San Joseruns on a handful of strong industries. If you’re job-hunting or weighing a move, here’s where the opportunities (and the big-name employers) are.
Top industries & employers
Medical devices & life sciences
Boston Scientific, Abbott, Establishment Labs, Medtronic, Okay Industries
Costa Rica is one of the world's largest exporters of medical devices per head, concentrated in the free zones around Heredia, Alajuela and Cartago. Establishment Labs is a Costa Rican company that listed on Nasdaq.
Technology & shared services
Intel, Amazon, Microsoft, IBM, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Emerson
Intel has manufactured and engineered in Costa Rica since 1997 and its assembly and test operation is one of the country's largest single exporters. The shared-service and engineering centres around Heredia and Belén employ tens of thousands.
Tourism & hospitality
Marriott, Hyatt, Costa Rican eco-lodge operators, Volaris, Avianca
Tourism is a leading source of foreign exchange, and Costa Rica's national-park system and certification schemes made it the reference case for ecotourism worldwide. San José is the hub rather than the destination.
Agriculture & agro-export
Dole, Chiquita, Del Monte, Coopedota, Hacienda Alsacia (Starbucks)
Bananas, pineapples and speciality coffee dominate exports. The Tarrazú and West Valley coffee regions are within two hours of San José and the industry's commercial layer sits in the capital.
Financial services
Banco Nacional, Banco de Costa Rica, BAC Credomatic, Scotiabank, Promerica
A banking sector split between large state banks and private groups, with BAC Credomatic operating across Central America from a San José base. The Bolsa Nacional de Valores is small but functioning.
Renewable energy & utilities
ICE, Compañía Nacional de Fuerza y Luz, Coopelesca
Costa Rica generates almost all of its electricity from hydro, geothermal, wind and solar, and has run for extended stretches entirely without fossil fuels. ICE, the state utility, is also a major telecoms operator through Kölbi.
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