Top Employers
Home to Costa Farms, Sebring International Raceway, Lockwood Aivation, Advanced Drainage Systems, and other well-known companies, our economy is balanced by a combination of health care, manufacturing, agriculture, aviation, sports and tourism, education, and government as major employers in the region. Below you can find Highlands County's top private and public employers by employee count numbers as of July 2025.
Top 10 Private Employers
| Employer |
Employees |
Industry |
| AdventHealth |
1,798 |
Health & Social Services |
| Walmart |
797 |
Retail |
| Publix |
533 |
Retail |
| HCA Healthcare |
416 |
Health & Social Services |
| Central Florida Healthcare |
263 |
Health & Social Services |
| Alan Jay Automotive Network |
261 |
Retail Trade |
| Bowman Steel |
231 |
Structual Steel Contractor |
| The Palms of Sebring |
194 |
Health & Social Services |
| Home Depot |
168 |
Retail |
| Costa Farms |
166 |
Agriculture |
Top Public Employers
| Employer |
Employees |
Industry |
| Highlands County School Board |
1,879 |
Education |
| South Florida State College |
450 |
Education |
| Board of County Commissioners |
403 |
Government |
| Highlands County Sheriff's Office |
353 |
Law Enforcement |
| Avon Park Correctional Institute |
380 |
Law Enforcement |