One of the main economic factors in the hill region to the north is agriculture, but this is also Austria´s second most important source of oil and natural gas. Several large-scale hydro-electric power plants have been built along the Danube and its tributary, the Enns.

The region around the provincial capital, Linz with its modern Danube port installations, is a major center for the production of iron, steel (Voest-Alpine Steel Group) and chemicals. Other important industrial sectors include vehicle manufacturing in Steyr and the mining and processing of salt in Hallstatt, Bad Ischl and Ebensee. Moreover, Upper Austria is a major tourism center.