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The Best Places to Work in America, According to Employees
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Key Takeaways
- Trader Joe’s ranks #1 among large U.S. employers, beating companies like Google (#3), Microsoft (#4), and Apple (#12).
- Major technology firms—including Nvidia, Adobe, and Salesforce—all appear in the top 20 large employers.
- Toll Brothers tops the midsize company ranking, with the homebuilder ahead of Patagonia and United Community.
What makes a company one of the best places to work in America?
Each year, Forbes surveys hundreds of thousands of employees across the U.S. to evaluate workplace satisfaction, compensation, culture, and career opportunities.
The results reveal a mix of household-name corporations and mission-driven institutions. In the 2026 ranking, companies like Trader Joe’s, Google, Microsoft, and Nvidia appear among the top large employers, while Toll Brothers and Patagonia lead the midsize category.
This graphic shows the top-ranked large and midsize employers in the U.S., based on the latest data from Forbes.
Ranked: The Top 20 Large Employers in 2026
Here are America’s best employers across companies with 5,000 or more employees:
| Rank | Name | Score | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Trader Joe's | 100.0 | Consumer Goods |
| 2 | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | 99.5 | Healthcare |
| 3 | 97.2 | Technology | |
| 4 | Microsoft | 97.1 | Technology |
| 5 | Stanford University | 96.6 | Education |
| 6 | In-N-Out Burger | 94.8 | Consumer Goods |
| 7 | NVIDIA | 94.7 | Technology |
| 8 | American Express | 93.6 | Financials |
| 9 | hoag | 93.3 | Healthcare |
| 10 | Houston Methodist | 93.1 | Healthcare |
| 11 | Carhartt | 92.5 | Consumer Goods |
| 12 | Apple | 92.3 | Technology |
| 13 | Delta Air Lines | 92.2 | Transportation |
| 14 | Washington University in Saint Louis | 92.2 | Education |
| 15 | Adobe | 91.9 | Technology |
| 16 | MD Anderson Cancer Center | 91.6 | Healthcare |
| 17 | Navy Federal Credit Union | 91.5 | Financials |
| 18 | Salesforce | 91.5 | Technology |
| 19 | Boston Scientific | 91.1 | Healthcare |
| 20 | Samsung Electronics | 91.1 | Technology |
With a score of 100, grocery chain Trader Joe’s ranks first nationally, a company known for its high employee satisfaction.
Not only does it offer the potential for wage increases, averaging 7% annually, it also provides health and retirement plans. Along with prioritizing employee development and advancement opportunities, the chain refuses to use self-checkout systems in its stores.
Following next in line are St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, Google, and Microsoft.
Nvidia, ranked seventh, fell from fourth place in 2025. According to Glassdoor reviews, 90% of employees would recommend the company to a friend, with the highest scores in corporate values and culture. Among the lowest ratings were in work-life balance.
Overall, technology companies accounted for seven of the top 20 large employers, followed by five in healthcare.
America’s Top 20 Midsize Employers
For employers with 1,000 to 5,000 employees, Pennsylvania-based homebuilder Toll Brothers ranked first.
| Rank | Name | Score | Industry |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toll Brothers | 100.0 | Industrials |
| 2 | Patagonia | 98.5 | Consumer Goods |
| 3 | United Community | 97.1 | Financials |
| 4 | Medical Mutual of Ohio | 95.6 | Financials |
| 5 | Ukpeaġvik Iñupiat Corporation | 95.4 | Industrials |
| 6 | Businessolver | 95.3 | Technology |
| 7 | OPENLANE | 95.0 | Consumer Goods |
| 8 | Spotify Technology | 94.9 | Technology |
| 9 | Green Bay Packaging | 94.6 | Industrials |
| 10 | New York Power Authority | 94.4 | Utilities |
| 11 | Universal Music Group | 94.1 | Consumer Goods |
| 12 | 1st Source Bank | 93.8 | Financials |
| 13 | Vanderbilt University | 93.8 | Education |
| 14 | Milton Hershey School | 93.4 | Education |
| 15 | Maury Regional Medical Center | 93.3 | Healthcare |
| 16 | ITT | 93.1 | Industrials |
| 17 | Epic Games | 93.1 | Technology |
| 18 | ABC Technologies | 93.1 | Industrials |
| 19 | SoFi | 93.0 | Financials |
| 20 | Vizient | 92.9 | Healthcare |
As a Fortune 500 company operating in over 60 markets, Toll Brothers employees report that they are given a significant amount of responsibility, while also reporting that management is ethical and honest.
Patagonia ranks second and is known for its low turnover and emphasis on work-life balance. In addition to offering warehouse employees 15 different schedule options, it also offers on-site childcare and tuition reimbursement.
Financial firms United Community and Medical Mutual of Ohio follow in the rankings, meanwhile, music-streaming platform Spotify Technologies ranks eighth.
As we can see, the best large employers are dominated by the tech and health sectors, yet the top midsize companies represent a more diverse mix of industries—ranging from industrials and consumer goods to financials and education.
Learn More on the Voronoi App
To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on revenue per employee in the world’s top 20 companies by sales.