Florida Gulf Coast University’s Regional Economic Research Institute revealed Southwest Florida’s top 100 employers, with private-nonprofit health care system Lee Health leading the way, followed by the School District of Lee County and Lakeland-based grocery chain Publix.
The RERI research team updated the list March 16. County governments and schools, health care companies, including Naples-based Arthrex, nonprofit Naples Comprehensive Health and retailer Walmart rounded out the top 10.
The top 100 represents about 161,000 employees in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties, or 25% of the five-county area’s workforce of nearly 632,700.
As a high-level snapshot of Southwest Florida’s employment landscape, researchers said the list has limitations, including potential inaccuracies in underlying data and records updated between 2024 and 2026.
Population growth from families and retirees has increased demand for nurses, teachers, trade workers and other service-oriented professionals. Health care has shown the strongest employment growth both nationally and in Southwest Florida.
John Shannon
“[Health care] is really the only industry where we’ve seen that over the past 12 to 15 months,” RERI Research Economist John Shannon said. “Everything else has been flat or declining.”
Lee Health reported 16,506 employees, making it the region’s largest employer, well ahead of Lee schools (12,264) and Publix (10,445).
Lee Health reported operating revenue growth of 40% since 2021 and continues to advance expansion plans, including a new Fort Myers campus expected to open in 2028.
Mike Wukitsch
“I’m really proud of how well managed we are and the fact that we’ve managed the growth in a thoughtful, responsible way,” said Chief People Officer Mike Wukitsch.
Lee Health reports an average hourly wage of $48.38 and had nearly 900 open positions at press time. Nurses are the system’s largest and most in-demand employee group.
The system also employs medical assistants, customer service representatives, therapists, technicians, pharmacists, physicians, finance analysts and coders.
Staffing challenges include industry competition and Lee County housing costs, though housing pressures have begun to ease in a softening real estate market.
The district reported about 6,000 teachers, 4,570 support staff, 570 bus drivers and 400 administrators. The district is expanding with new schools, including in eastern Lee County.
The district has addressed staffing challenges through recruitment partnerships, career development pathways, digital and artificial intelligence-driven recruitment strategies and leadership programs. It also raised minimum starting teacher salaries to $54,500.
Shanna Johnston
“Ultimately, our goal is to build a workforce that is stable, supported and future ready,” said Chief of Human Resources Shanna Johnston.
The district has filled 99% of its teacher and instructional roles, Johnston said, despite a nationwide teacher shortage. However, cost of living and competition from higher-wage remote jobs remain challenges.
“Housing affordability and cost of living pressures are very real, and they impact our ability to attract and retain employees, but we have found ways to mitigate that,” Johnston said.
Harns Marsh Middle School teachers said they were drawn to the profession to help others and make a positive impact during a critical stage in students’ lives.
Noah Rollins, the Lehigh Acres school’s math department head and an Army veteran, said “a desire to serve my community and my country” outweighed financial motivations.
Publix opened a new store last fall to anchor the new Shoppes at Orange Blossom in Golden Gate Estates, while the supermarket chain rebuilds its store at Neapolitan Way in Naples and has another new location under construction at Gateway Shoppes at North Bay in North Naples.
“I specifically wanted to teach middle school because I believe that is the most important time to reach students and be able to make a difference in how they approach not only schoolwork, but life in general,” he said.
Melanie Napoles, a language arts teacher, said she was inspired in college while assisting special needs students, which led her to change her major from business to psychology and pursue teaching credentials.
“Since then, both the process and the profession itself have been incredibly rewarding,” she said. “It is a privilege to play even a small role in helping students grow in knowledge, confidence and character.”
Joseph Humble, who spent 22 years as a chiropractor, now serves as athletic director and teaches health and culinary classes.
“Knowing that I play a part in helping students discover their potential and navigate challenges gives my work a deeper, lasting sense of purpose,” he said.
FGCU RERI’s list includes companies with more than 400 employees.
B&I Contractors’ headquarters at 2701 Prince St. in Fort Myers, where the company is expanding industrial operations on nearby property.
Fort Myers-based B&I Contractors reports a South Florida workforce of more than 1,400 employees and 170 open positions. The company recently announced a $28 million expansion of its Fort Myers headquarters.
B&I offers an employee ownership program that allows workers to share in the company’s growth.
“As Southwest Florida continues to expand, there’s increasing demand for new health care facilities, schools and large-scale commercial developments to support that growth,” B&I Recruiting Manager Blake Angove said.
Goodwill Industries of Southwest Florida reported more than 1,070 employees and plans to open three retail stores in Naples, Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda in 2026.
“Employment challenges are typified by securing sufficient employee levels to staff all operations in a rising wage environment,” Chief Operating Officer Doug Stewart said, “as well as increasing costs in our local market — taxes, insurance, etc. — while maintaining the delivery of services to the local community.”
Top 100 sources
FGCU researchers sourced the data from DatabaseUSA, representing the most recent information available on Lightcast.
In comparison with U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages reports, DatabaseUSA showed higher employment numbers across all industries, possibly due to double-counting or other errors.
The list reflects parent companies but not private equity firms, such as the Hoffmann Family of Companies, whose businesses collectively employ 7,014 regional workers and would have ranked in the top 10.
Southwest Florida Top Employers (2025)
Top 32 employers by workforce size
Lee Memorial Health System — 16,506
Lee County Public Schools — 12,264
Publix Asset Management Company — 10,445
Lee County Local Government — 9,959
Walmart Inc. — 8,202
Collier County Public Schools — 6,091
Collier County Local Government — 5,262
Arthrex Inc. — 4,440
NCH Healthcare System — 3,940
Charlotte County Local Government — 2,908
Community Health Systems Inc. (Physicians Regional Healthcare)— 2,692
Amazon.com Inc. — 2,530
Charlotte County Public Schools — 2,512
Herc Rentals — 2,226
Wells Fargo Bank — 2,093
Gargiulo Inc. — 2,082
Gartner Inc. — 2,000
The Home Depot Inc. — 1,956
Florida Gulf Coast University — 1,943
McDonald’s Corporation — 1,930
Millennium Physician Group — 1,758
Marriott International Inc. — 1,680
Shell Point Retirement Community — 1,563
HCA Florida Healthcare — 1,448
Walgreens Co. — 1,440
UnitedHealthcare Services Inc. — 1,295
Florida SouthWestern State College — 1,255
Inspire Brands Inc. — 1,194
Neogenomics Inc. — 1,150
The Hertz Corporation — 1,073
Hendry County Public Schools — 1,071
CVS Health Corporation — 1,056
The full list is available through FGCU’s Regional Economic Research Institute.
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