The past year has been an especially challenging time for businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic forced companies to adapt their business models and alter the way their employees work. 

In spite of the challenges, certain companies were able to keep their employees happy — both through the traditional means of high compensation and good benefits and by providing work from home accommodations while maintaining a good company culture. Companies that adapted and thrived in these circumstances were able to generate very positive feedback from their workforce.

To provide a list of the best companies to work for, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2021 Best Places to Work list from career and employment site Glassdoor. Data came from U.S. employee feedback collected from October 2019 to October 2020.

The companies that rank among the top workplaces have several characteristics in common. Employees generally say these companies provide good work-life balance, positive company culture, and relatively high salaries.

Many of the employees of companies on this list also said they appreciated being able to make an impact during the COVID-19 pandemic. Whether it was helping people communicate during social distancing restrictions, work from home more comfortably, or producing the COVID-19 vaccine, workers generally appreciated jobs that allowed them to make a positive impact.

While this sense of purpose is important, perhaps the best indicator of job satisfaction is compensation. Highly-paid employees are more likely to be satisfied with their work. So it should come as no surprise that many of the best companies to work for are large tech businesses, which tend to offer relatively high salaries. These are the highest paying jobs in America.

Click here to see the best companies to work for.