Find Out How to Get a Job and Work in Tampa Bay

Employment in Tampa Bay

Local Economy

The city is home to a number of large corporations, and has particular strengths in the industries of finance, healthcare, tourism, retail, and life sciences research, amongst others. The Port of Tampa is one of the largest in the country, and it too plays a key part to the economy of the area. Some of the largest employers in the city include BayCare Health System, Publix Super Market, and HCA West Florida. Downtown Tampa is amidst a number of development projects that should bring with them more jobs for people living in the city.

The unemployment rate in Tampa is lower than the U.S. average, and the job growth is considerably higher; work in Tampa should be relatively easy to find – there are plenty of jobs in the city within a wide variety of different companies and sectors. That being said, the average household and family incomes remain lower than the averages for the whole of the U.S.

Job Hunting in Tampa

There are plenty of jobs on offer in the city, and so finding work to advance your career in Tampa should not prove too much of a struggle for expats (getting your U.S. visa approved might be more the greater challenge, though).

If you do not have employment lined up, a good place to start your search is the city’s main newspaper, the Tampa Bay Times, which runs its search through the popular job search engine ‘Monster’. The government also offers an employment service available through the Tampa Government website, and a useful breakdown of local employment in Tampa and the surrounding area is available on the Labor Bureau website.

The application process is nothing out of the ordinary — generally speaking, the company will provide either an application form on their website or an email address for you to contact with an attached resume. If successful, expatriates will then be invited for an interview.

Taxation in Tampa 

There is no city or state tax and expats may well see this as a benefit of working in Tampa, as this is not the case in every U.S. city. Federal income tax, does, however, still apply. You can learn more about this topic in our separate articles on social security and taxation in the United States.

Furthermore, the local sales tax is 7% and a relatively high tax is incurred for those who own property. The taxable rate of real estate will be established by the Property Appraiser, and is something that you should take into consideration before purchasing a property in the city.