Once referred to as God’s waiting room, St. Petersburg is now a major talent hub for a broad range of industries. Within a 100 mile radius of St. Pete, there are 91 colleges and universities, including powerhouses like the University of Central Florida, Florida State University, and University of Florida. These institutions fuel the 'Burg's talent pipeline. The city’s recent development boom paired with its exceptional quality of life is sure to attract and retain the best of the best.
Within the immediate Tampa-St. Pete area, several colleges and universities are educating future professionals in every field. University of South Florida has campuses in Tampa, Sarasota, and St. Petersburg; St. Pete’s campus is home to the highly awarded Kate Tiedemann College of Business. St. Petersburg College has campuses all throughout Pinellas County, and Stetson University’s College of Law, Florida’s first law school, is located just outside of St. Petersburg in Gulfport. These institutions, and the 91 other colleges and universities in the surrounding regions, produce fresh talent that has proven to be a valuable asset for St. Pete’s businesses.
University of South Florida St. Petersburg
Raymond James is St. Petersburg’s largest employer, providing over 4,000 high-wage financial services and data-related jobs to those in the city. Home Shopping Network and Spectrum both employ more than 2,000 individuals, and other major companies like Jabil, FIS Global, and Valpak employ around 1,500.
Industry employment statistics demonstrate how diverse the St. Petersburg talent pool truly is. Healthcare and social assistance is the city’s largest industry employer (21,103 employees), followed by retail trade (13,443 employees) and professional, scientific, and tech services (12,930 employees). Other key industries in St. Petersburg include finance and insurance (8,777 employees) and manufacturing (8,392 employees).
St. Pete’s diverse talent pool shines through the city’s arts and creative community. Bluewater, named the second fastest growing company in Florida, has enjoyed great success as they bridge the gap from broadcast to online media. The Penny Hoarder has become a powerhouse of creative, finance focused content, and Echo Bridge operates their award winning hand-drawn animation studio quietly from their office in downtown St. Petersburg.
In addition to these creative media businesses, more than 100 independent working artists in the city showcase their work at studios and galleries throughout the city’s seven arts districts. The demand for artistic space has grown so much recently that The Factory, an exclusively arts-based coworking space in the Warehouse Arts District, will be opening later this year.
The city is home to eight museums, with a ninth opening up later this year, ranging from fine art and glass to Holocaust and St. Pete history museums. Many of these museums are concentrated in the city’s Waterfront Museum District, just one of St. Pete’s seven arts districts; others include the Central Arts District, EDGE District, Grand Central Arts District, MLK North District, and the emerging Deuces Live District. Residents and visitors admire the city’s more than 1,000 public murals, thanks in part to the Shine Mural Festival, a 12-day annual festival that draws internationally renowned artists to the community.
With its outstanding arts community and highly skilled workforce, St. Petersburg has made a name for itself in recent years as a tech hub, brewing haven, and a prime location for doing business.
To learn more about the current job opportunities and major employers in St. Petersburg, visit BecomeStPete.com.