Data / Rankings / Employer establishments: professional, scientific and technical services / US states

US states by employer establishments: professional, scientific and technical services

California had the highest employer establishments: professional, scientific and technical services of 51 states in 2016, at 124,806. North Dakota had the lowest, at 1,848. The median was 10,479 and the figure for the United States was 903,534. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

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Highest124,806California
Lowest1,848North Dakota
Median10,47951 states
United States903,534History

Map of states, 2016

Alabama: 9,404 countAlaska: 1,960 countArizona: 17,614 countArkansas: 5,847 countCalifornia: 124,806 countColorado: 25,832 countConnecticut: 9,186 countDelaware: 2,951 countDistrict of Columbia: 5,684 countFlorida: 78,248 countGeorgia: 29,398 countHawaii: 3,341 countIdaho: 4,589 countIllinois: 38,929 countIndiana: 12,944 countIowa: 6,364 countKansas: 7,146 countKentucky: 8,199 countLouisiana: 11,948 countMaine: 3,516 countMaryland: 20,764 countMassachusetts: 21,630 countMichigan: 21,565 countMinnesota: 16,780 countMississippi: 4,654 countMissouri: 13,971 countMontana: 3,748 countNebraska: 4,683 countNevada: 8,922 countNew Hampshire: 3,733 countNew Jersey: 29,233 countNew Mexico: 4,646 countNew York: 61,607 countNorth Carolina: 24,280 countNorth Dakota: 1,848 countOhio: 23,929 countOklahoma: 9,618 countOregon: 12,381 countPennsylvania: 29,780 countRhode Island: 3,048 countSouth Carolina: 10,479 countSouth Dakota: 1,943 countTennessee: 11,258 countTexas: 68,751 countUtah: 10,519 countVermont: 2,144 countVirginia: 31,252 countWashington: 21,773 countWest Virginia: 2,852 countWisconsin: 11,551 countWyoming: 2,286 count
  • Under 3,000
  • 3,000 to 6,000
  • 6,000 to 10K
  • 10K to 17K
  • 17K to 28K
  • 28K and over
count, 2016. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all legal forms. Boundaries: U.S. Census Bureau cartographic boundary files.

All states, 2016

California: 124,806 countCalifornia124,806Florida: 78,248 countFlorida78,248Texas: 68,751 countTexas68,751New York: 61,607 countNew York61,607Illinois: 38,929 countIllinois38,929Virginia: 31,252 countVirginia31,252Pennsylvania: 29,780 countPennsylvania29,780Georgia: 29,398 countGeorgia29,398New Jersey: 29,233 countNew Jersey29,233Colorado: 25,832 countColorado25,832North Carolina: 24,280 countNorth Carolina24,280Ohio: 23,929 countOhio23,929Washington: 21,773 countWashington21,773Massachusetts: 21,630 countMassachusetts21,630Michigan: 21,565 countMichigan21,565Maryland: 20,764 countMaryland20,764Arizona: 17,614 countArizona17,614Minnesota: 16,780 countMinnesota16,780Missouri: 13,971 countMissouri13,971Indiana: 12,944 countIndiana12,944Oregon: 12,381 countOregon12,381Louisiana: 11,948 countLouisiana11,948Wisconsin: 11,551 countWisconsin11,551Tennessee: 11,258 countTennessee11,258Utah: 10,519 countUtah10,519South Carolina: 10,479 countSouth Carolina10,479Oklahoma: 9,618 countOklahoma9,618Alabama: 9,404 countAlabama9,404Connecticut: 9,186 countConnecticut9,186Nevada: 8,922 countNevada8,922Kentucky: 8,199 countKentucky8,199Kansas: 7,146 countKansas7,146Iowa: 6,364 countIowa6,364Arkansas: 5,847 countArkansas5,847District of Columbia: 5,684 countDistrict of Columbia5,684Nebraska: 4,683 countNebraska4,683Mississippi: 4,654 countMississippi4,654New Mexico: 4,646 countNew Mexico4,646Idaho: 4,589 countIdaho4,589Montana: 3,748 countMontana3,748New Hampshire: 3,733 countNew Hampshire3,733Maine: 3,516 countMaine3,516Hawaii: 3,341 countHawaii3,341Rhode Island: 3,048 countRhode Island3,048Delaware: 2,951 countDelaware2,951West Virginia: 2,852 countWest Virginia2,852Wyoming: 2,286 countWyoming2,286Vermont: 2,144 countVermont2,144Alaska: 1,960 countAlaska1,960South Dakota: 1,943 countSouth Dakota1,943North Dakota: 1,848 countNorth Dakota1,848California: 124,806 countCalifornia124,806Florida: 78,248 countFlorida78,248Texas: 68,751 countTexas68,751New York: 61,607 countNew York61,607Illinois: 38,929 countIllinois38,929Virginia: 31,252 countVirginia31,252Pennsylvania: 29,780 countPennsylvania29,780Georgia: 29,398 countGeorgia29,398New Jersey: 29,233 countNew Jersey29,233Colorado: 25,832 countColorado25,832North Carolina: 24,280 countNorth Carolina24,280Ohio: 23,929 countOhio23,929Washington: 21,773 countWashington21,773Massachusetts: 21,630 countMassachusetts21,630Michigan: 21,565 countMichigan21,565Maryland: 20,764 countMaryland20,764Arizona: 17,614 countArizona17,614Minnesota: 16,780 countMinnesota16,780Missouri: 13,971 countMissouri13,971Indiana: 12,944 countIndiana12,944Oregon: 12,381 countOregon12,381Louisiana: 11,948 countLouisiana11,948Wisconsin: 11,551 countWisconsin11,551Tennessee: 11,258 countTennessee11,258Utah: 10,519 countUtah10,519South Carolina: 10,479 countSouth Carolina10,479Oklahoma: 9,618 countOklahoma9,618Alabama: 9,404 countAlabama9,404Connecticut: 9,186 countConnecticut9,186Nevada: 8,922 countNevada8,922Kentucky: 8,199 countKentucky8,199Kansas: 7,146 countKansas7,146Iowa: 6,364 countIowa6,364Arkansas: 5,847 countArkansas5,847District of Columbia: 5,684 countDistrict of Columbia5,684Nebraska: 4,683 countNebraska4,683Mississippi: 4,654 countMississippi4,654New Mexico: 4,646 countNew Mexico4,646Idaho: 4,589 countIdaho4,589Montana: 3,748 countMontana3,748New Hampshire: 3,733 countNew Hampshire3,733Maine: 3,516 countMaine3,516Hawaii: 3,341 countHawaii3,341Rhode Island: 3,048 countRhode Island3,048Delaware: 2,951 countDelaware2,951West Virginia: 2,852 countWest Virginia2,852Wyoming: 2,286 countWyoming2,286Vermont: 2,144 countVermont2,144Alaska: 1,960 countAlaska1,960South Dakota: 1,943 countSouth Dakota1,943North Dakota: 1,848 countNorth Dakota1,848
count. Source: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankStates2016
count		Change on 2015
1California124,806+1.8%
2Florida78,248+2.4%
3Texas68,751+0.9%
4New York61,607+0.4%
5Illinois38,929-0.5%
6Virginia31,252+1.3%
7Pennsylvania29,780-0%
8Georgia29,398+0.6%
9New Jersey29,233-0.4%
10Colorado25,832+1.1%
11North Carolina24,280+1.8%
12Ohio23,929-0.7%
13Washington21,773+2.4%
14Massachusetts21,630+0.5%
15Michigan21,565+0.4%
16Maryland20,764+1.3%
17Arizona17,614+2.3%
18Minnesota16,780+0.1%
19Missouri13,971+0.8%
20Indiana12,944+0.1%
21Oregon12,381+2.6%
22Louisiana11,948-2.6%
23Wisconsin11,551-0.3%
24Tennessee11,258+0.1%
25Utah10,519+3.7%
26South Carolina10,479+2%
27Oklahoma9,618-1.8%
28Alabama9,4040%
29Connecticut9,186-1.1%
30Nevada8,922+1.9%
31Kentucky8,199-1.1%
32Kansas7,146-0.5%
33Iowa6,364+0.6%
34Arkansas5,847-1.6%
35District of Columbia5,684+2.7%
36Nebraska4,683+1.2%
37Mississippi4,654-1.8%
38New Mexico4,646-1.7%
39Idaho4,589+0.8%
40Montana3,748+1%
41New Hampshire3,733-1.3%
42Maine3,516+0.3%
43Hawaii3,341-0.3%
44Rhode Island3,048-0.2%
45Delaware2,951+3.5%
46West Virginia2,852-2.4%
47Wyoming2,286-1.3%
48Vermont2,144+0.9%
49Alaska1,960+2.1%
50South Dakota1,943+0.8%
51North Dakota1,848-2.7%

Other periods

About this ranking

Number of establishments with paid employees in professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), from the U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns.

County Business Patterns: establishments (single physical locations, not firms) with paid employees during the pay period including 12 March. Excludes the self-employed and businesses without employees (nonemployer_establishments_*), government employers, crop and animal production, rail transportation, the Postal Service and private households. Establishment counts are not perturbed; the noise Census adds since 2017 applies to employment and payroll, which are not served here. Published about 18 months after the reference year.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the states are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2016/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

U.S. Census Bureau. (2018). County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all legal forms (US states by employer establishments: professional, scientific and technical services, 2016) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2016/

MLA 9

County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: professional, scientific and technical services, 2016. U.S. Census Bureau, 19 Apr. 2018, https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2016/. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-professional-services/us-states?period=2016. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

U.S. Census Bureau. 2018. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all legal forms. US states by employer establishments: professional, scientific and technical services, 2016. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2016/. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-professional-services/us-states?period=2016.

Harvard

U.S. Census Bureau (2018) County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all legal forms, US states by employer establishments: professional, scientific and technical services, 2016 [Dataset]. Available at: https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2016/, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-professional-services/us-states?period=2016 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{census_us_states_by_employer_2016,
  author = {{U.S. Census Bureau}},
  title = {{County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: professional, scientific and technical services, 2016}},
  year = {2018},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2016/},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-professional-services/us-states?period=2016. Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2016/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - U.S. Census Bureau
TI  - County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all legal forms: US states by employer establishments: professional, scientific and technical services, 2016
PY  - 2018
DA  - 2018/04/19
PB  - U.S. Census Bureau
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2016/
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-professional-services/us-states?period=2016
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/employer-establishments-professional-services/us-states?period=2016.
N1  - Publisher attribution: U.S. Census Bureau. County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all legal forms. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cbp/datasets/2016/. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  -
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Questions

Which state has the highest employer establishments: professional, scientific and technical services?

California, with 124,806 in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which state has the lowest employer establishments: professional, scientific and technical services?

North Dakota, with 1,848 in 2016.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, state and US files: establishments (EST), professional, scientific, and technical services (NAICS 54), all legal forms. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

US states: more rankings