Who Is the Biggest Employer in Your State?

If you peruse a list of the biggest employers across the country, one company stands out – Wal-Mart. The retail giant is the largest employer in 40 percent of American states.

That’s according to a new top employer list compiled by 24/7 Wall St.

“As a state’s largest employer, the company may have a disproportionately large impact on its economy as well as on the surrounding region,” 24/7 Wall St. noted.

Wal-Mart is also the largest private employer overall in the United States, with 1.3 million on its payrolls in this country and 2.2 million employees worldwide, the report said.

Military bases and other federal and state government employers – except state universities – were excluded from 24/7 Wall St.’s list.

In this context, these are the employers that led in each state:

• Alabama: Wal-Mart, employs 34,000 people.
• Alaska: Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, 9,000.
• Arizona: Wal-Mart, 32,373.
• Arkansas: Wal-Mart, 50,000.
• California: The University of California System, 200,000.
• Colorado: The University of Colorado, 27,500.
• Connecticut: United Technologies, 22,000.
• Delaware: Christiana Care Health System, 10,500.
• Florida: Wal-Mart, 95,000.
• Georgia: Wal-Mart, 51,000.
• Hawaii: The University of Hawaii, 28,500.
• Idaho: St. Luke’s Health System, 12,761.
• Illinois: Wal-Mart, 51,137.
• Indiana: Indiana University, 60,000.
• Iowa: The University of Iowa, 22,500.
• Kansas: The University of Kansas, 13,500.
• Kentucky: Wal-Mart, 28,000.
• Louisiana: Wal-Mart, 34,633.
• Maine: Hannaford Bros., 8,000.
• Maryland: The University of Maryland, 38,640.
• Massachusetts: The University of Massachusetts, 28,000.
• Michigan: The University of Michigan System, 45,397.
• Minnesota: Mayo Clinic, 33,000.
• Mississippi: Wal-Mart, 23,430.
• Missouri: Wal-Mart, 40,000.
• Montana: Wal-Mart, 4,533.
• Nebraska: The University of Nebraska, 13,000.
• Nevada: MGM Grand Las Vegas, 50,000.
• New Hampshire: Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, 9,300.
• New Jersey: Wakefern Food Corp., 35,000.
• New Mexico: The University of New Mexico, 15,000.
• New York: The State University of New York, 89,871.
• North Carolina: Wal-Mart, 49,000.
• North Dakota: Sanford Health, 11,964.
• Ohio: Wal-Mart, 47,000.
• Oklahoma: Wal-Mart, 31,096.
• Oregon: Providence Health & Services, 18,000.
• Pennsylvania: The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 60,000.
• Rhode Island: Lifespan system of hospitals, 13,635.
• South Carolina: Wal-Mart, 26,829.
• South Dakota: Avera Health, 13,000.
• Tennessee: Wal-Mart, 38,569.
• Texas: Wal-Mart, 156,195.
• Utah: Intermountain Healthcare, 33,000.
• Vermont: The University of Vermont, 11,800.
• Virginia: Wal-Mart, 40,000.
• Washington: Boeing, 80,241.
• West Virginia: Wal-Mart, 10,855.
• Wisconsin: The University of Wisconsin System, 39,000.
• Wyoming: Wal-Mart, 4,000.

24/7 Wall St. analyzed employment figures for companies, both private and publicly held, including nonprofits, based on press releases, government data, local media reports and business journals.

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