Industries

Denver's diversified economy is one of our greatest strengths. Our major industry sectors are aerospace, broadcast and telecommunications, healthcare and wellness, financial services, bioscience, energy, and IT-software. We generally follow the national trend of our fastest-growing sector being healthcare, although it is other sectors, namely high tech and energy, that more accurately define Denver's enviable edge. Tech firms choosing Denver invariably cite the attraction of one of the nation's largest clusters of the internet and telecommunications services industry.

The energy sector is tremendously important to Denver's economy. Colorado's energy and natural resources industry supports about 150,000 workers and accounts for nearly $11.4 billion annually, according to the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. Denver has established itself as one of the world's premier energy cities. Energy has been central to Denver's economy for more than 80 years, and today continues to be an integral part of our economic landscape. 

In 2013, the energy industry trade publication Rigzone ranked Denver as the #3 city in the world for oil and gas. It was the only U.S. city to rank in the top 10 (rankings have not been updated). Since then, Denver's standing has only increased: crude oil production is at an all-time high in Colorado, having increased for an average of 3 million barrels a month in 2010 to an average of nearly 12 million barrels a month in 2017.

Meanwhile, our cleantech industry is undergoing a period of sustained, rapid growth. According to the 2016 Metro Denver Economic Development Council's annual Industry Cluster Study, the metro Denver and Northern Colorado region ranks fourth nationally in cleantech employment concentration.