The 7 Biggest Industries in California (2024)

The 7 Biggest Industries in California (1)

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While many contributing factors fuel the economy, California’s biggest industries are a tighter list—here’s a roundup for you.

By Sona P.

5 min read

June 23, 2021

Did you know that if California was a country, it would have the fifth-largest economy in the world? With a GDP of approximately $3.09 trillion, the Golden State configures between Germany and the United Kingdom. Thanks to Hollywood, Silicon Valley, manufacturing, and agricultural industries, California is one of the major economic engines of the United States. There are over four million small local businesses here that employ nearly 50 percent of the state’s workforce. While many contributing factors fuel the economy, California’s biggest industries are a tighter list—here’s a roundup for you.

These are the Largest Industries in California

The 7 Biggest Industries in California (3)

1. Agriculture

According to 2015 statistics, California’s agriculture industry contributed $47.1 billion—yes, billion with a “b”—to the entire state’s economy. To put this into perspective, this amount was the largest for any state, making up 12.5 percent of the total agricultural production for all 50 states, surpassing Iowa and Texas by a long shot.

Excluded from this total is the impact the industry has on other sectors, including shipping and warehousing—altogether, the trio makes up California’s biggest industries. And in case you didn’t know this about the Golden State’s Central Valley, the region yields more crops and farm-based goods than any other U.S. state. This agricultural hub is where the magic happens—asparagus, grapes, lettuce, orange, rice, shelled almonds, tomatoes, and milk being the main produce.

Discover the best of California. Our recommended businesses are top-quality and are committed to their communities.

2. Film and Television

If you’ve ever wondered why the movie industry was established in sunny California, we’re here to answer your question. And no, there’s more than one reason behind it. Sure—over 300 days of sunshine make for stunning filming locations—but there are a few more things at play behind one of the largest industries in California.

Movies were becoming gradually more popular in the 1900s, and an increase in production was needed in order to meet the demand. This mostly had to do with the weather, but California also had non-union labor at the time. This made film production significantly cheaper than on the East Coast. Pair this with the fact that practically any SoCal location could stand in for a movie set, and you’ve got yourself an up-and-coming industry.

Nowadays, far beyond the glitz and glamour, California’s film and television industry is a vital part of the state’s economy. La La Land creates content that beams all over the world, in turn employing hundreds of thousands of people up and down the state. The industry also impacts many other sectors, most notably film tourism. If you’re a movie buff thinking of visiting your favorite filming locations, no place is better than the Golden State.

The 7 Biggest Industries in California (4)

3. Travel and Tourism

It should come as no surprise that travel and tourism are California’s most vital engines for economic growth. Fueled by transportation advances and defined by big, ambitious ideas, California has been a powerful leader in this industry, drawing visitors not just from other states, but also from around the world.

Travelers spend hundreds of millions of dollars while vacationing here, bringing in $114.9 billion into the state’s economy according to 2019 statistics. This sort of spending generated $12.2 billion in local and state tax revenue and provided 1.2 million California residents with employment.

There’s so much tourist gold in California that it’s nearly impossible to list it all. But according to a TV commercial titled Living the Dream, the most popular hotspots include Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Disneyland, Napa Valley, Pebble Beach, Lake Tahoe, San Francisco, Yosemite, Venice Beach, and more. The next time you’re traveling, make sure to add these destinations to your itinerary.

The 7 Biggest Industries in California (5)

4. Tech

Silicon Valley—an almost three trillion dollar neighborhood—is home to 2,000 tech companies, and hands down one of the best regions to live in if you want to work in tech. But, it wasn’t always that way.

In the 1940s, when computers were still the size of rooms, a man named William Shockley co-invented the transistor at Bell Labs—this later became known as the computer processor. Later in 1956, Shockley left Bell and founded his own company which made transistors out of silicon and not germanium, quite innovative for the time. A curious journalist named Don Hoefler wrote a three-part report about the semiconductor industry in 1971, titled Silicon Valley USA. As we know now, the name stuck.

With growing popularity, tech became more and more synonymous with the Silicon Valley industry, as companies like Atari, Apple, Oracle, eBay, Yahoo, Paypal, and Google were founded in the area. Better yet, most—if not all of these companies—are leaders in their respective industries. Software, social media, robotics, fiber optics, and medical instruments companies create jobs and generate more tax revenue.

The 7 Biggest Industries in California (6)

5. Service

When it comes to the service sector, the Golden State is nothing short of impressive. Consisting of professional, business, education, and health services, as well as financial activities and leisure, this industry makes California a great place to live and work. It hosts the largest banks in the U.S.—expect to find Wells Fargo, Charles Schwab Corporation, Silicon Valley Bank, and CIT Bank here. Colleges, universities, and other educational institutions also fall under this sector.

The University of California contributes a GDP of about $120 billion annually to the economy. With 1.7 million living alumni, the public land-grant research university system has produced 61 Nobel laureates. Simultaneously, the California State University produces $17 billion a year in economic activity.

Fastest Growing Industries in California

The 7 Biggest Industries in California (7)

6. Healthcare

Ask any California resident to identify the largest single component in their thriving economy, and chances are they will reply with high tech, motion pictures, or agriculture—rarely will they mention the healthcare industry. However, over the last half of the century, the Golden State’s medical care industry has become by far one of the state’s largest growing economic activities.

As one of the biggest growing industries in Los Angeles and the state, healthcare surpasses all other employment rates. How big is it? Federal, state, and local governments, employers, and individual California residents are spending well over $400 billion a year on medical care, averaging at about $10,000 for every resident.

The 7 Biggest Industries in California (8)

7. Construction

Construction is among the fastest-growing industries in the Golden State, employing five percent of the state’s private workforce. In the summer of 2019, seasonally adjusted construction employment topped 900,000 for the first time in 12 years. Despite the slower growth rate in construction employment, California contractors still outshine their counterparts thanks to the neverending projects which lay ahead.

One such construction project is the award ceremony for the 2028 Olympics, which will be hosted in the City of Angels. This is already starting to spring forth numerous building ideas, including new sports venues and hotels.

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The 7 Biggest Industries in California (19)
The 7 Biggest Industries in California (20)
The 7 Biggest Industries in California (2024)

FAQs

What industry is California known for? ›

Agriculture, tourism, technology are major economic contributors.

What are the 5 largest industries in the world? ›

Global Biggest Industries by Employment in 2022
  1. Global Consumer Electronics Manufacturing. Employment number for 2022: 17,518,424. ...
  2. Global Commercial Real Estate. ...
  3. Global Fast Food Restaurants. ...
  4. Global HR & Recruitment Services. ...
  5. Global Apparel Manufacturing. ...
  6. Global Hotels & Resorts. ...
  7. Global Coal Mining. ...
  8. Global Tourism.

How many industry sectors are there in California? ›

The state of California has identified 15 Industry Sectors. Each sector contains multiple career pathways in which to develop Programs of Study.

What is California's largest source of income? ›

The personal income tax is the state's main revenue source, the property tax is the major local tax, and the state and local governments both receive revenue from the sales and use tax. In addition, many smaller taxes raise revenue for state and local government operations.

What are California's top 5 industries? ›

Due to California's large population and host of great businesses, it is a state that is filled with potential and success for a variety of businesses.
  • Agriculture.
  • Tourism and Hospitality.
  • Healthcare Industry.
  • Construction Industry.
  • Technology and Information Industry.
11 Feb 2022

What is California main economy? ›

Services, labour, and taxation. Services are the dominant economic sector in California. Tourism is a consistent source of income.

Is California richer than Russia? ›

Even three U.S. states have larger GDPs than Russia: California ($3.1 trillion), Texas ($1.78 trillion) and New York ($1.7 trillion). Note that California has more than twice the GDP of Russia. There's more.

What are the 6 main industries? ›

Which are the major industries in the Indian Economy? Answer: The major industries in the Indian Economy are Iron & Steel, Textiles, Jute, Sugar, Cement, Paper, Petrochemical, Automobile, Information Technology (IT), and Banking & Insurance.

What are the top 10 largest industries? ›

Here is the list of industries who secured their positions in 10 biggest industries in the world in 2022.
  • Constructions.
  • Financial Services.
  • Real Estate.
  • Insurance.
  • Information Technology.
  • Telecommunication.
  • Automobile Manufacturing.
  • Oil and Gas E&P.
25 Aug 2022

What are the 4 main industries? ›

  • Primary industry.
  • Secondary industry.
  • Tertiary industry.
  • Quaternary industry.

What are the 3 main sectors of industry? ›

  • Primary. The primary sector of industry is concerned with the extraction of raw materials or natural resources from the land. ...
  • Secondary. The secondary sector of industry is concerned with manufacturing . ...
  • Tertiary. The tertiary sector of industry is concerned with providing a service.

What are the 8 sectors? ›

For many years, however, the tourism industry was classified into eight sectors: accommodations, adventure and recreation, attractions, events and conferences, food and beverage, tourism services, transportation, and travel trade (Yukon Department of Tourism and Culture, 2013).

What are the three 3 main industry sectors? ›

Sector
  • Primary Sector: This sector deals with the extraction and harvesting of natural resources such as agriculture and mining.
  • Secondary Sector: This sector comprises construction, manufacturing, and processing. ...
  • Tertiary Sector: Retailers, entertainment, and financial companies make up this sector.

What are the fastest growing industries in California? ›

The Fastest Growing Industries in California
  1. Health Care. Health care jobs across the board will experience a 150% to 350% growth in California. ...
  2. Green Energy. ...
  3. Construction. ...
  4. Computers. ...
  5. Mathematicians.
30 Aug 2022

What are the top 5 products sold here in California? ›

In terms of revenue generated, California's top five ag products are dairy products, greenhouse and nursery products, grapes, almonds, and cattle and calves. California agriculture generates roughly $37.5 billion annually, more than any other state.

What is California's largest cash crop? ›

Though almonds, which increasingly take up a lot of acreage in California, may be the top-valued crop in more counties, milk had the highest production value in the state in 2020, data showed. Its total statewide value was $7.5 billion, compared with $5.6 billion for almonds.

Is California a rich or poor state? ›

The economy of the State of California is the largest in the United States, with a $3.4 trillion gross state product (GSP) as of 2021. It is the largest sub-national economy in the world. If California were a sovereign nation (2022), it would rank as the world's fifth largest economy, behind Germany and ahead of India.

Which city in California makes the most money? ›

The Top 3
  • #1. San Ramon, CA. Median Household Income of $161,870.
  • Palo Alto, CA. Median Household Income of $153,802.
  • Pleasanton, CA. Median Household Income of $152,123.

What income is rich in California? ›

That's up from $1.9 million last year. In Southern California (which the survey grouped Los Angeles and San Diego), the threshold for what is considered wealthy is $3.9 million. It's the second-highest total in the survey, trailing San Francisco, where the "wealthy" net worth is $5.1 million.

Who is California's biggest employer? ›

Leading companies headquartered in California by number of employees 2021. In 2020, Wells Fargo was the largest company headquartered in California, employing about 258,700 people.

What is California the main producer of? ›

The largest producer of citrus in the country, California supplies more than 80% of the fresh citrus fruits consumed in the United States and exports citrus to 16 countries around the world.

Which state has strongest economy? ›

Powered by an economy that has hit its stride, and turbocharged by a long track record of innovation, North Carolina is America's Top State for Business in 2022. The Tar Heel State has always been a contender in CNBC's annual competitiveness rankings, rarely finishing outside the top 10 since the study began in 2007.

What is California's debt? ›

Debt by State 2022
StateState DebtPer Capita Debt
California$152,772,292,000$3,819.78
Pennsylvania$47,519,575,000$3,637.79
North Dakota$2,885,664,000$3,605.30
Maine$4,750,384,000$3,469.56
46 more rows

Is California's economy bigger than Texas? ›

The economy of the State of Texas is the second largest by GDP in the United States after that of California. It has a gross state product of $2.0 trillion as of 2021.

Who is stronger Russia or USA? ›

In short, Russia is ranked 2nd out of 140 in military strength while the US is ranked 1st. As per the army population, Russia has 142,320,790 soldiers while The US has 334,998,398 soldiers. The available manpower is 69,737,187 with Russia and 147,399,295 with the United States.

Who is richer Europe or America? ›

In terms of good old per capita GDP, it's not much of a contest: Switzerland has higher per capita income than the U.S., but the U.S. comes out ahead of the Northern European countries — Sweden, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands — and well ahead of other European countries like France.

Who is richer Russia or USA? ›

United States has a GDP per capita of $59,800 as of 2017, while in Russia, the GDP per capita is $27,900 as of 2017.

What are the 11 industrial sector? ›

The order of the 11 sectors based on size is as follows: Information Technology, Health Care, Financials, Consumer Discretionary, Communication Services, Industrials, Consumer Staples, Energy, Utilities, Real Estate, and Materials.

Which industry is No 1 in the world? ›

Telecommunication. One of the biggest industries in the world in 2021 is telecommunications. The rise of work-from-home trends and in-house entertainment have resulted in a surge in data traffic. The industry is the lifeline for millions of small businesses and individuals working remotely or online.

What is the largest industry in the US? ›

Real estate is by far the largest industry in the United States and the largest contributor to GDP in most states. But since housing is a universal need irrespective of geography, it fails to illuminate regional economic differences.

What are the 5 main industries? ›

Before the recent COVID-19 pandemic, jobs were being created by the millions, and wage growth was on the rise.
...
Other sectors making notable contributions to the economy over the last decade include construction, retail, and non-durable manufacturing.
  • Healthcare. ...
  • Technology. ...
  • Construction. ...
  • Retail. ...
  • Non-durable Manufacturing.

What is the number 1 industry in America? ›

Hospitals In The US - $981.0 billion

Health Care And Social Assistance is the country's largest private employment sector employing more than 16.4 million people.

What is the largest industry? ›

What's the biggest industry in the world?
  • That's right, the financial industry is the largest industry in the world! Totalling $109 trillion, it dwarfs the competition. ...
  • Financial services. Technically, the financial industry is composed of companies that offer financial services. ...
  • The foundation of the economy.
24 Aug 2020

What is a major industry? ›

Major industry groups in the divisions for agriculture, forestry and fishing; mining; construction; manufacturing; transportation and utilities; and wholesale trade (SIC Divisions A-F) were not eligible for the industry partial exemption.

What is an industry Class 8? ›

Answer: Industry refers to an economic activity that is concerned with the production of goods like iron and steel industry, extraction of minerals like coal mining industry and the provision of services like tourism industry.

What is an industry answer? ›

An industry is a group of companies that are related based on their primary business activities. In modern economies, there are dozens of industry classifications. Industry classifications are typically grouped into larger categories called sectors.

What are types of industry? ›

Industries and sectors
  • Agriculture; plantations;other rural sectors.
  • Basic Metal Production.
  • Chemical industries.
  • Commerce.
  • Construction.
  • Education.
  • Financial services; professional services.
  • Food; drink; tobacco.

How many industries are there? ›

The framework created by the Global Industry Classification Standard (GICS) has four tiers that break companies into 11 sectors, 24 industry groups, 69 industries, and 158 sub-industries.

What are the 4 types of industries and what do they produce? ›

Industry sectors
  • Primary sector of the economy (the raw materials industry)
  • Secondary sector of the economy (manufacturing and construction)
  • Tertiary sector of the economy (the "service industry")
  • Quaternary sector of the economy (information services)
  • Quinary sector of the economy (human services)

What are the 7 sectors of business? ›

This external business environment is composed of numerous outside organizations and forces that we can group into seven key subenvironments: economic, political and legal, demographic, social, competitive, global, and technological.

What are the 7 sector categories? ›

Pages in category "Economic sectors"
  • Primary sector of the economy.
  • Secondary sector of the economy.
  • Tertiary sector of the economy.
  • Quaternary sector of the economy.
  • Quinary sector of the economy.

Which industry is the most important of all the three? ›

Which industry is the most important of all the three? Ans. The primary industry is the most crucial for the economic activities towards the early stage of development. However, every industry has its own significance and contributes significantly to the economic growth and progress of a nation.

What is the 3rd largest industry? ›

Taken altogether, packaging is considered the third-largest industry in the world – bigger than almost everything, including entertainment, construction, or agriculture.

What is the difference between business and industry? ›

business generally refers to our certain employment while industries are like manufacturing shops of certain things...

What is California's #1 export? ›

Computers and electronic products remained California's largest exports, accounting for 26% of all California exports to Canada. California is the second largest exporting state to Asia, after Texas. In 2021, California exported $76.48 billion in goods to the region.

What is California main economy? ›

Services, labour, and taxation. Services are the dominant economic sector in California. Tourism is a consistent source of income.

Is California richer than Russia? ›

Even three U.S. states have larger GDPs than Russia: California ($3.1 trillion), Texas ($1.78 trillion) and New York ($1.7 trillion). Note that California has more than twice the GDP of Russia. There's more.

What is California the main producer of? ›

The largest producer of citrus in the country, California supplies more than 80% of the fresh citrus fruits consumed in the United States and exports citrus to 16 countries around the world.

What is California's #1 industry? ›

Government is California's largest industry, like most states, with about 2.5 million employees. The second largest industry, according to the Census, is Healthcare and Social Assistance.

What does California import the most? ›

The state's largest manufacturing export category is computer & electronic products, which accounted for $45.2 billion of California's total goods exports in 2018.

What is California's largest food export? ›

California's top valued agricultural export commodity continues to be almonds, with a value of more than $4.9 billion in foreign sales in 2019. This figure represents a change of 8 percent from the previous year.

What are California's top 5 industries? ›

Due to California's large population and host of great businesses, it is a state that is filled with potential and success for a variety of businesses.
  • Agriculture.
  • Tourism and Hospitality.
  • Healthcare Industry.
  • Construction Industry.
  • Technology and Information Industry.
11 Feb 2022

Is California poor or rich? ›

And yet, the latest census bureau report says that California is both the wealthiest state and has the highest poverty rate in the country at 24 percent — meaning almost a quarter of Californians live in poverty.

How rich California is? ›

Californians' net worth totals over $6 trillion or about $160,000 per resident. The state holds 17 percent of national net worth, while making up only 12 percent of the U.S. population.

Who is stronger Russia or USA? ›

In short, Russia is ranked 2nd out of 140 in military strength while the US is ranked 1st. As per the army population, Russia has 142,320,790 soldiers while The US has 334,998,398 soldiers. The available manpower is 69,737,187 with Russia and 147,399,295 with the United States.

Who is richer Europe or America? ›

In terms of good old per capita GDP, it's not much of a contest: Switzerland has higher per capita income than the U.S., but the U.S. comes out ahead of the Northern European countries — Sweden, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands — and well ahead of other European countries like France.

What state has the best economy? ›

America's Top States for Business 2022
Overall RankStateEconomy
1North Carolina1
2Washington3
3Virginia20
4Colorado11
26 more rows
13 Jul 2022

What is the most common job in California? ›

The 10 Most Common Jobs with The State of California
  • Staff Services Analyst - 120 vacancies.
  • Staff Services Manager I - 120 vacancies.
  • Psychologist - 108 vacancies.
  • Licensed Vocational Nurse - 100 vacancies.
  • Registered Nurse - 97 vacancies.
  • Clinical Social Worker - 87 vacancies.

What are the top 5 products sold here in California? ›

In terms of revenue generated, California's top five ag products are dairy products, greenhouse and nursery products, grapes, almonds, and cattle and calves. California agriculture generates roughly $37.5 billion annually, more than any other state.

What is California's largest crop? ›

Almonds are by far the top crop in California in terms of both acres harvested and production value. The most recent data shows there were about 1.25 million acres of almond trees, the production value for which is more than $5.6 billion.

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