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Employment · Gilmer County

Jobs in Ellijay

The Gilmer County job market runs on four engines: county government and the school system, manufacturing and food processing, the apple and wine industries, and tourism. Ellijay is the county seat, so the public-sector jobs cluster downtown.

By the most recent Georgia Department of Labor county figures, manufacturing is the county's largest employment sector, followed by retail trade and construction.

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The employer map

Who actually hires in the county

Government and schools

  • Gilmer County government and the City of Ellijay anchor the public sector from the county seat.
  • Gilmer County Charter Schools is the education employer, with five schools and the district office.

Manufacturing and processing

  • Pilgrim's Pride is the county's principal food-processing employer.
  • Imerys brings the industrial minerals side, and Whitepath FabTech the custom metal fabrication.

Retail and services

  • Walmart and Lowe's anchor the East Ellijay retail strip, with Ingles Markets on the grocery side.
  • Restaurants, lodging, and the trades make up the service layer.

Apples, wine, and tourism

  • The orchards, vineyards, farm markets, and day-trip visitors are the county's signature industry.
  • Seasonal work in the orchards and hospitality peaks with the fall fruit season.

The honest notes

What the numbers and the roads say

The largest employment sectors in Gilmer County are manufacturing, retail trade, and construction, per the state's labor department figures. Wages track the rural-mountain profile: solid jobs exist, and the higher-paying metro jobs are a commute south toward Jasper, Canton, or the I-575 corridor.

The gig and remote picture is real but variable: fiber-optic service reaches parts of the county, and the coffee shops on the square are full of laptops on weekdays. For the commute math, the getting around page has the drive times.

If you are weighing a move around Ellijay, book a call with Rob Dietrich, the REALTOR® behind this guide.

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An editorial guide, not a listings site. Updated September 13, 2026. Real-estate guidance on this page is provided by Rob Dietrich, REALTOR® with eXp Realty, LLC.