Growing a professional services brand
US professional, scientific and technical firms employ 10.8 million people, and the US had 36.2 million small businesses in 2022. Reach clients on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.
How big is the professional services industry?
Professional, scientific and technical services firms employed 10.8 million people in September 2026.
| Measure | Figure | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Professional, scientific and technical jobs | 10.8 million | 2026 |
| Accountant and auditor jobs | 1,595,200 | 2025 |
| Management analyst jobs | 1,077,100 | 2025 |
| Lawyer jobs | 863,700 | 2025 |
| Growth in management analyst jobs | 10% | 2025 to 2035 |
The job counts by occupation come from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook.[1, 2]
Who are professional services clients?
Small businesses make up 99.9% of US firms, and 82.3% of them have no employees.
| Group | What the figures show |
|---|---|
| Small businesses | 36.2 million |
| Small businesses with no employees | 29.8 million |
| Small businesses with employees | 6.4 million |
| Businesses owned by women | 40.4% of classifiable firms |
The figures come from the SBA Office of Advocacy, using Census Bureau data for 2022.[3]
Which platforms should a professional services brand grow on?
Facebook reaches 78% of US adults aged 30 to 49 and 71% aged 50 to 64; LinkedIn reaches about half of college graduates.
| Platform | US adults | Ages 30 to 49 | Ages 50 to 64 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 70% | 78% | 71% | |
| 51% | 64% | 41% | |
| 33% | 39% | 36% | |
| 31% | 37% | 32% |
LinkedIn also reaches 45% of adults in households earning $100,000 or more. If you recruit or place staff, Google counts job ads as employment ads. In the US and Canada, employment ads on Google and Meta can't target by age, gender or ZIP code. Claim the .com and file a trademark; for domain endings, classes and protected titles, see naming a professional services firm.[4, 5, 6, 7, secondary]
Checks the .com, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and trademarks in one search.
Who are the top professional services creators?
Two business creators on Forbes' 2026 list of top creators are Steven Bartlett, at #3, and Codie Sanchez, at #10.
| Creator | Known for | Named by |
|---|---|---|
| Steven Bartlett | Host of The Diary of a CEO, a business and personal-development show | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #3; TIME100 Creators 2025 (opens in a new tab) |
| Codie Sanchez | Small business tips focused on "boring businesses" like laundromats and landscaping | Forbes Top Creators 2026 (opens in a new tab), #10 |
Which sites are the authorities on professional services?
The SBA, the Census Bureau, BLS and AICPA & CIMA are the main authorities on US small business and professional services.
| Site | What it is | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| US Small Business Administration (opens in a new tab) | The federal agency Congress created in 1953 to help Americans start and grow businesses | Small business facts from its Office of Advocacy |
| Census Bureau: Statistics of U.S. Businesses (opens in a new tab) | Government data on establishments with paid employees, by industry and size | Firm counts in your field |
| BLS: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (opens in a new tab) | The US labor department's data on the sector | Jobs and pay |
| AICPA & CIMA (opens in a new tab) | "The global voice of the accounting and finance profession" | Accounting profession guidance |
Sources (12)
- PrimaryUS Bureau of Labor Statistics: Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services, NAICS 54 (opens in a new tab), all employees, seasonally adjusted, September 2026 (preliminary)
- PrimaryUS Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Accountants and Auditors (opens in a new tab), Lawyers (opens in a new tab) and Management Analysts (opens in a new tab)
- PrimarySBA Office of Advocacy: Frequently Asked Questions About Small Business 2026 (opens in a new tab), and its PDF (opens in a new tab)
- SecondaryPew Research Center: Social Media Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab), survey of US adults
- PrimaryGoogle Ads: Update to personalized advertising policies: housing, employment and credit (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryGoogle Ads: Personalized advertising policy (opens in a new tab), housing, employment and consumer finance in the US and Canada
- PrimaryMeta for Developers: Special ad categories (opens in a new tab)
- SecondaryForbes: Top Creators 2026 (archived copy) (opens in a new tab)
- SecondaryTIME100 Creators 2025 (opens in a new tab), profile of Steven Bartlett
- PrimarySBA: Organization (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryUS Census Bureau: Statistics of U.S. Businesses (opens in a new tab)
- PrimaryAICPA & CIMA: About us (opens in a new tab)