NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Brownsville-Harlingen, TX

Metro Market Score 45.2 (Moderate), ranked #114 of 261 metros. 564 establishments, 5,508 jobs.

Metro Market Score 45.2

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

💰High-Cost Market📈Rapid Growth

Brownsville-Harlingen ranks in the upper half for professional, scientific, and technical services market conditions, driven by above-average employment growth. With a market score of 45.2, conditions are relatively favorable compared to most metros.

Industry Concentration

44.8

LQ: 0.51

Rank #117 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

84.3

$109,183 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 98.1

Employment growth index

Rank #6 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

61.5

YoY wage change index

564 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Brownsville-Harlingen

564

Establishments

+0.2% YoY

5,508

Total Employment

+15.9% YoY

$109,183

Average Annual Wage

+14.4% YoY

0.51

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within Texas

#8 of 11

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

Texas state rank

#30 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

+3.7

worse than median (41.4)

Brownsville-Harlingen vs Texas Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to Texas overall. The state ranks #30/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Brownsville-Harlingen	TX Statewide
Overall Score	45.2 Moderate	42.2 Elevated
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#114 of 261 metros	#30 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 Brownsville-Harlingen

Construction 15.4 Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 17.3 Finance and Insurance 23.3 Information 27.5 Other Services 30.1 Retail Trade 37.2 Accommodation and Food Services 48.8 Healthcare and Social Assistance 56.0 Administrative and Support Services 59.3

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other Texas Metros

McAllen-Edinburg-Mission 13.5 #4/261 Laredo 17.9 #9/261 Sherman-Denison 20.8 #15/261 El Paso 23.8 #22/261 Odessa 35.7 #64/261 Killeen-Temple 41.4 #88/261 Beaumont-Port Arthur 42.6 #95/261 Tyler 60.2 #190/261 Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos 73.2 #244/261 Dallas-Fort Worth-Arlington 75.3 #247/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Brownsville-Harlingen's 45.2 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Fayetteville-Springdale-Rogers, AR 45.2 #115/261 Dubuque, IA 45.0 #113/261 Duluth, MN 44.5 #112/261 Enid, OK 46.0 #116/261 Fort Smith, AR 46.0 #117/261 Cheyenne, WY 44.3 #111/261 Kingston, NY 46.1 #118/261 Glens Falls, NY 44.2 #110/261 Florence, SC 44.1 #109/261 Reading, PA 46.2 #119/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in States Bordering Texas

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

Louisiana 36.4 #15/51 Arkansas 37.3 #18/51 Oklahoma 45.4 #43/51 New Mexico 59.3 #51/51

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 Brownsville-Harlingen's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the wage competitiveness component (84.3) 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 Brownsville-Harlingen, TX MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment