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 2011
    Company
    Number Employees
    Product/Service
    Harlingen CISD 2,848 School District
    Valley Baptist Medical Center 1,930 Health Care
    Advanced Call Center Technologies 1,250 Service Center
    Dish Network 1,004 Service Center
    Vicki Roy Home Health 719 Health Care
    Texas State Technical College 599 Technical College
    City of Harlingen 594 City Government
    HEB (3) Harlingen Locations 592 Retail Operations
    Harlingen Medical Center 546 Health Care
    Rio Grande State Center  529 Health Care
    United HealthCare Services, Inc. 450 Service Center 
    Wal-Mart Superstore 337 Retail Operations
    Su Clinica Familiar 275 Health Care
    Pocket Communications 232 Service Center 
    Time Warner Cable 200 Cable / Internet Provider
    Tyco Valves & Controls 200 Industrial Valves
    Cardone Industries  183 Automotive
    Retama Manor 175 Nursing Home
    Marine Military Academy 135 Academy
    Alamo Concrete 130 Concrete
    Harlingen Nursing & Rehabilitation Center 130 Health Care
    United Launch Alliance 129 Aerospace
    L & F Distributors 125 Beer Distributor
    Valley International Cold Storage 120 Warehouse-cold storage
    Boggus Ford 115 Automobile Dealer
    Luby's Restaurant  102 Restaurant
    Dillard's Department Store  98 Retail Operations 
    Valley Morning Star 86 Newspaper
    UniFirst Linen 84 Linen/Uniform Services
    7-UP Bottling Company 80 Bottlers
    ITD Precision 86 Manufacture
    Acetylene Oxygen Co. 70 Manufacture 
    Ophthalmic Consultants of Texas  70 Eye Center
    Aloe Laboratories, Inc.  68 Aloe Vera Distributors 
    Texas Gas Service 65 Natural Gas Distribution
    Labatt Food Services  60 Food Broker 
    Sechrist-Hall Company  60 Roofing/Sheet Metal Work
    Valley Coop Oil Mill  60 Manufacture Cotton Seed Oil
    Total 14,536
    Source: 05/19/11 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