Denverruns 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
Aerospace & satellites
Lockheed Martin Space, Ball Aerospace, Sierra Space, United Launch Alliance, Maxar
Colorado has one of the highest concentrations of aerospace employment per capita in the US, largely along the Front Range south of Denver — though many roles need clearance and citizenship.
Federal science laboratories
NREL, NOAA, NIST, NCAR, USGS
The Boulder–Golden corridor holds an unusual density of federal research labs, particularly in renewable energy, atmospheric science and metrology.
Energy & renewables
Xcel Energy, Occidental, Vestas, Chevron
A genuinely split sector — Colorado is both a significant oil and gas producer and a leading wind and solar manufacturing state, and the politics of that tension are local.
Telecommunications & media
Comcast, DISH Network, Charter, Liberty Media, Zayo
The Denver Tech Center corridor has been a telecoms hub since the cable industry consolidated here in the 1980s.
Outdoor industry
VF Corporation, Otterbox, Icelantic, Osprey
VF Corporation moved its headquarters to Denver in 2019, cementing a cluster that already existed around the state's outdoor culture.
Technology & startups
Palantir, Google (Boulder), Guild, Ibotta, Checkr
A real and growing scene, weighted to enterprise software and marketplaces, with Boulder functioning as a distinct startup ecosystem thirty miles north.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.