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
Networking, semiconductors & hardware
Cisco, Broadcom, Nvidia (Santa Clara), Samsung Semiconductor, Western Digital, Super Micro, Lam Research, Applied Materials
San Jose proper is the hardware half of Silicon Valley — networking gear, chips, storage and the equipment that makes chips. It is the least visible half from outside and, for engineers, often the more durable one.
Software & internet
Adobe, eBay, PayPal, Zoom, Cadence, Splunk legacy, ServiceNow (Santa Clara)
Adobe, eBay and PayPal all have their headquarters inside San Jose city limits rather than in the surrounding towns, which is why downtown has an office core at all. Google's Downtown West project by Diridon Station was approved and then paused — treat it as a possibility, not a plan.
AI & data infrastructure
Nvidia, an extensive start-up layer, the large cloud providers' Bay Area campuses
The current cycle's centre of gravity, and the reason South Bay rents stopped falling after the remote-work dip. Compensation at the top of this market is genuinely unlike anywhere else in the country, and so is the volatility.
Aerospace & defence
Lockheed Martin Space (Sunnyvale), Moffett Field tenants, SRI International (Menlo Park)
A long-standing valley industry that predates the software one — the Sunnyvale space business dates to the 1950s. Most roles need US citizenship and a clearance, so it is context rather than an accessible market for new arrivals.
Health care
Kaiser Permanente, Stanford Health Care, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, El Camino Health, Good Samaritan
The largest employment sector that is not tied to the technology cycle, and the most reliable local hiring when the technology cycle turns. Santa Clara Valley Medical Center is the county's public hospital and a Level I trauma centre.
Clean energy & mobility
Bloom Energy, Tesla's supplier network, Zoox and the autonomous-vehicle cluster, San Jose Clean Energy
California's regulatory pressure created a real industry here. San Jose Clean Energy is the city's own community choice electricity provider — the city buys the power and the incumbent utility delivers it — which is the arrangement you will be enrolled in by default.
Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.