Santa Rosa County Workforce

A skilled workforce is here and ready to get to work

The County labor force is over 84,000.

The regional labor force is over 300,000.

Unemployment rate: 2.5% (Jan 2023)

We have one of the largest concentrations of military retirees in the nation

We have over 34,000 military retirees in the 325 zip code.

Spouses and dependents of active-duty military personnel from the local military presence also contribute to our growing labor force.

Wages are competitive and incentive levels are easy to reach

The average wage for Santa Rosa County is $19.46 per hour. For a facility to qualify for incentives, the average employee wage needs to be only $22.38, compared to a state-wide average of $30.64. Our pro-business climate is rich with incentives that offer bottom-line advantages for long-term profitability. We’re more affordable than states like California, New York, and Michigan when it comes to land and labor.