MSP appointment setting in Philadelphia: who to call first

8 things to know before prospecting MSP in Philadelphia

1. 013,095 IT services firms work the Philadelphia-Camden metro (+30 in a year), about the national concentration.
2. 022.8 target businesses per IT firm ranks Philadelphia #50 of 100 markets and #4 of 4 in Pennsylvania.
3. 03The biggest buyer group is medical, dental and outpatient practices: 1,889 sites with 20 to 499 employees.
4. 04Philadelphia-Camden over-indexes on law firms at 1.18x the national mix, so build references inside that group.
5. 05Medical, dental and outpatient practices added 525 establishments in a year: new sites without a managed service provider relationship.
6. 06Tier 1 is 1,742 sites with 50 to 499 employees among medical, dental and outpatient practices and manufacturers; those deserve two or three contacts each.
7. 07Montgomery County, Philadelphia County and Bucks County hold 80% of the target businesses across 11 counties.
8. 08New York (41 miles) has more target businesses per IT firm, if your engineers can cover it.

These are the 12 industries Abstrakt's SDRs call for MSP work, with how many of each are in the Philadelphia-Camden metro and who to ask for. Compared with the U.S. as a whole, Philadelphia-Camden leans toward law firms (1.18x), private schools and education providers (1.17x) and medical, dental and outpatient practices (1.16x). Build the list around those categories.

1. 01
   Medical, dental and outpatient practices1,889

   Ask for: Practice administrator 638 with 50 to 499 employees 1.16x U.S. mix +525 in a year
2. 02
   Manufacturers1,470

   Ask for: Owner or president 671 with 50 to 499 employees 0.90x U.S. mix -6 in a year
3. 03
   Construction contractors1,273

   Ask for: Owner or president 433 with 50 to 499 employees 1.02x U.S. mix -84 in a year
4. 04
   Wholesale distributors1,224

   Ask for: Owner or president 460 with 50 to 499 employees 0.88x U.S. mix -56 in a year
5. 05
   Private schools and education providers682

   Ask for: Head of school or director 331 with 50 to 499 employees 1.17x U.S. mix +85 in a year
6. 06
   Nonprofits and member organizations558

   Ask for: Executive director 176 with 50 to 499 employees 1.07x U.S. mix +56 in a year
7. 07
   Architecture and engineering firms354

   Ask for: Principal or owner 149 with 50 to 499 employees 0.95x U.S. mix +20 in a year
8. 08
   Law firms337

   Ask for: Managing partner 113 with 50 to 499 employees 1.18x U.S. mix -39 in a year
9. 09
   Real estate brokerages and property management offices247

   Ask for: Broker-owner 82 with 50 to 499 employees 0.87x U.S. mix -42 in a year
10. 10
    Insurance agencies and brokerages219

    Ask for: Agency principal or owner 90 with 50 to 499 employees 1.01x U.S. mix -29 in a year
11. 11
    Wealth management and investment firms190

    Ask for: Firm principal 77 with 50 to 499 employees 1.15x U.S. mix +75 in a year
12. 12
    Accounting, tax and bookkeeping firms163

    Ask for: Managing partner 65 with 50 to 499 employees 0.92x U.S. mix -11 in a year

Businesses are establishments with 20 to 499 employees (U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023), the small and mid-sized range MSPs sell to; the SBA Office of Advocacy counts firms under 500 employees as small businesses. Change and concentration: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private ownership, 2025 Q2.

Private schools and education providers run larger in Philadelphia than across our 100 metros, which puts more of them in Tier 1.

• Medical, dental and outpatient practices are the largest group in Philadelphia with 1,889 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, fewer than New York has (4,440): more concentrated than nationally (1.16x), up 525 establishments in a year, and typical in size (16% with 50 or more employees).

• Manufacturers are the second-largest group in Philadelphia with 1,470 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, fewer than New York has (2,791): close to the national mix, down 6 establishments in a year, and typical in size (30% with 50 or more employees).

• Construction contractors are the third-largest group in Philadelphia with 1,273 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, fewer than New York has (3,589): close to the national mix, down 84 establishments in a year, and typical in size (17% with 50 or more employees).

• Wholesale distributors are the fourth-largest group in Philadelphia with 1,224 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, fewer than New York has (3,689): close to the national mix, down 56 establishments in a year, and typical in size (21% with 50 or more employees).

• Private schools and education providers are the fifth-largest group in Philadelphia with 682 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, fewer than New York has (2,178): more concentrated than nationally (1.17x), up 85 establishments in a year, and larger than across our 100 metros (32% of those with 10 or more employees have 50 or more, against 25%), so plan on two or three contacts per account.

• Nonprofits and member organizations are the sixth-largest group in Philadelphia with 558 businesses of 20 to 499 employees, fewer than New York has (1,746): close to the national mix, up 56 establishments in a year, and typical in size (15% with 50 or more employees).

After those six come architecture and engineering firms (354), law firms (337), real estate brokerages and property management offices (247), insurance agencies and brokerages (219), wealth management and investment firms (190) and accounting, tax and bookkeeping firms (163), smaller groups to work by fit rather than volume.

Where a rule or a client review puts a date on security work in Philadelphia: medical, dental and outpatient practices (1,889, HIPAA), manufacturers (1,470, CMMC where they supply defense work), law firms (337, client security questionnaires), insurance agencies and brokerages (219, carrier and state insurance data security requirements), wealth management and investment firms (190, SEC and FINRA exams) and accounting, tax and bookkeeping firms (163, the FTC Safeguards Rule); together, 4,268 businesses where the first message can lead with the requirement instead of the service.

What leads in each core county

• Montgomery County: medical, dental and outpatient practices (366), manufacturers (319) and construction contractors (271) lead its 1,785 target businesses.
• Philadelphia County: medical, dental and outpatient practices (384), private schools and education providers (223) and manufacturers (155) lead its 1,564 target businesses.
• Bucks County: manufacturers (309), medical, dental and outpatient practices (222) and wholesale distributors (184) lead its 1,111 target businesses.
• New Castle County: medical, dental and outpatient practices (192), construction contractors (165) and manufacturers (115) lead its 864 target businesses.

Employee bands: U.S. Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023, establishments with 10 to 499 employees; suppressed size classes count as zero. Concentration and one-year change: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, private ownership, 2025 Q2. The 100-metro average is the same share summed across every market we publish.

3,095 IT services firms are based in the Philadelphia-Camden metro. 30 more opened over the past year, so buyers are fielding new names. The IT services industry is at about the national concentration. 2.8 target businesses per IT firm puts Philadelphia 50 of 100 markets, and 4 of 4 in Pennsylvania. That sits mid-pack: real room to grow, but the best accounts are contested. If you can serve New York and Allentown, they have more target businesses per IT firm than Philadelphia.

Tier 1 covers medical, dental and outpatient practices, manufacturers and construction contractors with 50 to 499 employees.

Montgomery County, Philadelphia County, Bucks County, New Castle County, Chester County and Delaware County hold 80% of the target businesses across the 11-county metro. The other 5 counties split the remaining 20%, which is where Tier 1 accounts justify the drive and smaller sites do not.

A new office or location needs network, devices and security set up before people move in, and the provider who does that work is in the best position to support it after.

• Medical, dental and outpatient practices: 525 more establishments than a year ago

  In this category the usual openings are a new location, a HIPAA risk assessment, an EHR or practice management change, a security incident.

• Private schools and education providers: 85 more establishments than a year ago

  In this category the usual openings are a device refresh, a wireless upgrade, a new building, a summer project list, a security incident.

• Wealth management and investment firms: 75 more establishments than a year ago

  In this category the usual openings are a regulatory exam, a custodian or broker-dealer requirement, a firm breakaway or merger, a security incident.

• Construction contractors: 84 fewer establishments than a year ago

  An acquisition puts a business under new owners, who usually review who runs IT and fold it into their own systems.

More questions for every prospect type, and how to follow up after the meeting, are in the MSP prospecting playbook.

If your engineers travel, New York, Allentown, Baltimore and Bridgeport are the closest metros we track. Here are the same counts used above for Philadelphia.

• New York, NY

  41 miles away, with 23,343 target businesses and 7,678 IT services firms, or 3.0 businesses per IT firm (#42 of 100 markets); the largest buyer group is medical, dental and outpatient practices, and it over-indexes on real estate brokerages and property management offices at 1.42x the national mix.

• Allentown, PA

  70 miles away, with 1,093 target businesses and 173 IT services firms, or 6.3 businesses per IT firm (#10 of 100 markets); the largest buyer group is manufacturers.

• Baltimore, MD

  118 miles away, with 3,898 target businesses and 2,184 IT services firms, or 1.8 businesses per IT firm (#78 of 100 markets); the largest buyer group is construction contractors, and it over-indexes on private schools and education providers at 1.40x the national mix.

• Bridgeport, CT

  118 miles away, with 1,237 target businesses and 1,049 IT services firms, or 1.2 businesses per IT firm (#95 of 100 markets); the largest buyer group is medical, dental and outpatient practices, and it over-indexes on wealth management and investment firms at 3.68x the national mix.