NAICS 54

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services in Wheeling, WV

Metro Market Score 36.8 (Moderate), ranked #69 of 261 metros. 414 establishments, 1,855 jobs.

Metro Market Score 36.8

Favorable 0-35

Moderate 35-48

Challenging 48-60

Difficult 60+

Moderate

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

📈Rapid Growth

Employment in Wheeling's professional, scientific, and technical services sector grew faster than most metros last year, pushing its growth trend index to 93.1. Combined with a 36.8 market score, this metro sits in the upper half for overall conditions.

Industry Concentration

37.2

LQ: 0.46

Rank #97 of 261 metros

Wage Competitiveness

54.8

$86,972 avg wage

Growth Trend

↑ 93.1

Employment growth index

Rank #19 of 261 metros

Wage Pressure

58.7

YoY wage change index

414 Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Firms in Wheeling

414

Establishments

+10.7% YoY

1,855

Total Employment

+7.7% YoY

$86,972

Average Annual Wage

+13.0% YoY

0.46

Location Quotient

Below national avg

Within West Virginia

#2 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

-0.2

better than median (37.0)

Wheeling 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	Wheeling	WV Statewide
Overall Score	36.8 Moderate	34.4 Moderate
Score Type	Metro Market Score	Entry Risk Score
Rank	#69 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 Wheeling

Real Estate and Rental and Leasing 14.4 Construction 38.0 Other Services 44.9 Information 45.2 Finance and Insurance 55.5 Retail Trade 61.5 Accommodation and Food Services 64.0

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

Beckley 16.4 #6/261 Huntington-Ashland 37.0 #73/261 Morgantown 47.8 #133/261

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Metros With Similar Conditions

Metros within 5 points of Wheeling's 36.8 score. Useful when comparing markets with comparable entry profiles.

Grants Pass, OR 36.7 #68/261 Lake Charles, LA 36.9 #70/261 Kingsport-Bristol, TN 37.0 #71/261 Lake Havasu City-Kingman, AZ 37.0 #72/261 Huntington-Ashland, WV 37.0 #73/261 Burlington, NC 37.0 #74/261 Bangor, ME 36.4 #67/261 Homosassa Springs, FL 36.2 #66/261 Oshkosh-Neenah, WI 36.1 #65/261 Odessa, TX 35.7 #64/261

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 Wheeling's professional, scientific, and technical services sector, the wage competitiveness component (54.8) 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 Wheeling, WV-OH MSA area.

Data period: 2024. Last updated: April 2026.

Metro Market Assessment