Guide to Howard County 2022: Business and jobs

Location, quality of life and a pro-business environment are three of the reasons some 10,000 companies call Howard County home, creating upward of 170,000 jobs. The county has more than 70 million square feet of commercial space, according to the Howard County Economic Development Authority.

Howard County is among the wealthiest jurisdictions in the nation, with a median household income of $121,618 in 2019.

Many county residents commute to the Washington, D.C., and Baltimore metro areas.

Industries in the county include professional business and scientific services, technology, advanced manufacturing and health care services, according to the economic development authority.

The Port of Baltimore is about 20 minutes from the county seat, and BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport is even closer.

Business resources

Howard County Economic Development Authority: 410-313-6500, hceda.org

Howard County Chamber of Commerce: 410-730-4111, howardchamber.com

BWI Business Partnership: 410-859-1000, bwipartner.org

Baltimore Metropolitan Council: 410-732-0500, baltometro.org

Maryland Governor’s Office of Small, Minority and Women Business Affairs: 410-697-9600, goma.maryland.gov

Maryland Small Business Development Center: 301-403-8300, marylandsbdc.org

Howard County business at a glance

Population: 332,317

Employment: 178,286

Private businesses: 9,554 (2019)

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 data

Major employers (1,000+ employees)

Applied Physics Laboratory
Byk Gardner Inc.
East Coast Fresh Cuts Inc.
Giant Food
Howard Community College
Johns Hopkins University
Lorien Health Systems
LB & B Associates Inc.
Maryland Health Enterprise Inc.

Source: Maryland Department of Labor

Howard County job resources

The Maryland Workforce Exchange

Howard County Times: Top stories

Weekdays

Daily highlights from Howard County's number one source for local news.

A jobs posting site with a variety of employment tools from the Maryland Department of Labor.

mwejobs.maryland.gov

The Columbia Workforce Center

A partnership between local workforce development groups that assists employers and job seekers, providing consultations on career options, resume preparation and job workshops, among other services.

dllr.state.md.us/county/howard, 410-290-2600

Howard County employment assistance portal

A list of a variety of employment assistance resources, including unemployment insurance, can be found here: services.howardcountymd.gov