Denver’s Top Employers
Not that long ago Forbes Magazine called Denver, Colorado one of the “Best Places for Business and Careers.” Denver is next to the Rocky Mountains filled with minerals and attracting mining companies like EnCana, and Newmont Mining. But Denver is also the “communications capital” for the western-central United States, attracting companies like Quest, DirecTV, Comcast and more. Plus many restaurants made their start by calling Denver home: Chipotle, Good Times Burgers & Frozen Custard, Qdoba Mexican Grill, Quizno’s, and Smashburger.
Denver is also almost equal distance from Los Angeles and Chicago and acts as a distribution hub for many parts of the country. But despite all of these employers it is the Government that employees the most people in the Denver Metro. Denver has some major employers across the metro and what they do when it comes to hiring, firing, and expanding impacts the supply and demand of real estate.
Keeping an eye on Denver’s top employers and what they’re doing is vital for making sound real estate decisions. As such here are the top employers in the Metro Denver:
1) US Government
The largest employer across the Denver metro is the US Government employing people with The Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management, Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation, Bureau of Reclamation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency and more.
2) State of Colorado
The second-largest employer across the Denver Metro is the State of Colorado itself. Denver hosts the State Capital, the Division of Finance and Procurement, Division of Central Services, Office of Administrative Courts, and more. When all things are said and done the state of Colorado employs more than 30,000 across Denver.
3) University of Colorado
The University of Colorado has multiple campuses across the Denver metro to include UCD and the Anshultz Medical Complex. CU employees a number of Denver Metro citizens to help their education system offer up quality academic programs for Undergraduate, Graduates, and Academic Enrichment programs.
4) Denver Public Schools (DPS)
There are over 84,000 students enrolled in the Denver Public School system across 176 schools. Those students have a graduation rate is 58.8% and a dropout rate sitting at 5.7% with 5,245 teachers across elementary, middle, high, and charter schools.
5) City and County of Denver
The City and County of Denver houses employees across many departments such as the Board of Parks and Recreation, Denver Public Library, Economic Development, Health and Human Services, Voter Registration, Water Quality, the Sheriff’s Department, and more.
6) HealthONE Corporation
Most of the medical staff and hospital employees throughout the Denver Metro fall under the HealthONE Corporation umbrella including The Medical Center of Aurora, North Suburban Medical Center, Mountain Hospital for Children, Rose Medical Center, Swedish Medical Center and more.
7) SCL Health System
The Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth founded the SCL Health System as a nonprofit faith-based health care organization. These sisters created an organization spanning 9 hospitals, 4 clinics, and 1 mental health service provider for children. Plus they have over 100 ambulance centers and a network worth $2.7 billion employing thousands across the Denver Metro.
8) Centura Health
Having been a part of the top 25 employers in Denver for what seems like forever, Centura Health includes 15 hospitals, 7 senior living communities, and clinics. Their union between Catholic Health Initiatives and Adventist Health Systems is the result of their faith-based dedication to providing health services.
9) Lockheed Martin Corporation
One of the most nationally recognized companies that call the Denver Metro home is Lockheed Martin. Employing specialists in research, design, development, manufacture, technology, aeronautics, information systems, mission systems, space systems and more.
10) CenturyLink
With over 6,300 Denver area employees CenturyLink provides internet, phone, and TV services in Colorado and around the country. CenturyLink is also on the Fortune 500 List and S&P 500 list as one of America’s largest corporations.
*Updated June 2020.
