California’s Top 20 Industries: Driving Innovation, Growth, and Prosperity

California stands as the 5th largest economy in the world, fueled by diverse industries that shape its economic dominance. From Hollywood’s entertainment empire to Silicon Valley’s tech revolution, our industries lead in innovation, sustainability, and global influence. As California moves towards a more independent and self-sustaining future, these 20 powerhouse industries will be at the forefront, creating jobs, fostering investment, and shaping policies that reflect the state’s unique values. This page highlights the key sectors driving California’s economy, their contributions, and how we can strengthen them to secure our future. Join us as we build a stronger, more resilient California—by Californians, for Californians.

California's Top Industries

Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Rental, and Leasing

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $577 billion
  • Details: This sector includes financial services, insurance companies, real estate activities, and rental and leasing services.
  • Source: Statista

Information

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $452 billion
  • Details: Includes software publishing, motion picture and sound recording, broadcasting, telecommunications, and data processing services.
  • Source: Statista

Retail Trade

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $174 billion
  • Details: Comprises businesses selling consumer goods such as clothing, electronics, and groceries.
  • Source: Statista

Wholesale Trade

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $146 billion
  • Details: Involves the distribution of goods to retailers, industrial, commercial, and institutional users.
  • Source: Statista

Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Accommodation, and Food Services

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $131 billion
  • Details: Encompasses entertainment industries, recreational activities, hotels, and restaurants.
  • Source: Statista

Arts, Entertainment, Recreation, Accommodation, and Food Services

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $131 billion
  • Details: Encompasses entertainment industries, recreational activities, hotels, and restaurants.
  • Source: Statista

Utilities

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $40 billion
  • Details: Provides electric power, natural gas, water supply, and sewage removal services.
  • Source: Statista

Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $30 billion
  • Details: Involves extraction of minerals, oil, and natural gas.
  • Source: Statista

Other Services (Except Government)

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $20 billion
  • Details: Comprises repair and maintenance services, personal services, and religious organizations.
  • Source: Statista

Insurance Carriers and Related Activities

  • Annual Contribution:Included within Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Rental, and Leasing
  • Details: Encompasses insurance underwriting and related services.
  • Source: Statista

Management of Companies and Enterprises

  • Annual Contribution:Approximately $15 billion
  • Details: Includes establishments that hold securities of companies for ownership or control purposes.
  • Source: Statista

Professional and Business Services

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $521 billion
  • Details: Encompasses legal services, accounting, consulting, advertising, and other professional services.
  • Source: Statista

Manufacturing

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $352 billion
  • Details: Covers the production of goods such as electronics, machinery, chemicals, and food products.
  • Source: Statista

Government and Government Enterprises

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $340 billion
  • Details: Represents federal, state, and local government activities and services.
  • Source: Statista

Educational Services, Health Care, and Social Assistance

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $255 billion
  • Details: Includes private educational institutions, hospitals, outpatient care centers, and social assistance programs.
  • Source: Statista

Construction

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $101 billion
  • Details: Includes residential and non-residential building construction, as well as infrastructure projects.
  • Source: Statista

Transportation and Warehousing

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $80 billion
  • Details:Covers air, rail, water, and truck transportation, as well as warehousing and storage services.
  • Source: Statista

Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $50 billion
  • Details:Involves crop production, animal farming, forestry, and fishing activities.
  • Source: Statista

Administrative and Support and Waste Management Services

  • Annual Contribution: Approximately $25 billion
  • Details: Includes employment services, security services, cleaning services, and waste disposal.
  • Source: Statista

Real Estate

  • Annual Contribution: Included within Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Rental, and Leasing
  • Details: Focuses on real estate activities such as brokerage, management, and property sales.
  • Source: Statista

Rental and Leasing Services

  • Annual Contribution: Included within Finance, Insurance, Real Estate, Rental, and Leasing
  • Details: Involves renting and leasing of tangible goods and equipment.
  • Source: Statista

Fiscal Contributions and Federal Support:

I strongly believe that it’s time for California to take control of its financial destiny. We contribute significantly more than we receive, and this imbalance must be addressed. As a sovereign nation-state, California would have the autonomy to allocate its resources more effectively, ensuring that our contributions directly benefit our citizens, especially in critical areas like homelessness.

Taxes: California is a Maker state, contributing more to the federal government than we receive. (In contrast, South Carolina takes in more than $7 in federal funds for every $1 they contribute.)

We subsidize about 35+ states in America (who contribute less than their fair share), and have done so for over 40 years. The amount of money we have lost over decades is in the hundreds of billions of dollars.

Additionally we don’t receive fair federal support for service we do need. CA is famously home to half of the homeless population but only receives a faction of the Federal McKinney-Vento federal homeless assistance funds when our need is much more.