Top 5 Employers in South Carolina: Which Companies Have the Most Jobs?

There are many industries and job opportunities in South Carolina. The top five employers in the Palmetto State include three in the health care industry and one in manufacturing, while the top employer in the state is South Carolina's government.

Here are the top five employers in South Carolina:

1. Government is the single largest employer in South Carolina, according to the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce. Government in South Carolina employs around 356,800 individuals or roughly 19 percent of the entire state non-farm workforce.

VOTE NOW: Is South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley Doing a Good Job?

2. As of 2012, Greenville Memorial Hospital was providing work for over 16,000 people, including some 11,000 staff workers as well as doctors and nurses. Greenville Memorial first opened its doors as City Hospital back in 1912 and is the state's largest non-profit healthcare system. Over the last 100 years, the organization has evolved from a single hospital to a highly integrated delivery system and academic medical center, according to their website.

3. The Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston employs 12,000 people. The MUSC has served the people of South Carolina since 1824. It has expanded from a small private college that trains doctors to a state university with a medical center and six colleges.

VOTE NOW: Should the Government Be Doing More to Promote Tourism in America?

4. BMW Manufacturing Company based in Greer has 7,000 employees at its manufacturing plant. The company first opened its doors in South Carolina 20 years ago. BMW now supports over 37,000 jobs statewide with an annual economic output of $16.6 billion.

5. Palmetto Health Richland of Columbia has about 4,200 employees plus a medical and dental staff of about 900 people. The Richland hospital is one of six in the Palmetto Health Family and bills itself as one of the largest and most progressive hospitals in the Southeast. The organization is a teaching facility that concentrates integrating new technology in healthcare.

URGENT: Do You Approve of the Job Nikki Haley Is Doing as South Carolina Governor?

Related Stories:

• 5 Facts About South Carolina's Capital: How Well Do You Know Columbia?

• South Carolina History: 8 Events That Shaped the State