1% YoY

0.71

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within South Carolina

#4 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

-1.7

better than median (53.3)

Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal 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	Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal	SC Statewide
Overall Score	51.6 Challenging	34.7 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#151 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal

Healthcare and Social Assistance 39.2 Information 52.8 Finance and Insurance 53.4 Administrative and Support Services 59.6 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 59.9 Retail Trade 62.9 Construction 66.9 Other Services 71.7 Accommodation and Food Services 76.8

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 Greenville-Anderson-Greer 53.3 #160/261 Myrtle Beach-Conway-North Myrtle Beach 54.0 #163/261 Columbia 55.8 #174/261 Charleston-North Charleston 58.6 #184/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal's 51.6 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Vallejo, CA 51.6 #150/261 Flint, MI 51.5 #149/261 Utica-Rome, NY 51.4 #148/261 Davenport-Moline-Rock Island, IA 52.1 #152/261 Sebastian-Vero Beach-West Vero Corridor, FL 51.0 #147/261 Midland, MI 52.3 #153/261 Harrisburg-Carlisle, PA 52.6 #154/261 North Port-Bradenton-Sarasota, FL 52.8 #155/261 Shreveport-Bossier City, LA 52.9 #156/261 Medford, OR 50.3 #146/261

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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the industry concentration component (68.2) 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 Hilton Head Island-Bluffton-Port Royal, SC MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment