More than 1,242,883 people (and thousands of businesses) contribute to the Alamo City’s $121 billion economy. But have you ever wondered about the Countdown City’s heaviest hitters?
Consider this your San Antonio Business 101 — a guide to our region’s four key industries and nine major employers.
Note: When we say San Antonio metro area, that refers to Bexar, Comal, Atascosa, Bandera, Guadalupe, Kendall, Medina, and Wilson counties.
The key industries
There are five key industries that represent ~60% of the San Antonio metro area’s economy, based on data from San Antonio City Chamber of Commerce. We’ve listed them in order of employment numbers.
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities | 17% or 213,300 employees
This sector saw a hiring of 1,900 individuals from 2022 to 2023. Even though this isn’t the city’s targeted industry sector, San Antonio has seen a steady increase in warehouse operations and the construction of new facilities in part thanks to its Ready to Work program.
Government | 15% or 187,800 employees
From Joint Base San Antonio to the FBI and NSA field offices, it’s clear that Military City USA is one for government-based jobs.
Healthcare + Bio Sciences | 14% or 180,498 employees
In 2021, this industry generated the city of San Antonio a sum of $44.1 billion. Nearly one in five employees in the Alamo City work in this sector. Furthermore, nursing roles remain the top in-demand job in the healthcare industry.
Leisure + Hospitality | 12% or 147,500 employees
Tourism continues to be one of San Antonio’s biggest industries. How can it not be? We have our world-famous Alamo, the San Antonio Missions UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Historic Pearl (to name a few).
Information Technology & Cybersecurity | 2% or 19,100
With Rackspace, USAA, Southwest Research Institute, and the UT System all offer competitive wages and various work from home or hybrid working options at their companies.
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 nine major employers — all that employ more than 2,000 workers on average.
H-E-B
154,000 employees | Grocery + Retail | Search jobs
The San Antonio-favorite grocery chain is one of the top-ranked Fortune 500 companies and employs 154,000 Partners in its company. The grocery giant was named the No.1 US Grocery Retailer for the third time — surpassing Amazon and Trader Joe’s.
Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA)
74,3000 employees | Government | Search jobs
We are Military City USA and did you know that in 2019, military installations contributed $123.6 billion to our state’s economy? $41.3 billion of that came from our very own JBSA. There’s a host of civilian and military jobs listed on its website.
Whataburger
50,000 employees | Restaurant | Search jobs
Home to delicious shakes and even better-tasting burgers, this chain is constantly expanding. Lucky enough, they are headquartered right here in the Alamo City. Fun fact: Whataburger moved its corporate offices from Corpus Christi to San Antonio in 2009.
USAA
37,000 employees | Financial Services | Search jobs
This institution serves the military community since 1922 by providing banking products, insurance coverage, and other financial programs.
UT Health San Antonio
7,900 employees | Healthcare + Research | Search jobs
In addition to serving 2.6 million patients each year, this organization also invests in local research, pushing the boundaries of medicine.
Frost Bank
5,000+ employees | Financial Services | Search jobs
The namesake of the San Antonio Spurs home arena, the Frost Bank Center, offers financial services across Texas and continues to expand throughout the state since 1868.
Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Texas
3,800+ employees | Manufacturing | Search jobs
Our Toyota plant makes the brand’s Tundras and Sequoias. As of 2022, the assembly line has cranked out 126,189 new vehicles.
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)
3,100 employees | Research + Development | Search jobs
SwRI boasts more than 2.4 million sqft of laboratories, test facilities, workshops, and offices across 1,500 acres. It’s one of the largest independent, nonprofit research and development organizations in the country. Fun fact: It’s founder, Tom Slick, had proposed the name “Science City” for it’s official moniker.
Rackspace
2,000 employees | IT + Cybersecurity industry | Search jobs
Rackspace is located in the Windcrest community of San Antonio and is one of the leading internet-hosting companies in the world.
This information is derived from the most recent data published by the Greater SATX Regional Partnership, San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, and the US Census Bureau.
