Around 200,000 people (and thousands of businesses) contribute to the Tampa metro area’s nearly $200 billion economy. But have you ever wondered about Cigar City’s heaviest hitters?
Consider this Tampa Bay Business 101 — your guide to our region’s key industries and major employers. Class is in session.
Note: When we say Tampa metro area, that refers to just Tampa, not St. Pete. And The lists provided are not based on employment numbers.
The Key Industries
There are five key industries that represent Tampa’s economy, based on data from Tampa’s Economic Development Council. The order is not based on employment numbers.
Defense and Security
Tampa Bay is a defense hub, offering tons of access to chief military assets and a military-friendly business community. MacDill Air Force Base, the largest employer in Hillsborough County, calls Tampa home. It adds more than 15,000 highly-trained military and civilian personnel to the talent pipeline.
Information Technology
Tech in Tampa has been on the up for at least a decade, adding over 10,000 jobs from 2015 to 2020. The city leads the state in high-wage STEM careers and has quickly become an international epicenter for IT companies.
Financial and Professional Services
Did you know Tampa is widely considered the Wall Street of the South? Nearly one in four business and information services firms in Florida are right here.
Life Sciences and Healthcare
Life sciences and healthcare employment typically fare better than the whole US job market, seeing a growth of 15% in the past five years compared to the national average of 12%.
Manufacturing, Distribution and logistics
The strength of the twelfth largest port in the country, Port Tampa Bay, and the Tampa International Airport help the city sit comfortably as a national leader in supply chain management.
The Major Players
Now that we’ve established the major industries, we bet you’re curious for specific names. Whether you’re job hunting (or just “casually prospecting”), here are some of Tampa’s major employers — they each employ more than 10,000 workers on average.
🖥 Jabil
~238,000 employees | Manufacturing | Search jobs
Jabil is a global manufacturing company that creates semiconductors and other tech components for everything from your mobile phone to automotive safety technology.
💵 Raymond James Financial
~20,000 employees | Finance | Search jobs
RJF offers financial guidance and planning to individual investors and families. In 2021, it hit $1 trillion in assets.
🧅 Bloomin’ Brands
~77,000 employees | Restaurant | Search jobs
Bloomin’ Brands is the parent company of Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba’s Italian Grill, and Bonefish Grill.
Honorable Mentions: Fisher, Cisco, IBM, and Primo Water
This information is derived from the most recent data published by Tampa’s Economic Development Council.
