NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Huntington-Ashland, WV

Metro Market Score 37.0 (Moderate), ranked #73 of 261 metros. 1,014 establishments, 4,923 jobs.

Metro Market Score 37.0

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services wages in Huntington-Ashland run well below the metro average (competitiveness index: 9.6), and year-over-year wage pressure is low at 32.2. For labor-intensive operations, this cost advantage could improve unit economics significantly.

Industry Concentration

46.0

LQ: 0.51

Rank #120 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

9.6

$66,983 avg wage

Growth Trend

↓ 44.4

Employment growth index

Rank #146 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

32.2

YoY wage change index

1,014 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Huntington-Ashland

1,014

Establishments

+18.7% YoY

4,923

Total Employment

+0.0% YoY

$66,983

Average Annual Wage

+0.0% YoY

0.51

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within West Virginia

#3 of 4

professional, scientific, and technical services metros in state

West Virginia state rank

#8 of 51

for professional, scientific, and technical services entry risk

vs State Median

0.0

matches median (37.0)

Huntington-Ashland vs West Virginia Statewide

How this metro's professional, scientific, and technical services market compares to West Virginia overall. The state ranks #8/51 for entry risk.

Measure	Huntington-Ashland	WV Statewide
Overall Score	37.0 Moderate	34.4 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#73 of 261 metros	#8 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 Huntington-Ashland

Finance and Insurance 28.8 Retail Trade 32.4 Other Services 33.2 Administrative and Support Services 46.0

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Other West Virginia Metros

Beckley 16.4 #6/261 Wheeling 36.8 #69/261 Morgantown 47.8 #133/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Huntington-Ashland's 37.0 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Burlington, NC 37.0 #74/261 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 37.0 #72/261 Kingsport-Bristol, TN 37.0 #71/261 Lake Charles, LA 36.9 #70/261 Wheeling, WV 36.8 #69/261 Grants Pass, OR 36.7 #68/261 Bangor, ME 36.4 #67/261 Homosassa Springs, FL 36.2 #66/261 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 36.1 #65/261 Anniston-Oxford, AL 37.9 #75/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in States Bordering West Virginia

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

Pennsylvania 33.7 #6/51 Kentucky 35.7 #14/51 Ohio 36.9 #17/51 Maryland 38.4 #23/51 Virginia 42.3 #32/51

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 Huntington-Ashland's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the employment growth component (55.6) 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 Huntington-Ashland, WV-KY-OH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment