Special Report

America's Best Companies to Work For

Samuel Stebbins, Evan Comen

Published: August 11, 2017 6:14 pm

Last Updated: January 12, 2020 9:11 am

Adults working full-time in the United States spend about a third of their waking life at work — and often much more. Because work has such a central role in our lives, job satisfaction is crucial to our well-being. And given the ability to choose, many of us would prefer to work in a place that offers satisfying work, favorable conditions, and generous compensation.

Job satisfaction is contingent on a multitude of factors — quantifiable and otherwise. In addition to the nature of the job itself, co-workers, bosses, salary, benefits, and other such factors can greatly boost or detract from job satisfaction. Many of these factors depend on the company and how it treats its employees.

Based on employee reviews posted on Glassdoor, 24/7 Wall St. identified the best large companies to work for. Out of a universe of hundreds, only 34 sufficiently large companies received a score of 4 out of 5 stars or higher.

Click here to see America’s best companies to work for.
Click here to see detailed findings and methodology.

Source: Eli Lilly and Company / Wikimedia Commons

34. Eli Lilly (NYSE: LLY)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.0/5
> CEO approval rating: N/A
> Industry: Pharmaceuticals
> Profit: $2.7 billion
> Employees: 18,860 (U.S.)

Eli Lilly is one of a select group of large companies to garner a 4 out 5 stars on Glassdoor. Like many other companies on this list, Eli Lilly pays its employees well. Many relatively common positions in the company, including managers, consultants, and researchers, pay over six figures on average. In Glassdoor reviews, employees regularly tout the company’s benefits and culture.

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Source: www.toyota.com

33. Toyota North America (NYSE: TM)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.0/5
> CEO approval rating: N/A
> Industry: Automotive
> Profit: $16.8 billion
> Employees: 48,310 (North America)

The North American division of the world’s largest automaker is also one of the most respected employers in the country. Employees regularly cite among the perks of working at the company such benefits as heavily discounted vehicle leasing programs, high pay, and healthy work-life balance.

While some may discount the claim that happy employees make a better product, at Toyota it might actually be true. Toyota ranks near the top of the Consumer Reports auto brand chart in reliability and customer satisfaction. Indeed, four of the 20 top-selling vehicles the UnIted States are Toyotas, including the RAV4, the third most popular vehicle.

Source: Unknown / Wikimedia Commons

32. Roche
> Glassdoor rating: 4.0/5
> CEO approval rating: 96% (Severin Schwan)
> Industry: Pharmaceuticals
> Profit: $10.1 billion
> Employees: 25,494 (North America)

The second pharmaceutical company among the best companies to work for is headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. Still, Roche’s U.S. employees are among the most satisfied of any American workers. More than 4,000 of the company’s 25,500 North American employees work at its Indianapolis division. Roche also has operations in several states including California, New Jersey, and Texas. As is the case with most companies on this list, jobs at Roche tend to be high skilled and high paying. None of the most common jobs at the company have an average annual salary below $80,000, and most pay more than $100,000.

Roche acquired San Francisco-based biotech company Genentech for $46.8 billion in 2009. Genentech also ranks as one of the best companies to work for.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

31. CDW (Nasdaq: CDW)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.0/5
> CEO approval rating: 93% (Thomas E. Richards)
> Industry: Technology
> Profit: $424 million
> Employees: 7,500 (North America)

CDW sells IT services as well as hardware and software technology to clients in both the public and private sectors, including health care and education institutions. Unlike most companies on this list, base salaries at CDW are relatively low. According to Glassdoor data, account managers with the company make an average annual base salary of only about $28,300. However, after tips, bonuses, and commission, the typical account manager at CDW earns nearly $50,000 annually. Employees tout the company’s good work-life balance, and many enjoy the ability to work from home much of the time.

Technology is a high growth sector, and CDW’s net sales climbed from $12.1 billion in 2014 to $14.0 billion in 2016.

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Source: Maryland Pride / Wikimedia Commons

30. Wegmans Food Markets
> Glassdoor rating: 4.0/5
> CEO approval rating: N/A
> Industry: Grocery stores
> Profit: N/A
> Employees: 47,000

Rochester, New York-based Wegmans Food Markets is one of only three supermarkets to rank among the best companies to work for. Wegmans employs some 47,000 people across its 93 locations in six Northeastern and mid-Atlantic states. Current and former Wegmans employees commonly cite flexible scheduling hours, good pay, and generous benefits among the company’s perks.

Earlier this year, the company’s long-time CEO Danny Wegman stepped down, passing down the top spot to his daughter, Colleen Wegman. Danny Wegman was popular among his employees, with a 92% Glassdoor approval rating. Whether or not Colleen Wegman can measure up remains to be seen.

Source: gene.com

29. Genentech
> Glassdoor rating: 4.0/5
> CEO approval rating: 89% (Bill Anderson)
> Industry: Pharmaceuticals
> Profit: N/A
> Employees: 13,300

Employees of Genentech, a subsidiary of Roche, rate working at the company an average of 4 out of 5 stars, one of the highest ratings of any major company. Employees commonly cite good work-life balance, great benefits, and smart coworkers as positives of working at the company.

Genentech is one of many biotech companies to make changes in top management in recent years. In January 2017, current CEO Bill Anderson replaced former CEO Ian Clark, who had retired after 14 years with the company. Anderson currently has an 89% CEO approval rating on Glassdoor, slightly lower than Clark’s 95% rating in 2016.

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Source: Anthony92931 / Wikimedia Commons

28. Trader Joe’s
> Glassdoor rating: 4.0/5
> CEO approval rating: 81% (Dan Bane)
> Industry: Grocery stores
> Profit: N/A
> Employees: 8,000

Wholesale supermarket chain Trader Joe’s business model is buying direct from suppliers and minimizing overhead to generally keep prices low. However, while the company puts an emphasis on cost saving, that philosophy does not appear to extend to paying its employees. The company prides itself in its policy of paying a living wage and high pay and regular raises are commonly cited in positive reviews.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

27. Hilton (NYSE: HLT)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.0/5
> CEO approval rating: 95% (Christopher J. Nassetta)
> Industry: Hospitality
> Profit: $364 million
> Employees: 169,000

Most of the best companies to work for are in the technology or pharmaceutical sectors. One exception is Hilton, the only company in the hospitality industry to rank among the best large companies to work for. In addition to Hilton Hotels, other brands the company manages include Double Tree, Embassy Suites, and Waldorf Astoria.

Employees tout the company’s benefits and their ability to work from home once a week. They also approve of Hilton’s leadership. CEO Christopher Nassetta, who has been at the helm since 2007, receives near universal approval on Glassdoor.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

26. VMware (NYSE: VMW)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.0/5
> CEO approval rating: 91% (Patrick Gelsinger)
> Industry: Information technology
> Profit: $1.2 billion
> Employees: 19,900

Employees of VMware rate working at the company an average of 4.0 out of 5 stars, one of the best ratings of any major company. One commonly cited benefit of working at VMware is the company’s cutting edge technology. VMware was the first commercially successful company to introduce virtualization technology to the x86 computing platform. Today, VMware Infrastructure is the most widely used software for virtualizing IT environments.

Dell Technologies recently purchased VMware in what was the the largest merger in IT history. While the merger led to the elimination of approximately 800 positions at VMware, the company’s average ratings have risen since the acquisition was completed in September 2016 from about 3.7 to 4.0.

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Source: Luis García (Zaqarbal) / Wikimedia Commons

25. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.0/5
> CEO approval rating: 95% (Alex Gorsky)
> Industry: Consumer products
> Profit: $16.5 billion
> Employees: 126,400

Robert Wood Johnson co-founded Johnson & Johnson as a surgical instrument supply company in 1886 with a factory in New Brunswick, New Jersey and a sales office in New York City. Today, the company operates in 60 countries, regularly reports over $70 billion in annual sales, and has some of the most satisfied employees in the United States. Johnson & Johnson employees laud the company’s benefit package, which for many includes a pension plan — an increasingly rare perk in corporate America.

Company CEO Alex Gorsky, who has publicly stressed the importance of employee work-life balance, has a 95% approval rating from current and former Johnson & Johnson employees on Glassdoor.

Source: us.pg.com

24. Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.0/5
> CEO approval rating: 95% (David Taylor)
> Industry: Consumer products
> Profit: $15.4 billion
> Employees: 95,000

Procter & Gamble employs close to 100,000 people worldwide. In the United States, P&G employees appear to be paid quite well. The most common job with a salary submitted on Glassdoor, assistant brand manager, pays an average salary of over $100,000 annually. Employees submitting reviews on Glassdoor spoke highly of company pay and benefits. CEO David Taylor is one of the most widely approved CEOs of a major company, with a 95% approval rating on Glassdoor.

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Source: Max Herman / Shutterstock.com

23. Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.0/5
> CEO approval rating: 93% (Tim Cook)
> Industry: Consumer electronics
> Profit: $45.7 billion
> Employees: 116,000

Employees of Apple rate working at the company an average of 4 out of 5 stars, far higher than the 3.3 average for all companies on Glassdoor. Approximately half of Apple’s 116,000 employees work in Apple Store retail locations. Despite the company’s secretive culture, employees commonly cite the positive work environment and smart coworkers as pros of working at the company. Employees also commonly cite the great benefits, including substantial discounts on Apple products such as 25% discount on iPads and Apple computers and 50% off the Apple Watch.

While employees praise Apple’s culture, management, compensation and benefits, and career opportunities, one common complaint of working at the company is the difficulty of achieving a healthy work-life balance.

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Source: Tooykrub / Shutterstock.com

22. Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.0/5
> CEO approval rating: 96% (Satya Nadella)
> Industry: Technology
> Profit: $21.2 billion
> Employees: 73,000 (U.S.)

Earlier this year Microsoft announced its plan to shift focus to cloud computing — a move that could lead to thousands of layoffs. Such business decisions are rarely popular, but those who will remain at the company are lucky in more ways than one. Microsoft is one of the highest rated companies on Glassdoor, with employees touting generous pay and benefits packages. Average annual salaries for Microsoft’s software engineers exceed $100,000, and benefits include steep discounts on Microsoft products. Additionally, 85% of Glassdoor reviewers would recommend a job with the company to a friend, and another 96% approve of CEO Satya Nadella.

Source: Rob Crandall / Shutterstock.com

21. Lululemon (Nasdaq: LULU)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.1/5
> CEO approval rating: 88% (Laurent Potdevin)
> Industry: Apparel
> Profit: $303 million
> Employees: 7,500 (U.S.)

Though lululemon was founded in Vancouver, Canada, the vast majority of its 12,500 employees work in the United States. Lululemon employees applaud the company for its benefits package, which pays for workout classes at gyms and yoga studios. The company’s health insurance plan covers medical, dental, and vision, and lululemon offers a 401(k) plan to both full and part-time employees. As is the case with many other companies on this list, lululemon employees also get discounts on company products.

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

20. Republic Services (NYSE: RSG)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.1/5
> CEO approval rating: 95% (Donald W. Slager)
> Industry: Waste management
> Profit: $613 million
> Employees: 33,000

Incorporated in 1996, Republic Services provides waste services, including collection, disposal, and recycling, to more than 2,700 communities and municipalities. The only waste management company to make this list, Republic Services is unique in several ways. Though employees applaud the company’s benefit packages and feel they are treated well, salaries are well below those paid at most of the companies on this list. While many of the jobs at the best companies to work for are high skilled positions such as engineer and product designer, which often have six figure salaries, most of the jobs at Republic Services are low skilled. According to Glassdoor data, the average annual salaries for drivers and dispatchers at Republic Services are each below $40,000 year.

Source: Philip Lange / Shutterstock.com

19. H-E-B
> Glassdoor rating: 4.1/5
> CEO approval rating: 98% (Charles Butt)
> Industry: Grocery stores
> Profit: N/A
> Employees: 76,000

H-E-B is a San Antonio-based supermarket chain with more than 340 stores throughout Texas and northern Mexico. H-E-B is the highest rated major supermarket chain, with an average employee rating of 4.1 out of 5.0 stars. One factor that may separate H-E-B from other grocery chains is the company’s flexible scheduling. At least 13% of employee reviews on Glassdoor mention either a flexible schedule or flexible hours as benefits of working at H-E-B.

One of the main components of employee satisfaction is approval of senior management. H-E-B CEO Charles Butt, the grandson of the company’s founder, currently has a 98% CEO approval rating on Glassdoor, far higher than the 67% average across all companies.

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Source: jejim / Shutterstock.com

18. Adobe (Nasdaq: ADBE)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.1/5
> CEO approval rating: 98% (Shantanu Narayen)
> Industry: Technology
> Profit: $1.2 billion
> Employees: 15,706

Adobe employees are among the happiest in the U.S. workforce. Based on Glassdoor reviews, people at the company respect their peers and appreciate the corporate culture. Adobe employees are also well compensated. Salaries for computer scientists and software engineers — two of the most common positions at Adobe — average more than $100,000 a year.

Like many other companies on this list, Adobe is a Silicon Valley-based tech company. Employment in the technology sector is projected to grow far faster than in most industries in the coming years.

Source: http://www.ceridian.com/

17. Ceridian
> Glassdoor rating: 4.2/5
> CEO approval rating: 92% (David Ossip)
> Industry: Technology
> Profit: N/A
> Employees: 8,776

Ceridian is a private, Minneapolis-based technology company that designs products to help companies manage their employees’ payroll and benefits. It is also one of the best companies to work for in the country. As is the case with most companies on this list, employees regularly cite the Ceridian’s generous pay, benefits packages, and work environment. Among the benefits is a 50% 401(k) match up to 6% of the employee’s salary. Employees are also often allowed to work remotely.

Source: Jeramey Lende / Shutterstock.com

16. Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.2/5
> CEO approval rating: 89% (Gary C. Kelly)
> Industry: Airlines
> Profit: $2.2 billion
> Employees: 53,500

Southwest Airlines’ employee satisfaction rating has risen steadily over the past year from about 4.0 stars out of 5 to 4.2 stars out of 5. The company is now tied with Delta as the highest rated airline on Glassdoor. Factors boosting employee satisfaction at Southwest are free flights and flight perks. Employees and their dependents can fly unlimited for free, and they are able earn credits that can be used for free merchandise, gift cards, and other rewards. Approximately 28% of employee reviews mention either the company’s overall benefits, flight benefits, or free flights as advantages to working at Southwest Airlines.

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Source: Courtesy of Keller Williams

15. Keller Williams
> Glassdoor rating: 4.2/5
> CEO approval rating: 96% (John Davis)
> Industry: Real estate
> Profit:
> Employees: 139,000

Keller Williams is a real estate firm that dedicates as many resources as it can to its agents, in the expectation that its investment will, in turn, build their own corporate brand. It appears the agents and other employees certainly appreciate the investment as they rate the company 4.2 stars out of 5.0 on Glassdoor on average. Employee reviews tout the company’s comprehensive training and note how the profit sharing program encourages agent-to-agent support. Realtors with the company earn an average annual salary of $50,300 and an additional $34,000 in commission and bonuses.

Source: Markus Mainka / Shutterstock.com

14. Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.2/5
> CEO approval rating: 91% (Edward Bastian)
> Industry: Airlines
> Profit: $4.4 billion
> Employees: 84,000

At 4.2 stars out of 5, Delta is tied with Southwest Airlines for the highest employee rating of any airline in the United States. By far the most widely cited perks of working for the airline are the travel benefits, which include free standby flights and discounted confirmed seats. The company also has a profit sharing program, which can boost the $42,000 average base annual salary for a flight attendant by several thousand dollars a year.

Delta was founded in Atlanta, Georgia in 1924 and currently has a fleet of about 800 aircraft.

Source: salesforce.com

13. Salesforce (NYSE: CRM)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.2/5
> CEO approval rating: 98% (Marc Benioff)
> Industry: Software
> Profit: $179 million
> Employees: 25,000

Salesforce is a cloud computing company that provides customer relationship management services through online access to its flagship customer success platform. Employee satisfaction has steadily increased at Salesforce over the past year. Employees today rate working at the company an average of 4.2 out of 5 stars, far higher than the 3.3 average for all companies on Glassdoor. Salaries for senior account executives and quality assurance engineers, some of the most common jobs at Salesforce, are more than $100,000 a year on average.

Employees often cite the company’s 1-1-1 plan as a positive to working at Salesforce. The 1-1-1 plan is Salesforce’s approach to philanthropy, through which the company promises dedicates 1% of its equity, products, and employees’ time to charity, and allows employees to spend time volunteering for various nonprofits. Since Salesforce’s founding in 1999, the 1-1-1 model has led to more than 2 million hours of community service.

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Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/erikeldridge/

12. Intuit (Nasdaq: INTU)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.2/5
> CEO approval rating: 96% (Brad Smith)
> Industry: Technology
> Profit: $979 million
> Employees: 7,900

Intuit is the company behind such products as QuickBooks, TurboTax, and Mint used by an estimated 42 million customers across four continents. Founded in 1983, the company is now one of several California-based tech companies to rank among the best employers in the United States. Employee regularly include among the advantages they appreciate most the healthy work-life balance and the ability to work from home when necessary. High salaries do not hurt either. Average salaries for Intuit’s software engineers range from $96,500 to $148,000, depending on seniority.

Source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/freestocks/

11. Uber
> Glassdoor rating: 4.2/5
> CEO approval rating: N/A
> Industry: Technology
> Profit: N/A
> Employees: 12,000

Founded in 2009, Uber is the youngest company with an average rating above 4 stars out of 5. Uber drivers praise the company’s flexible scheduling, ability to work whenever they want, and the opportunity to meet new people every trip as some of the best benefits of working at the company. Employees on the corporate side of the company, such as logistics managers and marketing workers, cite Uber’s fast paced environment as one of the pros of working at the company.

One of the most important components of employee satisfaction is approval of senior management. In recent months, Uber’s upper management has been at the center of a number of controversies concerning the company’s toxic work environment. Investor and board pressure eventually led to the resignation of several senior executives, including CEO Travis Kalanick. This may be one reason for Uber’s rating decline from 4.5 to 4.2 stars out of 5 over the past year.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

10. Boston Consulting Group
> Glassdoor rating: 4.3/5
> CEO approval rating: 96% (Rich Lesser)
> Industry: Consulting
> Profit: N/A
> Employees: 14,000

Boston Consulting Group has some 80 locations across 48 countries. In the United States, the company has offices in over a dozen major cities, including Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas, Miami, and New York. With an average employee rating of 4.3 out of 5 on Glassdoor, few companies have a workforce as satisfied as BCG’s. High salaries likely make a difference. Consultants, the most common position at the company, earn an average of over $145,000 a year, and about $172,000 after bonuses. BCG CEO Rich Lesser is also one of the better liked CEOs in the country. Lesser joined the company in 1988 and took the top spot in 2013. He has overseen dramatic expansion and has a 96% approval from BCG employees.

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

9. LinkedIn (Nasdaq: MSFT)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.3/5
> CEO approval rating: 97% (Jeff Weiner)
> Industry: Technology
> Profit: $21.2 billion (Microsoft)
> Employees: 11,000

Employees of LinkedIn, a separately-run subsidiary of Microsoft, rate working at the company an average of 4.3 out of 5 stars, far more than the 3.3 average for all companies. Among the most common benefits of working at LinkedIn that employees cite are the company’s culture and values, the smart coworkers, and free food. In addition to free cafeteria lunches, LinkedIn employees also enjoy unlimited vacation and one day each month dedicated to pursuing personal projects.

LinkedIn has expanded rapidly in recent years, nearly quadrupling in size since 2012. As the company expands, it risks losing aspects of its corporate culture that workers favor. Indeed, many employees have recently complained on Glassdoor that working at the now much bigger company does not feel like it used to.

Source: Jerry Michalski / Wikimedia Commons

8. McKinsey & Company
> Glassdoor rating: 4.3/5
> CEO approval rating: 98% (Dominic Barton)
> Industry: Consulting
> Profit: N/A
> Employees: 14,000

About 35% of McKinsey & Company’s 14,000 strong workforce work in the Americas. The company’s U.S. employees rate working at McKinsey 4.3 out 5 — one of the highest rating of any company. The company employs highly skilled people — from medical doctors to engineers — as consultants that help a range of clients with business services.

Like most well-reviewed companies, McKinsey pays its people well. Average annual salaries for the three most common jobs at the company range from $140,000 to $175,000. Many employees also refer to the sink or swim environment as both a pro and a con to working at McKinsey.

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7. SAP (NYSE: SAP)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.3/5
> CEO approval rating: 96% (Bill McDermott)
> Industry: Technology
> Profit: $3.8 billion
> Employees: 24,696 (Americas)

SAP is an information technology company with a range of products for corporate clients in such areas as data management and storage, financial analysis, supply chain management and more. Though it was founded and is headquartered in Germany, SAP has over a dozen offices throughout major U.S. cities, including Boston, Chicago, Houston, New York, and St. Louis. Employees laud the company’s benefits, which include free or subsidized lunch, health and life insurance, and stock purchasing plans. In the last year, the company’s stock price has climbed about 19% — outperforming both the Dow Jones and S&P 500 indexes.

Source: spacex.com

6. SpaceX
> Glassdoor rating: 4.4/5
> CEO approval rating: 98% (Elon Musk)
> Industry: Aerospace
> Profit: N/A
> Employees: 6,000

SpaceX was founded in 2002 by visionary entrepreneur Elon Musk, who also receives near universal approval from company employees. The private aerospace company was the first ever to successfully reuse a rocket for orbital spaceflight. NASA now uses SpaceX’s aircraft for resupply missions to the International Space Station. Many of the factors driving employee satisfaction at SpaceX are related to the company’s bold mission and innovative history. Employees commonly cite the engaging work environment and numerous learning opportunities as pros to working at SpaceX.

While SpaceX employees enjoy the challenge and purpose of their work, many also cite the long hours as a cons of working at the company, and rate the ability to achieve a work-life balance 2.9 out of 5 on average. Overall, employees rate SpaceX 4.4 out of 5 stars, more than all but two companies of similar size.

Source: nvidianews.nvidia.com

5. Nvidia (Nasdaq: NVDA)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.4/5
> CEO approval rating: 97% (Jensen Huang)
> Industry: Technology
> Profit: $1.7 billion
> Employees: 10,299

Many of the highest employee rated companies on Glassdoor are California-based tech companies — as is Nvidia. The company made a name for itself refining computer game graphics, and it is now developing AI technology. Largely because of its flexible hours and healthy work-life balance, the company has garnered a nearly unheard of 4.4 out of 5 star rating on Glassdoor.

Nvidia’s founder and CEO Jensen Huang is even more universally admired than the company itself. Huang has held the top job since the company’s inception in 1993. Currently, Huang has a 97% approval rating from his employees.

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Source: Courtesy of Insight Global

4. Insight Global
> Glassdoor rating: 4.4/5
> CEO approval rating: 93% (Glenn Johnson)
> Industry: Business services
> Profit: N/A
> Employees: 2,374 (U.S.)

Insight Global offers staffing and recruiting services to companies primarily in the information technology, accounting, engineering, and financial industries. Some of the most common positions at the company include recruiter and account manager. According to Glassdoor, recruiters receive a base salary of about $35,000 on average plus commission, which increases greatly with promotion. Many recruiters reviewing Insight Global note that the company rewards hard work and offers substantial opportunities for upward growth and high earnings. As one reviewer wrote, “nearly 100% of people here are making over $100,000 within their second full year at the company.”

Source: Wikimedia Commons

3. Google (Nasdaq: GOOGL)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.4/5
> CEO approval rating: 96% (Sundar Pichai)
> Industry: Technology
> Profit: $19.5 billion (Alphabet)
> Employees: 72,053 (Alphabet)

In the early days of the web, there was no dominant search engine. That began to change when, in 1997, Google registered its domain name. Two years later, Google opened its first office in Palo Alto. Today, Google, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., is one of the most powerful and well respected companies in the world. Frequently citing the company’s generous perks and benefits, in addition to the positive work environment, some 7,300 Google employees give the company an average rating of 4.4 stars out of 5 on Glassdoor.

Recently, Google has made headlines following the firing of an employee over a contentious memo criticizing the company’s diversity initiatives. Whether this affects the atmosphere at one of the best companies to work for remains to be seen.

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Source: Wikimedia Commons

2. Bain & Company
> Glassdoor rating: 4.6/5
> CEO approval rating: 98% (Bob Bechek)
> Industry: Consulting
> Profit: N/A
> Employees: 5,700

Jobs with consulting firms tend to be highly coveted — but perhaps none more than those at Bain & Company. Bain has a 4.6 out of 5 star employee rating, tied for the highest of any large company on Glassdoor — in consulting or not. Employees applaud the company for its culture, professional development, and healthy work-life balance. Like most companies on this list, Bain pays its employees well. The average salary for consultants, the most common position at the company, is $138,500 a year, and it tops $174,000 after factoring in bonuses and profit sharing. The company also has generous benefits, including four months maternity leave, two months paternity leave, and a company matched 401(k) plan.

Source: Robert Scoble / Wikimedia Commons

1. Facebook (Nasdaq: FB)
> Glassdoor rating: 4.6/5
> CEO approval rating: 98% (Mark Zuckerberg)
> Industry: Social media
> Profit: $10.2 billion
> Employees: 17,048

The largest social media site in the world, Facebook boasts some 1.9 billion active users — or about a quarter of the global population. With a 4.6 out of 5 star rating on Glassdoor, it is also tied as the best company — social media or otherwise — to work for. Facebook’s Menlo Park, California headquarters boasts a campus that resembles a small city, complete with a bike repair shop, laundry service, and 1,500 housing units scheduled to be built within the next two years. Employees give the company high marks for benefits that include free food and a friendly work environment. Pay is also generous. According to Glassdoor data, Facebook software engineers earn an average salary of about $193,000 a year, including bonuses and profit sharing. Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s founder and CEO, has near universal approval from his employees.

Detailed Findings and Methodology

Though the best companies to work for span a range of industries — from waste management to transportation — the industries that dominate this list are consulting, pharmaceuticals, and technology. Jobs in these industries typically require highly skilled workers. As a result, in order to attract top talent, industry leaders often need to offer high salaries and competitive benefits. Workers at highly rated companies in technology or consulting typically report annual pay in the six-figure range.

Satisfaction with pay is also often contingent on expectations — that is, a clerk at a supermarket or a driver would not expect to earn an engineer’s salary. Still, though salaries at some companies on this list, like Wegmans and CDW, are less than half the salaries at some tech companies, these companies still offer salaries and benefits that are generous relative to other employers in the respective industry — and their employees are therefore generally satisfied with their salary.

Another common trait among most companies on this list is strong leadership. Of the 34 best companies to work for, 26 have CEOs with an approval rating of at least 90%. And at the top three companies, the CEOs enjoy nearly universal approval from their employees.

A disproportionate share of the companies on this list are still run by their founder or a founder’s family member. Companies like Wegmans have been run by a relative of the founder since its beginnings over a century ago. In some younger technology companies such as Facebook and Nvidia, the founder still holds the top job.

Some companies on this list were founded abroad, but each has a considerable presence as an employer in the United States.

To determine America’s best companies to work for, 24/7 Wall St. independently reviewed employee ratings and testimonials on Glassdoor retrieved on August 8, 2017 – this is not a Glassdoor.com commissioned report. Among the more than 500 companies and organizations reviewed, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 34 businesses that received the highest overall ratings. Employee satisfaction is measured by Glassdoor on a scale of 1.0 to 5.0, where 1.0 is very dissatisfied and 5.0 is very satisfied. To be included, a company had to have at least 1,000 reviews and an average rating of 4.0 or higher. When two or more companies had the same review score, the company with more employee reviews was ranked higher. Government agencies as well as nonprofit companies were excluded from our analysis. Employee totals and revenue figures are for the most recent fiscal year available. Sources include company documents and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings. In the case of subsidiaries for which profit or employment was not broken out, we used parent company figures and noted them as such. Financial information for private companies was often unavailable.