Dayton is the Ohio Aerospace Hub and has the largest single-site employer in Ohio, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.
Manufacturing also remains a vital part of our local economy.
Plus, the Greater Downtown Dayton area includes many professional services, law, and independent retailers.
Key industries
Dayton is home to a wide variety of businesses, but the key industries and areas of highest growth include:
Each of these sectors is rooted in a STEM field and one of Dayton’s valuable regional assets such as Wright-Patterson Air Force Base or the Great Miami Buried Aquifer. By concentrating on Dayton’s core competencies and strategic advantages, the community provides a fertile business environment for entrepreneurs and investors alike.
25 top employers
1. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, 27,400 employees
2. Premier Health Partners, 14,135 employees
3. Kettering Health Network, 5,029 employees
4. Montgomery County, 4,559 employees
5. The Kroger Company, 4,100 employees
6. LexisNexis, 3,100 employees
7. Sinclair Community College, 2,726 employees
8. Dayton Public Schools, 2,574 employees
9. Wright State University, 2,948 employees
10. AK Steel Corporation, 2,400 employees
11. Honda of America Manufacturing, 2,400 employees
12. Community Mercy Health Partners, 2,297 employees
13. University of Dayton, 2,191 employees
14. VA Medical Center, 1,914 employees
15. City of Dayton, 1,913 employees
16. Emerson Climate Technologies, 1,533 employees
17. Meijer, Inc., 1,367 employees
18. Children’s Medical Center of Dayton, 1,335 employees
19. Cox Media Group Ohio, 1,100 employees
20. Speedway, LLC, 1,032 employees
21. Behr Dayton Thermal Products, 1,022 employees
22. AT&T Ohio, 1,000 employees
23. DPL Inc., 930 employees
24. CareSource, 894 employees
25. Fifth Third Bank, 875 employees
Source: City of Dayton Office of Economic Development
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