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The top industries and employers in the Austin metro area

Educational hubs like UT Austin support life sciences, creative media, and technology industries in the metro area. | Photo by @swablogguy

More than 2.2 million people (and thousands of businesses) contribute to the Austin metro area’s $216 billion economy. But have you ever wondered about the Capital City’s heaviest hitters?

Consider this Austin Business 101 — your guide to our region’s eight key industries and 10 major employers.

Note: When we say the Austin metro area, that refers to Travis, Williamson, Hays, Bastrop and Caldwell counties.

The key industries

There are eight key industries that represent substantial portions of the Austin metro area’s 1.1 million-person workforce, based on data from the Austin Chamber of Commerce.

Financial Services and Insurance | With a population growing by ~32% each decade, Austin’s booming economy and wide talent base helps employ a fifth of the workforce in management, business, and financial operations.

Advanced Manufacturing | Semiconductor, electronics, automotive technology, and aerospace manufacturing lead the charge in this industry, which currently boasts 62,000 employees — a ~16% increase since 2016.

Corporate HQs and Regional Offices | You probably already know Austin is home to headquarters for Meta, TikTok, Google, Oracle, Apple, Tesla, and Dell — name a big company, and there’s a chance it has an office in ATX.

The capitol building, as seen from the grounds — The State of Texas is the largest employer in the Austin metro area, with a local workforce of more than 63,000 people.

Creative and Digital Media | Between major events like SXSW and education hubs at UT Austin, Texas State, and St. Edward’s University, Austin’s creative media industry supports 50,000+ local employees.

Life Sciences | Research centers like the Dell Medical School help support the nearly 300 life sciences companies and 18,000 employees in Central Texas.

Space Technology | Driven in part by graduates from UT Austin’s top-10 ranked aerospace engineering programs, Austin’s space tech industry supports ~12,000 employees making satellites, launch providers, and spacecraft components.

Click the button below to read about other key industries and find out which companies have the most employees.

LET’S MEET THE MAJOR PLAYERS

Test your business knowledge: Which company employs the most people globally?

A. Amazon
B. McDonalds
C. Walmart
D. Starbucks

SHOW YOUR SMARTS

Click here to have your event featured.

Monday, Dec. 19

Beerthoven Presents Hoppy Holidays | Monday, Dec. 19 | 7-8:30 p.m. | Neill-Cochran House Museum, 2310 San Gabriel St., Austin | $25-$30 | The Tinsel Singers will perform classical and contemporary holiday tunes — hot cocoa, beer, and warm pastries will also be provided free of cost.
Michael Martin Murphey’s Cowboy Christmas | Monday, Dec. 19 | 8 p.m. | ACL Live at The Moody Theater, 310 W. Willie Nelson Blvd., Austin | $29-$69 | This Texas-born artist is known for hit songs like “Geronimo’s Cadillac.”

Tuesday, Dec. 20

The Nutcracker | Tuesday, Dec. 20-Friday, Dec. 23 | 7:30 p.m. | The Long Center for the Performing Arts, 701 W. Riverside Dr., Austin | $15-$125 | This year’s edition of the 60-year-running performance ends this week.
Donate at We Are Blood | Now-Thursday, Dec. 22 | 8 a.m.-6 p.m. | We Are Blood, 4300 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin | Free | For a limited time, blood donors will receive a free Alamo Drafthouse movie ticket for their donation.

Wednesday, Dec. 21

University of Texas Women’s Basketball vs. Houston Christian | Wednesday, Dec. 21 | 2-4 p.m. | Moody Center, 2001 Robert Dedman Dr., Austin | Cheer on the Horns during this Wednesday night game.

Thursday, Dec. 22

Sesame Street Live! Make Your Magic | Thursday, Dec. 22-Friday, Dec. 23 | Times vary | H-E-B Center at Cedar Park, 2100 Ave. of the Stars, Cedar Park | $35-$70 | Meet Elmo, Abby Cadabby, and Big Bird during this performance in partnership with education nonprofit Sesame Workshop.

We have a calendar filled with events and activities you can plan for in advance. Click the button below to bookmark ideas for upcoming date nights, family outings, and time with friends.

100+ MORE EVENTS

A river running through Prince Solms Park

The start and finish line will be at Prince Solms Park. | Photo provided by Randy Flores - Universal City Texas

Lace up, ATX. This new half marathon allows runners, walkers, and joggers to experience New Braunfels in a whole new way. The race starts at 7 a.m. and features a route that takes participants by the historic gazebo in downtown New Braunfels_, through scenic neighborhoods, over the Guadalupe River, and into the historic Gruene District. 👟

Stick around after the race for an after-party with food, music, and more. Pro tip: Score a discounted ticket by registering before Saturday, Dec. 31.*

Weather

48º | Rainy | 91% chance of rain
Bundle up, Austin. Temperatures dropped to 22º on Sunday morning, setting a new record at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Meteorologists expect more freezing temperatures with the arrival of an arctic cold front on Thursday. (KXAN)

Coming Soon

A new, multi-level restaurant and bar is opening in the former Seaholm Power Plant this January. Ember Kitchen & Subterra Agave Bar will have a rooftop, and offer live-fire fare from James Beard nominated chef María Mercedes Grubb. 🍽

Sports

UT’s volleyball team defeated Louisville in the NCAA championship on Saturday, winning its first national title since 2012. Congrats, Longhorns. 🏆 (Austin American-Statesman)
What a weekend in Longhorn sports. Both of Texas’ basketball teams also won their games this weekend, with the men’s team defeating Stanford 72-62 and the women’s team taking home a 62-48 win over Southern California. 🏀

Edu

AISD named Matias Segura, an alumnus of the district, its new interim superintendent. The search continues for a person to fill the role permanently, with members of the school district’s board aiming to hire someone by July. 📚 (KXAN)

Community

The Twitter user behind the snarky, satirical EvilMoPac account is stepping away from offering quips about one of Austinites’ most-dreaded highways. The user, who remains anonymous, said the change is “for now.” (KXAN)

Plan Ahead

UMI and DannyLux will headline this year’s “Hi, How Are You Day” concert on Sunday, Jan. 22. Tickets for the annual event are on sale now — proceeds benefit the Hi, How Are You Project, a mental health nonprofit established in honor of Austin artist Daniel Johnston. 🎶

State

Call it Bigger Bend. The national park in south Texas will grow by 3,800+ acres next year, when the Big Bend Conservancy finalizes a land purchase on the west side of the park, near Terlingua. 🏜 (KUT)

Real Estate

When the dream job came knocking, the Abernethys needed to sell their house and move — quickly. See how they were able to sell in record time.*

Shop

Give the gift of a quality shave month after month with a Harry’s trial set and blade subscription. Choose your handle color, refill frequency, and let the good shave days roll in for as little as $5 on sign-up (yes, you heard that right). 🪒*
If you’re looking for a last-minute gift for someone on your list, look no further. Let us introduce you to gift cards from our ATXtoday shop, Six & Main. Purchase a gift card today. 🎁

Content marked with an * is brought to you by our advertising partners and helps make this newsletter free.

7 common mistakes when hiring a financial advisor 👀

SmartAsset matches you with vetted financial advisors in your area. | Photo by SmartAsset

Life should be a balance of adventure and relaxation — not balancing finances. Enter: Working with a financial advisor. But choosing the wrong one could potentially wreak havoc on your retirement and investments.

Avoid these 7 common mistakes when hiring a financial advisor so you can get back to the balance that matters most.

Pro tip: For simplicity, try this free tool to get matched with up to three vetted financial advisors serving your area.*

GET STARTED, SMARTIE

THE WRAP

Today’s issue was written by London.

Editor’s pick: If you guessed Walmart in our top employers quiz above, you’d be right. The company employs a whopping 2.3 million people worldwide — for perspective, that’s slightly more than the entire population of New Mexico.

Missed yesterday’s newsletter? Here’s how to take a mental health day in Austin.

Connect with us.

Editorial: Laura Figi, London Gibson, Dayten Rose, Josh Kranzberg, Emily Shea | Send us a scoop, question, or feedback.

Sales: Camille McLeod | Advertise with us.

Content marked with an * was created in partnership with 6AM City’s advertising partners. Paid content helps keep this newsletter free. 6AM City may also receive a commission on purchases made through affiliate links in this newsletter.

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