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Updated June 2019
Denver, Colorado was named sixth on Forbes Magazine’s “Best Places for Business and Careers”. Due to its proximity to the mineral-rich Rocky Mountains, Denver has long been a home for mining and energy companies such as, Halliburton, Smith International, Newmont Mining and Noble Energy. Denver’s west-central location within the United States makes communication with both North American coasts, South America, Europe and Asia possible and benefits telecommunications industries including Quest Communications, Dish Network Corporation, Starz-Encore, DirecTV and Comcast.
Denver, the capitol of and largest city in Colorado, is also know as the “Mile High City” due to it’s elevation of 5,280 feet. Cities in the metro area also include Arvada, Aurora, Centennial, Lakewood, Thornton and Westminster. Situated along the Front Range Urban Corridor of the Rocky Mountains, the Denver Metro area includes ten counties and over 2.5 million residents.
The top 25 employers in Metro Denver; including government and municipal organizations, and corporations; as well as contact information and a brief description of each follows.
1. U.S. Government
Various Locations
www.opm.gov
The U.S. Government is the largest employer in Metro Denver. The Department of the Interior includes such agencies as Bureau of Land Management, Office of Surface Mining and Reclamation, Bureau of Reclamation and all have offices in or near the Denver Metro area. Other service agencies in the area are U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the General Services Administration and the Department of Labor – US Mine Safety and Health Administration. In addition, there are 6 military bases near Denver, including Buckley Air Force Base in Aurora and Fort Carson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs.
2. State of Colorado
Various Locations
www.colorado.gov/dpa
Another top employer in the Denver Metro Area is the State of Colorado. As the capitol and largest city in the state, Denver hosts the State of Colorado in multiple locations. Offices include the Division of Finance and Procurement, Division of Central Services, Executive Office, Office of the State Controller, State Personnel Board, Office of Administrative Courts, and Division of Human Resources. The State of Colorado employs nearly 30,000 people in the Denver Metro area.
3. Walmart Stores
Various Locations
www.walmart.com
Employing just over 28,000 people in Colorado, Walmart currently operates 106 retail stores in Colorado. Associates earn on average $14.20 an hour based on full time employment.
4. University of Colorado Systems
Various Locations
www.cu.edu
The University of Colorado includes four campuses located in Boulder, Colorado Springs, Denver and the Anschultz Medical Complex in Denver. CU offers academic programs for Undergraduate and Graduate degrees as well as combined Bachelor’s/Masters programs and Academic Enrichment Programs.
5. Centura Health
188 Inverness Drive West, Suite 500
Englewood, Co 80112
(303) 290-6500
www.centura.org
Centura Health is one of the top 25 employers for the metro Denver area. Its health care network includes 15 hospitals, eight affiliate hospitals, health neighborhoods, health at home, urgent care centers, emergency centers, mountain clinics, 100 plus physician practices and clinics and Flight for Life Colorado.
6. Denver Public Schools
1860 Lincoln St.
Denver, Co 80203
(720) 423-3200
www.dcsdk12.org
Denver Public Schools educates 90,000 children each year in 200+ schools. Employees include over 11,500 team members.
7. City and County of Denver
Various Locations
www.denvergov.org
The offices of the City and County of Denver oversee departments such as Animal Control, Board of Parks and Recreation, City Council, Denver Public Library, Economic Development, Fire Department, Health and Human Services, Light Rail, the Mayor’s Office, the Sheriff’s Department, Voter Registration, Water Quality and the Zoning Code.
8. Jefferson County Public Schools
1829 Denver West Drive
Golden, Co 80401
(303) 982-6500
www.jeffcopublicschools.org
Jefferson County Public Schools employs over 11,000 and educates over 86,000 students.
9. HealthONE Corporation
400 South Monaco Street, Suite 380
Denver, CO 80237
(303) 584-6099
www.healthonecares.com
HealthONE Hospitals throughout the Denver Metro Area include The Medical Center of Aurora, North Suburban Medical Center, Presbyterian/St. Luke’s Medical Center, Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, Rose Medical Center, Sky Ridge Medical Center, Spalding Rehabilitation Hospital and Swedish Medical Center.
10. SCL Health System
2420 W. 26th Avenue, Suite D-100
Denver, CO 80211
(303) 813-5190
www.sclhealth.org
SCL Health Systems was founded by the Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth as a faith-based nonprofit health care organization operating nine hospitals, four clinics, one children’s mental health center and more than 100 ambulatory service centers in four states – Colorado, Kansas, Montana and California. The $2.7 billion health network is dedicated to improving health, especially in low-income communities.
11. Douglas County Schools
620 Wilcox Street
Castle Rock, Co 80104
(303) 387-0100
www.dcsdk12.org
With just over 7,700 employees, Douglas County Schools is one of the largest school districts in the Denver Metro Area. 67,000 students fill 48 elementary schools, 9 middle schools, 9 high schools, 5 alternative schools and 16 charter schools.
12. Comcast Corporation
188 Inverness Drive West
Englewood, CO 80112
(720) 267-7000
www.xfinity.com
Comcast is another of the top 25 employers for Metro Denver, with over 5,500 employees in the metro area. Comcast Corporation’s interests include television, internet, film (Universal Pictures), voice and cable services.
4700 S. Yosemite St
Greenwood Village, CO 80111
(303) 773-1184
www.CherryCreekSchools.org
Located in Southeast Denver, the Cherry Creek School District is well know for producing high achieving students. With over 54,000 students, Cherry Creek Schools has 42 elementary schools, 10 middle schools and 7 high schools.
14. Denver Health
777 Bannock Street
Denver, CO 80204
(303) 436-6000
www.denverhealth.org
Denver Health provides Colorado’s largest healthcare safety net, giving level one care regardless of the patient’s ability to pay.
15. Kaiser Permanente
100535 East Dakota Avenue
Denver, CO 80247
(303) 338-3800
www.kp.org
Kaiser Permanente is a network of 17,000 physicians providing care in areas including oncology, cardiology, stroke, diabetes and hypertension. Kaiser Permanente offers individual and family plans, medicare plans and employer-sponsored plans.
16. Wells Fargo Bank
1740 South Broadway
Denver, CO 80274
(303) 863-4631
www.wellsfargo.com
Offering personal, small business and commercial money services for the Denver Metro area, Wells Fargo employs nearly 5,000 area residents in their more than 160 branches in Colorado.
17. Children’s Hospital Colorado
13123 East 16th Avenue
Aurora, CO 80045
(720) 777-1234
www.childrenscolorado.org
Children’s Hospital Colorado is a nonprofit hospital providing medical care for children from birth throughout adolescence, ranked nationally by U.S. News and World Report each year since pediatric hospitals were first ranked in 1993. Children’s Hospital Colorado was also ranked #1 in “Family Friendliness” and #5 for Overall care by Parents Magazine in 2013.
18. Adams 12 Five Schools
1500 E. 128th Avenue
Thornton, Co 80241
(720) 972-4000
www.adams12.org
Located in Adams County, one of the state’s largest counties, Adams 12 Five Schools educates over 38,000 students in 29 elementary schools, 7 middle schools and 5 high schools. In addition, Adams Five Schools operates 4 magnet schools, 1 technical school, 3 alternative high schools and 3 charter schools.
19. Aurora Public Schools
15701 East First Avenue
Aurora, CO 80011
(303) 344-8060
www.aurorak12.org
The Adams-Arapahoe 28J School District is the public school system in Aurora, CO for over 37,000 students in grades K-12. The district consists of 59 schools and a staff of over 5,000.
20. CenturyLink
9370 S. Colorado Blvd.
Highlands Ranch, Co 80126
(303) 791-5033
www.centurylink.com
CenturyLink provides high speed internet, phone and TV services in local, national and select international markets. CenturyLink is headquartered in Monroe, LA but employs over 6,300 Denver area residents. CenturyLink is an S&P 500 Company and is on Fortune 500 list of America’s largest corporations.
21. St. Vrain Valley Schools
395 South Pratt Parkway
Longmont, CO 80501
(303) 776-6200
www.svvsd.org
Home to just over 32,000 students, the St. Vrain Valley School District is the 7th in the state and operates 23 elementary schools, 8 middle schools and 1 middle /senior and 7 high schools. Additionally the district offers one alternative high school and online schooling.
22. Dish Network
Various Locations
www.dish.com
DISH Network employs over 4,000 employees and provides satellite TV, internet services and equipment in the Denver Metro Area.
23. Boulder Valley School District RE-2
7604 Technology Way
Boulder, CO 80303
(303) 447-1010
www.bvsd.org
Boulder Valley School District RE-2 is a leader in academic excellence, with top ratings at the state and national levels. The district includes 56 schools and over 500 square miles, serving 30,000 students.
24. Xcel Energy
www.xcelenergy.com
With just over 3,600 employees and recognized for being an industry leader, Xcel Energy leads the renewable energy movement and focuses on reducing carbons while providing reliable and affordable energy.
25. Ball Corporation
10 Longs Peak Drive
Broomfield, CO 80021
(303) 533-7002
www.ball.com
Broomfield, Colorado is home to the headquarters of Ball Corporation, originally Ball Brothers Glass Manufacturing Company, founded in 1880. Famous for producing glass canning jars, Ball Corporation is now involved in areas such as avionics, space system, metal food and beverage containers, and aluminum aerosol containers. Ball Corporation split their canning jar production into a separate company in 1993, originally named Alltrista, now Jarden.
