Calgaryruns on a handful of strong industries. If you’re job-hunting or weighing a move, here’s where the opportunities (and the big-name employers) are.
Top industries & employers
Energy
Suncor, Cenovus, Imperial Oil, TC Energy, Enbridge, Ovintiv
Calgary holds more corporate head offices per capita than any Canadian city, overwhelmingly in energy — which is why the downtown skyline is out of proportion to the population.
Energy transition & cleantech
ATCO, Eavor, Carbon Upcycling, TransAlta, Enbridge renewables
The same engineering base is being redirected into geothermal, hydrogen and carbon capture, and Alberta's carbon capture infrastructure is among the most developed in North America.
Technology
Benevity, Attabotics, Symend, Neo Financial, Circle Cardiovascular
Calgary's tech sector grew substantially through the 2015 downturn as displaced energy engineers moved into software, and the province has courted it deliberately since.
Agriculture & agri-food
Cargill, JBS Canada, Richardson International, Viterra
Southern Alberta is the centre of Canadian beef and grain, and the processing and trading operations around it are headquartered in and around the city.
Transport & logistics
Canadian Pacific Kansas City, WestJet, Mullen Group
Calgary is the western hub of the Canadian rail network and the headquarters of both CPKC and WestJet — the airport is a genuine national connecting point.
Film & television
Netflix productions, Paramount, Calgary Film Centre
Alberta's production tax credit and the proximity of the Rockies and the prairie have made the region a substantial location shooting base, particularly for series work.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.