More than 1.2 million people (and thousands of businesses) across Central Virginia contribute to the Greater Richmond economy. But have you ever wondered about the River City’s heaviest hitters?

Consider this your regional Business 101 — a guide to our key industries and the top 10 major employers.

Key industries

There are eight target industries representing the Richmond metro area’s economy, according to data from the Greater Richmond Partnership. We’ve listed them in order of employment numbers.

Finance + Insurance | ~117,300 employees
Big-name banks such as Wells Fargo, Bank of America, Atlantic Union, Truist, and Capital One lead the charge in this dominant industry. Key roles include accountants and auditors, analysts, customer service representatives, and account collectors.

Advanced Manufacturing | ~90,700 employees
Greater Richmond’s manufacturing footprint continues to grow, anchored by DuPont's largest global facility and LEGO’s evolving manufacturing and distribution presence.

Logistics + E-commerce | ~53,000 employees
Proximity to the Port of Virginia and access to Richmond International Airport influence this supply sector, which includes companies such as Amazon, UPS, FedEx, Walgreens, Lowe’s, and Wegmans.

Life Sciences | ~35,300 employees
Greater Richmond is home to two teaching hospitals and ~450 Life Science companies, including Haleaon, Wako Chemicals, and Thermo Fisher Scientific.

Data Centers | ~24,000 employees
Northern Virginia bears the brunt of Virginia’s digital capital, but companies like Meta, QTS, and Pixel Factory have reinvestment sights set on Greater Richmond.

Food + Beverage | ~12,000 employees
More than 400 food processing companies operate in Greater Richmond. A few names you might recognize: Sauer’s, Ukrops, Sabra, Tyson, and Maruchan.

Corporate Services | Employee number not listed
Greater Richmond boasts eight Fortune 500 headquarters and four Fortune 1000 headquarters, including Altria Group, CarMax, Markel Group, Dominion Energy, and Performance Food Group.

IT | Employee number not listed
Cybersecurity operations by bank giants contribute to this industry, while intercontinental data fiber lines attract investments from companies like Meta and QTS.

CVTA is considering dozens of transportation projects for funding. | Photo by Christopher W. Clarke

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 the top 10 major employers in our region — all that employ more than 3,000 workers on average.

1. Capital One Financial
~14,000 employees | Financial services | Search jobs

2. VCU Health
~13,500 employees | Health Care | Search jobs

3. HCA Virginia Health System
~11,200 employees | Health Care | Search jobs

4. Bon Secours Richmond
~8,500 employees | Health Care | Search jobs

5. Virginia Commonwealth University
~7,800 employees | Education | Search jobs

6. Dominion Energy
~5,400 employees | Energy Services | Search jobs

7. Amazon
~5,100 employees | Online Retail | Search jobs

8. Truist
~4,500 employees | Banking | Search jobs

9. Altria Group
~3,900 employees | Tobacco Products | Search jobs

10. United Parcel Service
~2,800 employees | Package Distribution | Search jobs

The list goes on — see the full lineup of major employers, as reported by the Greater Richmond Partnership.