Harlingen's Top Employers Are in Education, Health Care and Technology

Although agriculture is still very important to the Harlingen economy, Harlingen has veered further away from the agriculture-driven economy and has diversified their employment market; adding the health care and telecommunications industries.

Three of the top 10 employers in Harlingen are in the medical field. Health care and related services are destined to play a key role in the future of Harlingen with the Regional Academic Health Center, a branch of the University of Texas-San Antonio Health Science Center; the recent opening of the South Texas Veterans Administration Health Care Center at Harlingen and the physician-owned Harlingen Medical Center all being important elements.

Telecommunications is also a growing industry in Harlingen. Tapping into Harlingen's talented and bi-lingual workforce are Dish Network, Pocket Communications, West Corporation, Time Warner Cable and Advanced Call Center Technologies; calling Harlingen, Texas home.

Texas State Technical College in Harlingen is known for its technology programs.

  • Major Employers Harlingen, Texas 2010
    Company
    Number Employees
    Product/Service
    Harlingen CISD 2,848 School District
    Valley Baptist Medical Center 1,415 Health Care
    Dish Network 1,036 Service Center
    Advanced Call Center Technologies 925 Service Center
    Vicki Roy Home Health 719 Health Care
    Texas State Technical College 599 Technical College
    City of Harlingen 582 City Government
    HEB (3) Harlingen Locations 577 Groceries
    Harlingen Medical Center 546 Health Care
    Rio Grande State Center  485 Health Care
    Wal-Mart Superstore 337 Department/Grocery Store
    United HealthCare Services, Inc. 298 Call Center 
    Su Clinica Familiar 275 Health Care
    Acetylene Oxygen Co. 252 Retail Operations 
    Pocket Communications 232 Service Center 
    Time Warner Cable 200 Cable / Internet Provider
    United Launch Alliance 158 Aerospace
    Cardone Industries  146 Car Parts Manufacturers
    Retama Manor 139 Nursing Home
    Varmicon Industries 138 Concrete
    Marine Military Academy 134 Academy
    Harlingen Nursing & Rehabilitation Center 130 Health Care
    L & F Distributors 125 Beer Distributor
    Tyco Valves & Controls 119 Industrial Valves
    Luby's Restaurant  105 Restaurant
    Valley International Cold Storage 99 Warehouse-cold storage
    Boggus Ford 99 Automobile Dealer
    Dillard's Department Store  98 Retail Operations 
    Valley Morning Star 86 Newspaper
    7-UP Bottling Company 80 Bottlers
    Ophthalmic Consultants of Texas  70 Eye Center
    Texas Gas Service 66 Natural Gas Distribution
    Aloe Laboratories, Inc.  64 Aloe Vera Distributors 
    Gillman Chevrolet 63 Automobile Dealer
    Labatt Food Services  60 Food Broker 
    Sechrist-Hall Company  60 Roofing/Sheet Metal Work
    Sara Lee Bakery 50 Bakery
    Total 13,415
    Source: 03/31/10 Harlingen Economic Development Corporation
  • Major Employers Harlingen, Texas 2009
    Company
    Number Employees
    Product/Service
    Harlingen CISD 2,675 School District
    Valley Baptist Medical Center 2,214 Health Care
    Dish Network 875 Service Center
    Advanced Call Center Technologies 772 Service Center
    Vicki Roy Home Health 719 Health Care
    City of Harlingen 600 City Government
    Texas State Technical College 564 Technical College
    HEB (3) Harlingen Locations 546 Groceries
    Rio Grande State Center  537 Health Care
    Wal-Mart Superstore 434 Department/Grocery Store
    Harlingen Medical Center 400 Health Care
    Su Clinica Familiar 338 Health Care
    Acetylene Oxygen Co. 277 Retail Operations 
    United HealthCare Services, Inc. 275 Call Center 
    United Launch Alliance 190 Aerospace
    Marine Military Academy 160 Academy
    Cardone Industries  151 Car Parts Manufacturers
    Harlingen Nursing & Rehabilitation Center 150 Health Care
    Time Warner Cable 149 Cable / Internet Provider
    Tyco Valves & Controls 145 Industrial Valves
    Retama Manor 139 Nursing Home
    Valley Diagnostic Clinic 122 Health Care
    Valley International Cold Storage 120 Warehouse-cold storage
    L & F Distributors 110 Beer Distributor
    Dillard's Department Store  108 Retail Operations 
    Luby's Restaurant  107 Restaurant
    Varmicon Industries 107 Concrete
    Boggus Ford 102 Automobile Dealer
    Pocket Communications  87 Service Center
    Valley Morning Star 86 Newspaper
    7-UP Bottling Company 80 Bottlers
    Sara Lee Bakery 78 Bakery
    Texas Gas Service 78 Natural Gas Distribution
    Ophthalmic Consultants of Texas  70 Eye Center
    Valley Coop Oil Mill  65 Raw Materials Processors
    Gillman Chevrolet 63 Automobile Dealer
    Aloe Laboratories, Inc.  62 Aloe Vera Distributors 
    Labatt Food Services  60 Food Broker 
    Sechrist-Hall Company  60 Roofing/Sheet Metal Work
    Total 13,875
    Source: 12/17/09 Harlingen Economic Development Corporation
  • Private Sector Payroll Harlingen, Texas 2006
    TOTAL ($000)
    $830,431
    PER EMPLOYEE
    $23,072
    NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES
    35,993
    Source: County Business Patterns 2006
  • Private Sector Establishment By Size Harlingen, Texas 2005
    INDUSTRY
    TOTAL
    1 - 4
    5 - 9
    10 - 19
    20 - 49
    50 - 99
    100 - 249
    250 - 499
    500 - 999
    1000+
    1,957
    Forestry-Fishing-Ag
    6
    3
    1
    2
    Utilities
    5
    1
    1
    2
    1
    Construction
    139
    74
    35
    20
    10
    Manufacturing
    58
    17
    12
    13
    6
    7
    3
    Wholesale
    94
    36
    30
    20
    7
    0
    1
    Retail
    340
    134
    106
    49
    34
    7
    8
    2
    Transportation / Warehouse
    66
    28
    8
    12
    12
    5
    1
    Information
    36
    19
    5
    2
    5
    3
    1
    1
    Finance and Insurance
    152
    82
    38
    17
    13
    2
    Real Estate
    119
    72
    23
    14
    10
    Professional Scientific, Tech Services
    159
    100
    37
    13
    7
    0
    2
    Management of Companies
    15
    4
    5
    3
    3
    Administrative Support
    83
    47
    13
    12
    3
    2
    3
    2
    1
    Educational
    15
    6
    3
    4
    1
    1
    Health Care
    332
    128
    67
    62
    41
    10
    12
    7
    4
    1
    Arts, Entertainment and Recreation
    19
    10
    3
    4
    0
    1
    1
    Accommodations and Food Service
    142
    37
    19
    28
    44
    12
    2
    Other Services
    171
    93
    43
    20
    13
    2
    Unclassified
    3
    3
    Source: County Business Patterns 2005