Jobs and the Economy on the Grand Strand

Yes, tourism dominates. The Grand Strand pulls roughly 20 million visitors a year and the hospitality, food service, retail, and entertainment sectors employ a large share of the local workforce. But tourism isn't the only game — healthcare, education, government, manufacturing, and a growing remote-work population fill out the picture, and the diversification has accelerated in the last few years with several industrial wins.

This page covers the top employers, the recent expansion and relocation announcements, what remote work looks like on the Strand, and the commute realities for relocating families.

The Top 20 Employers in Horry County

The SC Department of Employment and Workforce publishes a quarterly Horry County Community Profile. The 20 largest employers (listed alphabetically by the state):

Adidas America · City of Myrtle Beach · Coastal Carolina University · Conway Hospital · Food Lion · Founders National Golf · Georgetown Hospital System · Grand Strand Regional Medical Center · Hilton Grand Vacations · Horry County Council · Horry County Schools · Horry-Georgetown Technical College · Horry Telephone Cooperative · Loris Community Hospital · McLeod Loris Seacoast · OS Restaurant Services (Outback) · Palmetto Corp of Conway · Publix · Topgolf · Walmart Associates.

Notable verified headcounts:

Horry County Schools: approximately 6,648 staff including 3,273 teachers (2025 data).
Coastal Carolina University: approximately 1,503 employees.
Horry-Georgetown Technical College: approximately 700 employees.
Tidelands Health: more than 2,500 partners across the system.
McLeod Health: 10,000+ employees system-wide (Florence flagship plus the Grand Strand locations).

The Three Sectors That Anchor the Economy

Tourism and Hospitality

The big one. Roughly 20 million visitors annually. Hotels, condo rentals, restaurants, attractions (Broadway at the Beach, Family Kingdom, Ripley's, Topgolf, the Carolina Country Music Festival), and the supporting services (cleaning, maintenance, transportation, food service) employ a meaningful share of the workforce. Seasonal swings are real — many tourism jobs ramp up dramatically May through September and ramp down for the off-season.

Healthcare and Education

The counter-cyclical anchor. Healthcare employment has grown steadily as the population (especially the retiree population) has expanded. The three hospital systems — Grand Strand Medical Center, Tidelands Health (now under MUSC controlling interest), and McLeod Health — combined employ several thousand people locally. Add Horry County Schools (the third-largest school district in SC), Coastal Carolina University (CCU), and Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC), and you have a stable employment base that doesn't care whether tourists show up. Full healthcare page.

Government and Public Sector

Horry County government, Georgetown County government, the City of Myrtle Beach, the City of North Myrtle Beach, the City of Conway, and a long list of smaller municipalities. State and federal positions through SC government, the Myrtle Beach Police Department, the Sheriff's Office, the Coast Guard, and others.

Manufacturing, Aerospace, and Recent Industrial Wins

The diversification story. A small but growing manufacturing and aerospace cluster sits in Horry County, anchored by Adidas' distribution operation, PTR Industries (firearms manufacturing), AvCraft (aerospace MRO), and a steady stream of recent industrial recruitment:

Ocean Craft Marine selected Bucksport Marine Park (Conway area) for its US headquarters — 93 jobs by end of 2026. The Dubai-based inflatable-boat manufacturer is the kind of mid-size industrial win that broadens the employment base.

Coastal Ready Mix is establishing operations in Horry County — $4.6M investment, 19 jobs in Conway.

These aren't Greenville-SC-scale BMW or Michelin headlines, but the cumulative effect over the last decade has been to broaden the local economy away from a tourism monoculture.

Higher Education on the Strand

Coastal Carolina University (CCU). Located in Conway. About 10,500 students. Member of the Sun Belt Conference. Strong undergraduate programs in business, marine science, hospitality, education, and the liberal arts. Major regional employer (~1,500 employees).

Horry-Georgetown Technical College (HGTC). Two-year community/technical college with campuses in Conway, Georgetown, and on the Grand Strand. Workforce training, certifications, and transfer-track AA/AS programs. ~700 employees.

For families relocating with college-age kids or for adult learners pursuing certifications and second careers, both schools are strong local options at SC in-state tuition rates (after the one-year residency requirement).

Remote Work on the Grand Strand

The remote-work population has grown significantly post-pandemic. The infrastructure supports it — Spectrum cable and Horry Telephone Cooperative (HTC) fiber both serve large portions of Horry County, with HTC fiber reaching most newer master-planned communities (Carolina Forest, Plantation Lakes, Grande Dunes, parts of Conway) at 1 Gbps or faster.

Coworking and shared offices: Endeavor Myrtle Beach (downtown), Mash Coworking (Conway), and several smaller shared offices have opened in recent years. CCU and HGTC also operate business incubators with small-office options.

For relocation buyers whose income source is remote employment with a North/West Coast employer, the math typically works strongly in favor of the move — same paycheck, much lower cost of living, plus the SC tax structure. Full cost of living page.

Commute Reality

The honest answer on traffic: it's mostly fine off-season and meaningfully congested in tourist season. The bottlenecks:

US Hwy 17 (Kings Hwy / Bypass). The main north-south coastal artery. Summer afternoon traffic between Murrells Inlet and Cherry Grove can be slow. The S.C. 31 Carolina Bays Parkway is the inland alternative that bypasses most of the congestion.
US Hwy 501. The main inland artery from Conway to the coast. Heavy commuter traffic in the mornings (toward CCU and the coast) and afternoons (toward Conway and west).
S.C. 31 / Carolina Bays Parkway. The newer limited-access highway running parallel to the coast inland from Hwy 17. Much faster for longer trips along the Strand.
S.C. 9. East-west corridor through Loris and Longs.

For relocating buyers, the commute question depends heavily on where you work and where you live. If you work downtown Myrtle Beach and live in Carolina Forest, the commute is 15–25 minutes depending on time of day. If you work in North Myrtle Beach and live in Pawleys Island, the commute is 45 minutes off-season and over an hour in summer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the top employers in Myrtle Beach?

The 20 largest Horry County employers include the three hospital systems (Grand Strand Medical Center, Tidelands Health, McLeod Health affiliates), Horry County Schools (~6,648 staff), Coastal Carolina University, Horry-Georgetown Technical College, Walmart, Publix, Food Lion, Hilton Grand Vacations, Adidas America, Topgolf, and major government employers (Horry County, City of Myrtle Beach).

What is the main industry in Myrtle Beach?

Tourism and hospitality is the dominant industry, drawing roughly 20 million visitors a year. Healthcare, education, and government form the counter-cyclical anchor. Manufacturing, aerospace, and industrial wins have grown over the last decade and continue to broaden the base.

Is Myrtle Beach a good place for remote workers?

Yes. HTC fiber and Spectrum cable provide reliable high-speed internet across most of Horry County, with HTC fiber reaching 1 Gbps in many newer master-planned communities. Coworking options exist (Endeavor, Mash, CCU and HGTC incubators). The cost-of-living math typically works strongly in favor of remote workers moving from major Northeast or West Coast metros while keeping their out-of-state salary.

Is it hard to find a job in Myrtle Beach?

For tourism, hospitality, retail, and healthcare roles, no — the market is consistently hiring. For specialized professional roles (corporate finance, software engineering at large companies, biotech) the local market is thinner; remote work has reshaped this meaningfully. For trades (HVAC, electrical, plumbing, construction), the market is strong — the population growth has created sustained demand.

What are the largest healthcare employers on the Grand Strand?

Grand Strand Medical Center (HCA), Tidelands Health (now under MUSC controlling interest, 2,500+ partners), and McLeod Health (10,000+ employees system-wide, with growing Grand Strand presence including the new Carolina Forest Hospital opening fall 2026). All three are major employers locally and consistently hiring across clinical and support roles.

How is the commute in Myrtle Beach?

Mostly fine off-season; meaningfully congested in summer. US Hwy 17 is the main coastal artery with the worst summer traffic. S.C. 31 (Carolina Bays Parkway) is the limited-access inland alternative that bypasses most coastal congestion. Pick your home location with your commute in mind — we can walk through specific neighborhood-to-work drive times.

Is the Myrtle Beach economy still mostly tourism?

Tourism is the dominant single sector, but the broader economy has diversified meaningfully. Healthcare, education, government, and manufacturing each employ thousands locally. The cumulative effect of recent industrial wins (Ocean Craft Marine, Coastal Ready Mix, and earlier wins like Adidas' distribution operation) and the growth of remote work has broadened the base substantially over the last 10–15 years.

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