Sure, there are a ton of reasons to move to Savannah. Off the top of my head, I could probably name a dozen that are highly compelling: the weather, pace of life, beach, cost of living, culture, food… etc. However, in my experience, I have helped more families relocate to Savannah for one predominant reason; their job. So let’s take a look at the employment opportunities that are most abundant here in coastal Georgia.
Trade, Transportation, and Utilities
The Port of Savannah, operated by the Georgia Ports Authority, brings in over 4 million twenty-foot equivalent units (a uniform way to measure container volume) per year and is America’s largest single terminal container facility. That means it is an epicenter for import traffic, which drives other logistical and trade-based industries like air freight, rail freight, warehousing, and trucking. It’s no surprise that 23% of the civilian workforce in Chatham County is employed in this job sector.
Leisure and Hospitality
No surprise here. Not only do record numbers of containers arrive on huge Panamax vessels every year, but so do millions of tourists… over 14 million actually. And they spent nearly $3 billion (with a “B”) dollars in this city last year. That means 14% of Savannah area residents have jobs as restaurant staff, tour guides, hotel staff, bartenders, gift shop retailers, and even that one silver guy that pretends to be a statue in City Market. He’s good.
Education and Health Services
Tied for second place (or third – depending on how you look at it), with 14% of the population working in this sector, is the health and education sector. The two main medical centers in town, Memorial Hospital and St. Joseph’s/Candler, both have large campuses in the lower midtown area and several satellites around the county. Each are world class, and in demand. And not only does the Savannah Chatham County Public School System (SCCPSS) employ enough teachers and staff to guide over 38,000 students from K to 12 each year, but GSU-Armstrong, Savannah State University, Savannah College of Art & Design, and dozens of private schools all contribute to the employment of over 26,000 residents.
Government
Yes, public sector work is huge in Savannah. Just about 13% of Chatham County residents are employed as city planners, building inspectors, policy administrators, police officers, firefighters, sanitation workers, housing and development council, and the list goes on. Out of all job sectors in this area, it has the lowest turnover by far.
Professional and Business Services
Lastly, but not leastly (I know that’s not a word), are the 21,000 or so of us that find our way into this catch-all of private sector workers known as business professionals. Think lawyers, salespeople, human resources, accountants, photographers, advertisers, writers, and Realtors (like me).
Bonus: Military Service
This article is written using data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, which doesn’t account for the 24,000 or more soldiers and civilians working at Fort Stewart and Hunter Army Air Field plus their families. A PCS to Savannah isn’t something that an active duty soldier can always control, but it’s worth noting that this population contributes a huge portion to the region’s economy. I am appreciative of their service to this country and have had the privilege of helping about a dozen families find homes here for the purpose of helping keep this country safe.
For help finding jobs in Savannah, you can always look at the typical job sites: Indeed, Monster, Glass Door, Zip Recruiter, etc. And if you are interested in a career in Real Estate, give me a shout!
