Careers in Demand

Working in Frederick County, Virginia

Frederick County, Virginia, is part of the Winchester Metropolitan Statistical Area (Winchester MSA) which includes the County's city-center, Winchester, and Hampshire County, West Virginia. The Winchester MSA has been recognized by numerous third parties, including Forbes and Site Selection magazine, as a top location for business, quality of life, and future growth.

Diversity in Business Size, Industry Sector, and Occupation

3,672 business establishments in Winchester-Frederick County employ 63,853 individuals.¹
- 97.7% of Winchester-Frederick County businesses have less than 100 employees.¹
- 2.3% of businesses employ more than 100 people.
- While the number of businesses with over 100 employees represents less than 3% of enterprises, these businesses employ approximately 51% of the total employment base.¹
Valley Health System (healthcare), Amazon (logistics), Frederick County Public Schools (public education), Navy Federal Credit Union (operations center), and Trex (advanced manufacturing, logistics, and headquarters) are the community's largest employers.²

Projected New Job Growth Over the Next Decade

Total Job Demand = Exits + Transfers + New Job Growth

Exits - retirements, or leaving the workforce to pursue education, for example
Transfers - changing from one occupation to another
New Job Growth - a company opens or expands, creating new positions

The following are sectors projected to have the highest new job growth in Winchester-Frederick County, Virginia, over the next decade.³

Industry	Employment Growth	Total Demand
Manufacturing	978	9,263
Health Care and Social Assistance	849	11,254
Transportation and Warehousing	739	7,004
Construction	508	3,720
Finance and Insurance	443	3,482
Accommodation and Food Services	362	9,477
Retail Trade	300	11,668
Administrative and Support and Waste Management and Remediation Services	281	3,573
Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services	278	2,352
Wholesale Trade	259	2,245
Other Services (except Public Administration)	227	3,084
Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation	125	1,906
Public Administration	120	3,348
Management of Companies and Enterprises	81	1,195
Educational Services	67	5,211
Real Estate and Rental and Leasing	63	768
Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting	50	749
Information	40	434
Utilities	26	269
Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction	11	70
Unclassified	8	126
Total - All Industries	5,818	80,941

Future Workforce Needs within Targeted Growth Sectors

The Frederick County Economic Development Authority’s Target Business Suitability Study quantitatively and qualitatively identifies traded-sector industries that align with Frederick County’s assets, demonstrate potential to expand or relocate to the area, and generate value through investment, jobs, payroll, and local purchasing.

The following sectors for future growth were identified:

Occupations span a wide breadth of industry sectors. Careers in human resources, finance, and sales, for example, can be found in manufacturing facilities, operations centers, professional services firms, and many other sectors. The following list is a sampling of careers that support targeted growth sectors.

Business/Finance
I.T./Math/Engineering
Science/Health
Arts/Communication
Manufacturing/Construction

Occupation	SOC	Total 10 Year Forecasted Demand	Ann Wage, Entry Level¹	Ann Wage, Experienced¹
Marketing Managers	11-2021	74	$83,300	$183,600
Sales Managers	11-2022	121	$67,500	$197,900
Computer and Information Systems Managers	11-3020	139	$113,900	$212,500
Financial Managers	11-3030	358	$89,100	$204,200
Industrial Production Managers	11-3050	70	$92,800	$158,800
Purchasing Managers	11-3060	44	$103,800	$168,900
Architectural and Engineering Managers	11-9040	43	$134,200	$203,600
Medical and Health Services Managers	11-9110	185	$91,100	$170,800
Management Analysts	13-1110	544	$75,500	$137,200
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists	13-1160	265	$44,600	$94,900
Credit Analysts	13-2040	39	$62,400	$113,800
Financial and Investment Analysts	13-2051	96	$54,900	$121,800
Personal Financial Advisors	13-2052	107	$50,500	$120,400
Loan Officers	13-2072	212	$53,800	$95,600
Sales Representatives, Services	41-3000	910	$45,100	$97,000

^{Source: JobsEQ, 2025Q3}

Occupation	SOC	Total 10 Year Forecast Demand	Ann Wage, Entry Level¹	Ann Wage, Experienced¹
Computer Systems Analysts	15-1211	122	$67,700	$113,900
Computer Network Architects	15-1241	38	$93,400	$144,500
Database Administrators	15-1242	16	$62,500	$121,900
Database Architects	15-1243	26	$89,000	$158,400
Network and Computer Systems Administrators	15-1244	55	$65,900	$112,400
Computer Programmers	15-1251	13	$58,700	$118,500
Software Quality Assurance Analysts and Testers	15-1253	38	$66,300	$123,900
Web Developers	15-1254	16	$53,400	$114,400
Web and Digital Interface Designers	15-1255	20	$54,300	$131,800
Operations Research Analysts	15-2030	61	$57,300	$112,300
Statisticians	15-2040	6	$66,100	$127,000
Data Scientists	15-2050	59	$69,400	$142,500
Engineers	17-2000	427	$68,100	$131,900
Electrical Engineers	17-2071	35	$78,200	$136,100
Industrial Engineers	17-2112	108	$59,200	$120,100
Mechanical Engineers	17-2140	66	$58,800	$110,200

Occupation	SOC	Total 10 Year Forecast Demand	Ann Wage, Entry Level¹	Ann Wage, Experienced¹
Biological Scientists	19-1020	28	$54,500	$104,800
Physical Scientists	19-2000	66	$56,000	$117,300
Food Science Technicians	19-4013	33	$37,300	$54,600
Biological Technicians	19-4020	26	$38,100	$59,000
Occupational Health and Safety Specialists and Technicians	19-5000	104	$48,400	$83,100
Medical and Clinical Laboratory Technicians	29-2012	41	$43,200	$71,600
Clinical Laboratory Technologists and Technicians	29-2010	84	$43,200	$71,600
Chemists and Materials Scientists	19-2030	24	$54,300	$103,700

Occupation	SOC	Total 10 Year Forecast Demand	Ann Wage, Entry Level¹	Ann Wage, Experienced¹
Designers	27-1020	226	$32,600	$64,000
Graphic Designers	27-1024	53	$45,400	$83,800
Editors	27-3041	18	$38,800	$85,600
Writers and Authors	27-3043	41	$41,100	$84,300
Public Relations Managers	11-2032	17	$86,900	$191,900
Public Relations Specialists	27-3030	81	$46,600	$101,500
Interpreters and Translators	27-3091	23	$34,800	$61,700
Art Directors	27-1011	29	$61,100	$125,900
Special Effects Artists and Animators	27-1014	9	$56,000	$106,800

Occupation	SOC	Total 10 Year Forecast Demand	Ann Wage, Entry Level¹	Ann Wage, Experienced¹
Assemblers and Fabricators	51-2000	955	$33,300	$45,800
First-Line Supervisors of Production and Operating Workers	51-1010	477	$49,800	$85,700
Machinists	51-4040	108	$43,200	$69,300
Industrial Production Managers	11-3050	70	$92,800	$158,800
Industrial Machinery Installation, Repair, and Maintenance Workers	49-9040	391	$45,000	$72,400
Installation, Maintenance, and Repair Occupations	49-0000	2,931	$39,400	$71,800
Welding, Soldering, and Brazing Workers	51-4120	213	$40,300	$62,300
Sheet Metal Workers	47-2210	69	$38,600	$67,900
Structural Metal Fabricators and Fitters	51-2040	22	$48,000	$59,200
Forming Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	51-4020	205	$38,700	$57,300
Machine Tool Cutting Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic	51-4030	138	$38,100	$55,700

Current Workforce Needs

The EDA utilizes JobsEQ labor market software by Chmura Economics & Analytics for real-time data on who is hiring now. In addition to careers in demand, information is provided on most sought after certifications and educational programs. The data is updated every other month in the data section of the EDA website.

A tool is available on LiveLoveShenandoah.com where visitors can search for available positions in the Northern Shenandoah Valley.

Twice annually, The Employer Expo hiring fair is held in the Winchester area. Details can be found at TheEmployerExpo.com.

Frederick County employers are growing. Learn more about recent expansion and new location announcements spanning manufacturing, finance, and operational support.

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_{The EDA team helps businesses expand in Frederick County, including identifying property, facilitating connections with education and workforce solutions providers, and working through government processes, like permitting, inspections, and zoning. Connect with the EDA}

_{This page is updated bi-annually.

Last Updated: January 2026

Next Update: July 2026}

_SOURCES

_{1 Virginia Works, Labor Market Data, Community Profiles, Winchester MSA 2025Q1

2 Virginia Works, Largest Employers, 2025Q1

3 JobsEq, 2025Q3}

Frederick County Economic Development Authority

Careers in Demand

Projected New Job Growth Over the Next Decade

Manufacturing

Health Care & Social Assist.

Transportation & Warehousing

Construction

Finance & Insurance

Accommodation & Food Services

Retail Trade

Admin. & Waste Mgmt.

Prof., Scientific, Tech. Services

Wholesale Trade

Future Workforce Needs within Targeted Growth Sectors

Current Workforce Needs

RECENT ANNOUNCEMENTS

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