How Do The Top Industries in Raleigh Use Managed IT Services?

A photograph of the downtown center where the biggest industries in Raleigh, NC thrive.

Listen on Amazon MusicListen on Apple Podcasts

The Raleigh-Durham region continues to stand out as a national model for economic resilience. Thanks to the top Raleigh industries, local GDP is projected to grow by 2.4% in 2026, following a strong 2.6% to 2.7% expansion in 2025.

“Partnering with a managed IT provider allows Raleigh’s top industries to stay ahead of technology challenges without losing sight of their business goals.” Todd Long, Director of Technology, Sterling Ideas

If you’re in a Raleigh industry and hoping to contribute to that growth, you need the right technology infrastructure for the job. Even if you install all of the needed hardware and software, you still need someone who can keep those tools running at peak performance.

The rest of this article will discuss these ideas. We will explore some of the top industries in Raleigh, North Carolina, and then explore how they can enhance their IT strategies and what a managed IT service provider (MSP) can do to help.

The 4 Biggest Industries in Raleigh, North Carolina

1. Engineering

The engineering sector has been growing by 3.5% year over year and now employs over 146,000 people in the Raleigh metro area. The region has a strong concentration of engineering talent, and North Carolina ranked as the number 1 state for this occupation’s growth between 2019 and 2024.

2. Healthcare

In 2025, the health services sector added 19,400 new jobs in both research and care delivery. Major healthcare providers in Raleigh, including WakeMed and Duke Health, now employ over 90,000 people combined.

3. Government Administration

As the state capital, Raleigh serves as the center of North Carolina’s government and public administration. The State of North Carolina employs approximately 24,083 people within the local region. 

While the regional population has increased by 19% since 2009, state employment has grown by less than 1%. This gap has led to a significant rise in output per government employee, which makes efficient technology more important than ever.

4. Retail

Retail activity continues to drive the region’s high-consumption economy, with Wake County recording $30.5 billion in retail sales during the 12-month period ending August 2025. This level of activity supports a large workforce, as statewide retail employment held steady at approximately 525,900 jobs.

Leverage More Than 82 Years of Combined IT Experience

Talk to Us

Which Raleigh Industries Are Set to Grow?

1. Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing

Raleigh is shifting from a research-focused hub to a global center for large-scale drug production. The region now includes nearly 100 pharmaceutical manufacturing sites that employ roughly 34,000 workers.

2. Advanced Materials

North Carolina earned the title of “2025 State of the Year” for economic development, driven in large part by $24 billion in capital investments centered on advanced manufacturing and material production. In 2025 alone, companies announced over 35,000 new jobs, with strong growth in aerospace-grade materials and next-generation vehicle components.

3. Fulfillment Operations

Industrial development continues at a strong pace, with 4.4 million square feet of industrial and logistics space under construction as of early 2026. This expansion aligns with rising eCommerce activity, which is projected to account for nearly 20% of global retail sales by the end of 2026.

What Should Top Raleigh Industries Keep in Mind When They Plan Their IT Strategies

1. AI Literacy

Economic forecasts estimate that 500,000 workers in North Carolina could face a significant impact from AI-related shifts this year. In response, IT strategies should prioritize AI literacy training so the region’s high-skill workforce can use agentic AI tools effectively instead of losing roles to automation.

2. Infrastructure Resilience

Aging systems face a higher risk of disruption. Local IT leaders must plan for geo-redundant cloud architecture and on-site battery energy storage systems (BESS) to reduce the risk of data loss or operational downtime during power grid fluctuations. It’s also important to follow the 3-2-1 rule whenever you back up your data.

3. Remote Access

Raleigh attracts 66 new residents each day, many relocating from higher-cost Northeast markets. Many of these professionals expect reliable, high-performance remote work options. IT strategies should focus on unified communications as a service (UCaaS) and zero-trust network access to support a decentralized and highly skilled workforce.

How A Local Managed IT Services Provider Can Help These Raleigh Industries

Engineering

  • Support CAD and BIM platforms with high-performance workstations and secure cloud storage

  • Manage large design files with structured data backup and version control

  • Protect intellectual property with multi-factor authentication and tight access controls

  • Maintain secure remote access for field engineers and hybrid teams

  • Monitor network performance to support data-heavy modeling and simulations

  • Implement secure configuration standards for laptops used on client sites

  • Assist with compliance requirements tied to government or infrastructure contracts

  • Provide disaster recovery plans to prevent design and project data loss

  • Oversee Microsoft 365 collaboration tools for document sharing and project coordination

  • Deliver strategic IT planning to scale systems as project volume increases

Healthcare

  • Protect patient information with encrypted systems and strict identity management

  • Monitor networks for unusual activity that may disrupt clinical systems

  • Support electronic medical record platforms and secure cloud backups

  • Maintain reliable Wi-Fi and network coverage across care facilities

  • Manage secure mobile device policies for physicians and nursing staff

  • Assist with HIPAA requirements

  • Implement secure email filtering to reduce phishing risks targeting staff

  • Maintain business continuity plans for clinics and research centers

  • Provide helpdesk support for front desk, billing, and administrative teams

  • Guide long-term IT planning to support telehealth and digital care services

Government Administration

  • Strengthen identity and access controls for public systems and internal portals

  • Maintain secure configuration baselines across departments

  • Support cloud migration for improved scalability and cost control

  • Monitor infrastructure to maintain uptime for citizen-facing services

  • Assist with records management and data retention policies

  • Protect sensitive public data with layered cybersecurity tools

  • Manage endpoint security for remote and hybrid government workers

  • Provide compliance reporting aligned with state and federal standards

  • Improve network performance to handle growing public service demand

  • Offer strategic budgeting guidance to maximize output with limited staff

Retail

  • Maintain secure point-of-sale systems and payment processing platforms

  • Monitor networks across multiple store locations

  • Protect customer payment data with encryption and strong authentication

  • Support inventory management and eCommerce integrations

  • Implement Wi-Fi security for guest and employee networks

  • Provide rapid response support to minimize downtime during peak sales periods

  • Manage cloud backups for transaction and sales data

  • Secure employee devices used for mobile checkout or inventory scanning

  • Optimize Microsoft 365 tools for internal communication and scheduling

  • Deliver cybersecurity awareness training for frontline staff

Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing

  • Protect proprietary formulas and research data with advanced access controls

  • Support secure production systems tied to automated manufacturing lines

  • Maintain regulatory compliance with FDA and global manufacturing standards

  • Monitor networks connected to the lab and production equipment

  • Implement strong data segmentation between research and production environments

  • Maintain disaster recovery plans for research and manufacturing systems

  • Secure vendor access to specialized equipment and software

  • Support scalable infrastructure as facilities expand production capacity

  • Protect cloud-hosted collaboration platforms used for global coordination

  • Conduct regular risk assessments to reduce operational disruptions

Advanced Materials

  • Secure intellectual property related to aerospace and automotive innovations

  • Support high-performance computing systems used for material simulations

  • Maintain secure connectivity between research labs and production sites

  • Monitor industrial control systems for unusual activity

  • Implement layered cybersecurity to protect capital-intensive manufacturing lines

  • Manage large datasets generated from testing and quality assurance

  • Support compliance tied to defense or transportation supply chains

  • Provide remote access solutions for engineering and production leaders

  • Maintain cloud environments used for global collaboration

  • Develop long-term IT strategies aligned with rapid capital investment growth

Fulfillment Operations

  • Maintain warehouse management systems and real-time inventory tracking

  • Support barcode scanners, handheld devices, and IoT-connected equipment

  • Secure eCommerce integrations between logistics and retail platforms

  • Monitor network uptime to prevent order processing delays

  • Protect customer shipping and payment data from unauthorized access

  • Implement secure VPN access for distributed operations teams

  • Maintain backup systems to prevent loss of fulfillment data

  • Optimize wireless coverage across large warehouse facilities

  • Provide 24/7 monitoring for time-sensitive logistics operations

  • Develop a scalable IT infrastructure to support expanding industrial space and order volume

Choose an IT Partner Who Understands What Industries in Raleigh Need 

If you’re in any of the industries in Raleigh we mentioned, the right IT partner is here on this website! Sterling Ideas provides local businesses with all the guidance that they need to leverage their whole technology suite to its fullest.

You can count on us for:

Reach out to us today for your consultation!

Get Your Custom IT Pricing Today

Recent Posts:

Get Your Custom IT Pricing Today

Find out how much you could save—directly in your inbox.