15 Best Places to Work in Technology
These tech firms get the best ratings and reviews from current and former employees.
![](https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/blt69509c9116440be8/bltd577276f8487e05e/64cb5a1131af4017b40166ac/00PlacestoWork.jpg?width=700&auto=webp&quality=80&disable=upscale)
With the nation's unemployment rate now down to 4.1%, competition for top tech talent is fierce. Job candidates with highly desirable skills like software development, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, data science, and DevOps often have their pick of employment opportunities.
To help attract the best and brightest, tech firms work hard to set themselves apart. They pay high salaries, and many offer unique perks and benefits, such as free meals, that are unusual in other industries.
To find out which technology companies are doing the best job of keeping their employees happy and attracting new recruits, job posting site Indeed.com analyzed its user ratings and came up with a list of the 15 Best Places to Work in Tech.
This slideshow takes a closer look at those 15 firms, pulling in data from a number of other sources, including the companies' websites, annual reports and Glassdoor employee reviews. To provide an idea of the level of compensation at the various companies, the slideshow also includes the average software engineer salaries as reported by Indeed.com. (Note that Indeed.com did not have a very large sample size of software engineer salaries for one of the companies on the list, so for that company, the slideshow pulled salary data from Glassdoor.)
A few interesting trends emerged. First, nearly all the best places to work in tech are headquartered in Silicon Valley, and only one has its headquarters outside the US. Second, reviewers are very likely to describe these workplaces as "quick-paced," but less likely to call them "competitive." Third, there's a very strong correlation between employees who rate their CEO highly and employees who rate their workplaces very highly. Last, the differences in average salary, annual revenue or number of employees at the company seem to have little bearing on how highly companies were ranked.
All of these firms are currently hiring, so if you're looking for a new position, you might want to put these companies at the top of your list.
Website: AppliedMaterials.com
Founded: 1967
Headquarters: Santa Clara, Calif.
Employees: 18,400
Annual Revenue: $14.54 billion
Stock Symbol: AMAT (NASDAQ)
Software Engineer Average Salary: $123,104
Indeed.com Reviews: Applied Materials gets 4.0 out of 5 stars from Indeed.com users. They give it a 3.9 for compensation/benefits and a 3.7 for culture.
Glassdoor Reviews: This website's users give Applied Materials 3.7 out of 5 stars. In addition, 76% would recommend the company to a friend, and 87% approve of CEO Gary Dickerson. Job interviews are of easy to average difficulty (2.9 out of 5, with 5 being the hardest).
Of all the companies on the Indeed.com list, Applied Materials is probably the one that is the least well-known. It's a semiconductor equipment manufacturer; it supplies the tools, software and services that allow the rest of the technology industry to manufacture computers, smartphones, flat panel displays, electronics and solar panels. It was named one of Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies for 2017, one of the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World, and one of the 2018 World's Most Ethical Companies.
Website: Intel.com
Founded: 1968
Headquarters: Santa Clara, Calif.
Employees: 106,000
Annual Revenue: $62.76 billion
Stock Symbol: INTC (NASDAQ)
Software Engineer Average Salary: $117,467
Indeed.com Reviews: Intel gets 4.2 out of 5 stars from Indeed.com users. It gets a 4.2 for compensation/benefits, a 3.9 for culture, and a 3.9 for work/life balance. Users describe it as quick-paced and stressful.
Glassdoor Reviews: The company gets 3.8 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor, where 74% would recommend it to a friend, and 67% approve of CEO Brian M. Krzanich. Job interviews at the company are of average difficulty, ranking 3.0 on a 5-point scale.
Although it also makes other components, Intel is best known as a processor manufacturer, and its chips are in most PCs and many servers. It has won numerous accolades, including being named number 15 on the Interbrand list of Best Global Brands 2017, number 45 on the Fortune's World's Most Admired Companies 2018, and number 8 on the 2017 Most Reputable Companies.
13. Rackspace
Website: Rackspace.com
Founded: 1998
Headquarters: San Antonio, Texas
Employees: 6,000 (est.)
Annual Revenue: Unknown
Stock Symbol: Privately held
Software Engineer Average Salary: $101,318
Indeed.com Reviews: Rackspace gets a 4.0 out of 5 stars from reviewers. Its best marks are for work/life balance (4.0) and culture (3.9). Employees say it is a fast-paced environment, but not too stressful or competitive.
Glassdoor Reviews: The company gets 3.5 out of 5 stars on this site. Also, 63% would recommend Rackspace to a friend, and 66% say they approve of CEO Joe Eazor. Job interviews are about average for difficulty (3.3 out of 5).
Rackspace claims to be the "world's #1 managed cloud provider" and frequently boasts about its "fanatical support." According to its website, it is also #1 as a hosting provider for the Internet Retailer Top 1,000 ecommerce websites, hosing of Magento Enterprise Edition, hosting of Microsoft SharePoint deployments and hosting of OpenStack private clouds.
Website: Cisco.com
Founded: 1984
Headquarters: San Jose, Calif.
Employees: 72,900
Annual Revenue: $48 billion
Stock Symbol: CSCO (NASDAQ)
Software Engineer Average Salary: $123,199
Indeed.com Reviews: Indeed users give Cisco 4.1 out of 5 stars. The company gets its highest marks for work/life balance (4.0) and compensation/benefits (4.0). Employees describe it as quick-paced and collaborative.
Glassdoor Reviews: Reviewers on this site give the company 3.9 out of 5 stars. Also, 81% say they would recommend it to a friend, and 88% approve of CEO Chuck Robbins. Interviews are rated at 3.0 out of 5, or about average difficulty.
Cisco is the world's largest networking equipment vendor. It has won numerous awards for its work environment, including being named one of the 2018 Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality, a Military-Friendly Silver Employer for 2018, a Top Disability-Friendly Company, and one of the World's Most Valuable Brands for 2017.
Website: Qualcomm.com
Founded: 1985
Headquarters: San Diego, Calif.
Employees: 33,500
Annual Revenue: $23.55 billion
Stock Symbol: QCOM (NASDAQ)
Software Engineer Average Salary: $119,968
Indeed.com Reviews: Qualcomm gets 4.1 out of 5 stars from reviewers, with its highest rating for compensation/benefits (4.1). Employees describe the atmosphere as quick-paced and a little stressful.
Glassdoor Reviews: Glassdoor users give the company 3.8 out of 5 stars. Seventy-two percent would recommend it to a friend, and 74% approve of CEO Steve Mollenkopf. Job interviews are rated 3.1 out of 5, or about average difficulty.
Qualcomm might not be a household name the way many of the other technology companies on this list are, but it is very influential within the technology industry. It makes much of its money from licensing its patented chip designs, and it also sells telecommunications and semiconductor products. In the company's words, "Qualcomm inventions are the foundation technologies that others build upon — inventing new industries and applications that have global impact."
Website: Yahoo.com
Founded: 1994
Headquarters: Sunnyvale, Calif.
Employees: Parent company Oath has 14,000 employees
Annual Revenue: Unknown
Stock Symbol: NA
Software Engineer Average Salary: $133,135
Indeed.com Reviews: Yahoo gets 4.2 out of 5 stars on Indeed.com, and its best ratings are for work/life balance (4.1) and culture (4.1). Employees say it is a quick-paced, collaborative, and fairly relaxed work environment.
Glassdoor Reviews: The company has 3.8 out of 5 stars at Glassdoor. Also, 71% would recommend the company to a friend, but only 34% say they approve of the CEO (which might be related to the company’s recent acquisition and change in leadership). Interviews get a 3.0 rating, which is about average in difficulty.
Yahoo has long been one of the most popular websites on the Internet, but the company has recently experienced some huge changes. In 2017, Yahoo went through a complicated acquisition. Verizon purchased most of Yahoo’s assets, including the Yahoo portal, Yahoo Search, Tumblr, Flickr, and several other Web properties. Verizon then set up a new subsidiary, called Oath, which now oversees the Yahoo and AOL businesses. Other Yahoo assets, including its piece of Alibaba Group and Yahoo Japan, became a new company called Altaba. Despite the turmoil and several rounds of layoffs, many Yahoo employees continue to give it good reviews as a place to work, and the free breakfast, lunch, and dinner for employees are especially popular.
Website: Juniper.net
Founded: 1996
Headquarters: Sunnyvale, Calif.
Employees: 9,500+
Annual Revenue: $5.02 billion
Stock Symbol: JNPR (NYSE)
Software Engineer Average Salary: $133,323
Indeed.com Reviews: This Cisco competitor gets 4.1 out of 5 stars with its best ratings for work/life balance (4.1) and compensation/benefits (4.1). Its culture is described as quick-paced and stressful, but collaborative.
Glassdoor Reviews: On Glassdoor, Juniper has 3.7 out of 5 stars. Among reviewers, 72% say they would recommend it to a friend, and a full 90% say they approve of CEO Rami Rahim, putting him among the highest-rated CEOs for 2017. Job interviews are about average in difficulty (3.1 out of 5).
As you might guess from its name, Juniper Networks makes networking products, including both hardware and software. Its recent awards include being named one of 2018’s 50 Most Influential Channel Chiefs by CRN, the 2018 Worldstar Packaging Award, and one of America’s Most JUST Companies for 2017.
Website: Intuit.com
Founded: 1983
Headquarters: Mountain View, Calif.
Employees: 8,300
Annual Revenue: $5.2 billion
Stock Symbol: INTU (NASDAQ)
Software Engineer Average Salary: $127,067
Indeed.com Reviews: Current and former employees give Intuit 4.2 out of 5 stars and describe the environment as fast-paced. It gets the highest marks for compensation/benefits (4.2).
Glassdoor Reviews: Intuit gets unusually high ratings on Glassdoor, 4.2 out of 5 stars. Among reviewers, 85% would recommend it to a friend, and a whopping 97% approve of CEO Brad Smith, making him one of the highest-rated CEOs for 2017. Job interviews are of average difficulty (3.0).
Intuit makes financial software for small businesses and individuals; its best-known products are QuickBooks and TurboTax. It also used to own Quicken, but it sold that part of its business in 2016. The company is very proud of its record on diversity and equal pay. In the U.S., women who work for Intuit have the same average pay as men, and minorities earn 99.7 cents for every $1.00 white people earn.
Image Source: Intuit.com
Website: Microsoft.com
Founded: 1975
Headquarters: Redmond, Wash.
Employees: 124,293
Annual Revenue: $89.50 billion
Stock Symbol: MSFT (NASDAQ)
Software Engineer Average Salary: $120,757
Indeed.com Reviews: Current and former employees give Microsoft 4.2 stars out of 5, with highest marks for compensation/benefits (4.1) and work/life balance (3.9). They describe its environment as quick-paced and somewhat stressful.
Glassdoor Reviews: Microsoft also gets very high ratings on Glassdoor -- 4.1 out of 5. In addition, 85% said they would recommend it to a friend, and an impressive 96% approve of CEO Satya Nadella, making him one of the highest-rated CEOs for 2017. Interviews are on the hard side of average -- 3.2 out of 5.
Microsoft is the world's largest software company, and one of the most valuable companies in the world. (In 2017, it was 28th on the Fortune 100.) Its best-known products include the Windows operating system, Office productivity software, Xbox gaming system, Surface computing devices and the Azure cloud computing service. Prospective job candidates should also be aware that the company pioneered a job interview technique that came to be called the "Microsoft interview;" it involves asking puzzles and other questions meant to test problem-solving ability and creativity.
6. Apple
Website: Apple.com
Founded: 1976
Headquarters: Cupertino, Calif.
Employees: 123,000
Annual Revenue: $229.2 billion
Stock Symbol: AAPL (NASDAQ)
Software Engineer Average Salary: $151,512
Indeed.com Reviews: Apple gets 4.2 out of 5 stars on Indeed.com, and its highest ratings are for culture (4.2) and compensation/benefits (4.1). It has a quick-paced and somewhat stressful environment.
Glassdoor Reviews: Glassdoor users give the company 4.0 out of 5 stars. Seventy-nine percent would recommend it to a friend, and a very high 93% approve of CEO Tim Cook, making him one of the highest-rated CEOs for 2017.
Known for its unique approach to design, Apple sells a range of computing products that includes the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac computers. It is one of the largest companies in the world, and in 2017, it was third on the Fortune 500 list. It is also one of the most valuable brands in the world. Many reviewers describe the work environment at the company as "fun" but "challenging."
Website: SAP.com
Founded: 1972
Headquarters: Walldorf, Germany
Employees: 88,000
Annual Revenue: €22.06 billion
Stock Symbol: SAP (NYSE)
Software Engineer Average Salary: $91,235*
Indeed.com Reviews: SAP gets 4.3 out of 5 stars from reviewers with high ratings for work/life balance (4.1) and culture (4.1). They described the environment as quick-paced.
Glassdoor Reviews: Glassdoor reviewers give SAP 4.4 out of 5 stars. In addition, 92% would recommend the company to a friend, and 97% approve of CEO Bill McDermott, putting him on the Highest-Rated CEOs list. Interviews are a little easier than most of the companies in this slideshow (2.9 out of 5.)
SAP is the world's leading enterprise resource planning (ERP) software maker, as well as the number one analytics and business intelligence company. The company says that its ERP solution touches 76% of global transaction revenue. Last year, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index listed it as the most sustainable software company for the eleventh year in a row. Although its global headquarters is in Germany, it also has a U.S. headquarters in Newton Square, Pennsylvania, plus more than two dozen branch offices throughout the country.
*Data from Glassdoor.com
Website: Google.com
Founded: 1998
Headquarters: Mountain View, Calif.
Employees: approx. 74,000
Annual Revenue: $109.7 billion
Stock Symbol: Parent company Alphabet Inc. traded as GOOG, GOOGL (NASDAQ)
Software Engineer Average Salary: $130,438
Indeed.com Reviews: Google gets 4.3 out of 5 stars with 4.2 ratings for work/life balance and culture. The job environment is described as quick-paced but relaxed.
Glassdoor Reviews: Google has a very impressive 4.4 out of 5 stars on Glassdoor. Also, 90% of reviewers would recommend it to a friend, and 96% approve of CEO Sundar Pichai, putting him on the list of Highest-Rated CEOs. Google's interview process, which often includes puzzles and brain teasers, is notoriously difficult and gets a 3.4 out of 5 rating.
Google's search engine dominates the Internet, powering three-quarters of all searches. The company's other products include YouTube, Google Cloud Platform, the Chrome Web browser, the Android and Chrome operating systems, Pixel smartphones and Gmail. Since 2015, the company has been a subsidiary of Alphabet, Inc., which was 27th on the 2017 Fortune 500. The benefits it offers employees are legendary and include free meals and snacks, onsite haircuts, reimbursed takeout meals for new parents, a company pool, volleyball, foosball, ping pong, roller hockey, rock climbing, free washers and dryers and dry cleaning, nap pods, onsite car washes and oil changes, massages and the ability to bring your dog to work. Employees are also encouraged to spend 20% of their time doing anything that interests them.
Website: Facebook.com
Founded: 2004
Headquarters: Menlo Park, Calif.
Employees: 25,105
Annual Revenue: $39.9 billion
Stock Symbol: FB (NASDAQ)
Software Engineer Average Salary: $146,219
Indeed.com Reviews: The social network gets a 4.2 rating at Indeed.com, with high ratings for culture (4.2) and work/life balance (4.1). Employees say the work environment is quick-paced.
Glassdoor Reviews: Facebook has a very high 4.6 out of 5 rating at Glassdoor. In addition, 94% of reviewers would recommend the company to a friend, and 98% approve of CEO Mark Zuckerberg, making him one of the Highest-Rated CEOs for 2017. Job interviews are about average in difficulty (3.1 out of 5.)
The world's largest social network, Facebook reported 1.4 billion daily active users and 2.13 billion monthly active users at the end of last December. It also has a reputation for a worker-friendly culture that includes perks like free meals and snacks, onsite video games, onsite bike repair, paid gym memberships, four months paid time off plus a $4,000 bonus for new parents, onsite haircuts, onsite medical and dental care, dry cleaning, and valet parking. It was 98th on the 2017 Fortune 500 list.
Website: Adobe.com
Founded: 1982
Headquarters: Mountain View, Calif.
Employees: 17,973
Annual Revenue: $7.3 billion
Stock Symbol: ADBE (NASDAQ)
Software Engineer Average Salary: $114,954
Indeed.com Reviews: Overall, Adobe has 4.3 out of 5 stars from Indeed.com reviewers. It gets high marks for work/life balance (4.2) and compensation/benefits (4.2). The environment is described as quick-paced.
Glassdoor Reviews: On Glassdoor, Adobe gets 4.2 out of 5 stars. Also, 87% of reviewers would recommend the company to a friend, and 97% approve of CEO Shantanu Narayen, making him one of the Highest-Rated CEOs of 2017. Interviews are about as difficult as at most of the other companies in this slideshow (3.1 out of 5).
Adobe makes software, primarily software used in the creation of multimedia content, although it also offers marketing and analytics solutions. Its best-known products include the Photoshop photo editing software, Acrobat PDF software, Illustrator drawing software and Premiere Pro video editing software. The company website provides an inside look at what it is like to work at the company through its Adobe Life blog.
Website: Salesforce.com
Founded: 1999
Headquarters: San Francisco, Calif.
Employees: 25,100
Annual Revenue: $8.39 billion
Stock Symbol: CRM (NYSE)
Software Engineer Average Salary: $122,172
Indeed.com Reviews: This website's users give Salesforce 4.3 out of 5 stars. It gets a 4. for compensation/benefits and culture. The environment is very quick-paced and a little stressful.
Glassdoor Reviews: At Glassdoor, Salesforce gets an identical rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars. Eight-seven percent of reviews say the would recommend the company to a friend, and an incredible 98% of reviewers say they approve of CEO Marc Benioff, making him one of the highest-rated CEOs for 2017. Reviews give the interview process 3.2 stars out of five for difficulty.
Salesforce offers the world's number one customer relationship management (CRM) software, and it is one of the largest cloud vendors. It also offers cloud-based tools for marketing and ecommerce, and it has become a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) with the introduction of its Einstein platform. As an employer, it boasts a very unique culture that it describes with the Hawaiian word "Ohana," which means family. It has won numerous awards, including being named Innovator of the Decade, one of the Most Innovative Companies in the World, one of the World's Most Admired Companies, and #1 CRM.
Website: Salesforce.com
Founded: 1999
Headquarters: San Francisco, Calif.
Employees: 25,100
Annual Revenue: $8.39 billion
Stock Symbol: CRM (NYSE)
Software Engineer Average Salary: $122,172
Indeed.com Reviews: This website's users give Salesforce 4.3 out of 5 stars. It gets a 4. for compensation/benefits and culture. The environment is very quick-paced and a little stressful.
Glassdoor Reviews: At Glassdoor, Salesforce gets an identical rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars. Eight-seven percent of reviews say the would recommend the company to a friend, and an incredible 98% of reviewers say they approve of CEO Marc Benioff, making him one of the highest-rated CEOs for 2017. Reviews give the interview process 3.2 stars out of five for difficulty.
Salesforce offers the world's number one customer relationship management (CRM) software, and it is one of the largest cloud vendors. It also offers cloud-based tools for marketing and ecommerce, and it has become a leader in artificial intelligence (AI) with the introduction of its Einstein platform. As an employer, it boasts a very unique culture that it describes with the Hawaiian word "Ohana," which means family. It has won numerous awards, including being named Innovator of the Decade, one of the Most Innovative Companies in the World, one of the World's Most Admired Companies, and #1 CRM.
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