The 50 best companies to work for in America

Headquarters: Houston, Texas, and Princeton, New Jersey

Experienced median pay: $96,700

High job satisfaction: 85% of employees

Employees at green energy company NRG can take advantage of benefits like college scholarships, rewards for outstanding work, and discounts on appliances and services to make their homes more sustainable, such as solar panel installation, smart thermostats, and electric vehicles. The company’s Houston campus is LEED-certified, and the Princeton headquarters will receive a number of upgrades to make it more environmentally friendly.

Headquarters: New York, New York

Experienced median pay: $76,000

High job satisfaction: 76% of employees

New York Life Insurance, one of the largest insurance firms in the world, offers a number of programs to support diversity within the company. It has seven employment resource groups created to promote inclusion and "a sense of collaboration in the community," including The Women's Initiative, which fosters career development for the company's women employees, who comprise 57% of the company.

Headquarters: Juno Beach, Florida

Experienced median pay: $87,500

High job satisfaction: 72% of employees

The clean energy company employs 14,300 people in 27 states and Canada. The NextEra Energy Florida headquarters — which achieved LEED-gold re-certification last year — has a fitness center, nature trail, running track, and outdoor volleyball.

Headquarters: Hopkinton, Massachusetts

Experienced median pay: $117,000

High job satisfaction: 76% of employees

EMC’s company culture hinges on the principles of camaraderie and teamwork. When new employees enter the information technology company, they are assigned an “alum chum” to help them navigate and get settled. Teams also participate in bonding activities such as softball or soccer games and lunch and learn sessions. Many EMC employees can take advantage of the ability to work remotely as well, a perk 50% of the company enjoys.

Headquarters: Washington, DC

Experienced median pay: $114,000

High job satisfaction: N/A

The government-sponsored mortgage servicing giant is headquartered in the country's capital, with six other regional offices around the country as well. Through the SERVE initiative, employees can take up to 10 paid hours per month to participate in volunteer opportunities. The company even holds an annual week-long event, 7 Days to SERVE, in which the entire company gets involved in charity work. In 2015, they volunteered a total of 11,000 hours.

Headquarters: Cupertino, California

Experienced median pay: $127,000

High job satisfaction: 70% of employees

Though a competitive and demanding place to work — only 6% of employees rated their jobs as low stress, according to PayScale — Apple treats its employees incredibly well, with perks like discounts on Apple products, robust health benefits (even for part-time Apple store workers), and on-site “beer bashes.” CEO Tim Cook addressed the company’s commitment to employee diversity in a letter on Apple’s website stating that in 2015, 35% of new hires were women and 43% were minorities.

Headquarters: Parsippany, New Jersey (US headquarters)

Experienced median pay: $110,000

High job satisfaction: 84% of employees

Allergan commits to environmental sustainability by using green materials, equipment, and technology whenever possible. The pharmaceutical company also coaches employees on sustainability practices through its Environmental Responsibility Program, aiming to help them improve their habits both at work and at home.

Headquarters: Abbott Park, Illinois

Experienced median pay: $93,500

High job satisfaction: 73% of employees

Healthcare giant Abbott Laboratories offers an extensive list of benefits that help keep job satisfaction high. In addition to a number of health and wellness-related programs, the company offers tuition assistance, three weeks of paid vacation for new hires, paternity leave, and an assistance program for mothers to help ease the transition back to work.

Headquarters: Allentown, Pennsylvania

Experienced median pay: $103,000

High job satisfaction: 77% of employees

Electric utility PPL — formerly Pennsylvania Power and Light — employs 13,000 people across its three regional energy entities in Pennsylvania, Kentucky, and the UK. The most frequently hired positions include engineers, finance and accounting professionals, and plant operators. PayScale reports that 19% of employees consider their job low stress.

Headquarters: Cincinnati, Ohio

Experienced median pay: $98,200

High job satisfaction: 82% of employees

To Procter & Gamble, employee well-being is imperative. To ensure employees take care of themselves, the household products company offers trainings on stress management and time management, as well as career-growth courses on topics like business writing, effective leadership, and energy management. P&G employees enjoy flexibility in their work schedules as well, and 35% reported having the ability to work from home.

Headquarters: Saint Paul, Minnesota

Experienced median pay: $85,700

High job satisfaction: 74% of employees

At the medical devices manufacturing company, employees are encouraged to take advantage of the LiveWell Program, which lets them get on-site health screenings and free health assessments. PayScale notes that 85% of St. Jude Medical employees felt their job provided high meaning — one of the best scores for a company ranked in the top-50.

Headquarters: Irving, Texas

Experienced median pay: $117,000

High job satisfaction: 72% of employees

Exxon Mobil, the world’s largest publicly traded oil and gas company, makes employee retention a priority. Part of that plan involves significant investment in ensuring their workforce continues to grow: The company spent more than $115 million on professional training for 79,000 company participants in 2014.

Headquarters: Dearborn, Michigan

Experienced median pay: $92,800

High job satisfaction: 78% of employees

At Ford Motor, investing back into the community is vital. The car manufacturer created the Ford Motor Company Fund in 1949, which has since donated nearly $1.5 billion to nonprofits that specialize in education, community development, and auto safety.

Ford's workforce follows that example: More than 27,000 of the company's employees and retirees form a volunteer corps that logs over 112,000 hours of volunteer work on community service projects each year.

Headquarters: Dallas, Texas

Experienced median pay: $101,000

High job satisfaction: 73% of employees

The electronics company — the third-largest semiconductor maker in the world — has offices across the globe in countries such as Germany, Israel, China, and Japan. According to PayScale, the highest average salaries at Texas Instruments belong to analog and mixed signal design engineers, who make about $97,000 a year. The company's 30,000 employees are expected to maintain the core values of "integrity, innovation, and commitment.”

Headquarters: Englewood, Colorado

Experienced median pay: $87,900

High job satisfaction: 73% of employees

CH2M, which recently simplified its name from CH2M Hill, is a global engineering company that offers consulting, design, and construction services and is made up of a community of “skilled and creative problem solvers.” The CH2M Foundation supports employee volunteerism and donates to sustainability and STEM education causes around the world.

Headquarters: Houston, Texas

Experienced median pay: $93,700

High job satisfaction: 74% of employees

Baker Hughes focuses on each employees’ potential, not where they are when they start. This principle spurred the oil and gas services company to build LearnLink, an online course system that allows employees to develop new skills and further their education in any area that interests them. Baker Hughes also operates two standalone education centers in Houston and Dubai where new and experienced employees receive training and sharpen their skills.

Headquarters: North Chicago, Illinois

Experienced median pay: $107,000

High job satisfaction: 67% of employees

The pharmaceutical company, which makes blockbuster autoimmune disease drug Humira, typically pays its employees 6% above the market compared to similar companies. In April, AbbVie announced they are teaming up with the University of Chicago for a five-year deal to collaborate on cancer research.

Headquarters: Charlotte, North Carolina

Experienced median pay: $90,800

High job satisfaction: 75% of employees

Electric power conglomerate Duke Energy offers an array of career paths, from customer service to engineer and technician. Every year, thousands of employees and retirees devote their free time to volunteering with “Duke Energy in Action,” the company’s community service effort.

Headquarters: Foster City, California

Experienced median pay: $116,000

High job satisfaction: 85% of employees

At Gilead Sciences, employees work to create new medicines that transform the lives of people with life-threatening illnesses, such as HIV/AIDS, cancer, and hepatitis C. This focus on changing lives contributes to Gilead employees finding purpose in their work, as 91% of them report having high job meaning, according to PayScale. In the US, employees also enjoy benefits such as tuition reimbursement, back-up childcare options, and the ability to purchase company stock.

Headquarters: Maplewood, Minnesota

Experienced median pay: $85,100

High job satisfaction: 80% of employees

Nearly 90,000 employees are dedicated to this industrial conglomerate's five diverse business groups: consumer, electronics and energy, healthcare, industrial, and safety and graphics. 3M also offers a bevy of benefits, including on-site fitness centers, stress-management coaching, and an on-site pharmacy and medical center.

Headquarters: Irving, Texas

Experienced median pay: $94,500

High job satisfaction: 70% of employees

The 144-year-old paper consumer goods manufacturer produces leading brands Kleenex, Scott, Huggies, Pull-Ups, Kotex, Poise, and Depend. The company's longstanding Live Well program promotes healthy living on- and off-site.

Headquarters: Wilmington, Delaware

Experienced median pay: $95,900

High job satisfaction: 81% of employees

DuPont makes it a point to ensure that employees are able to maintain a healthy work life balance. To accomplish this, the chemicals giant offers a family leave program, which lets employees take time off for maternity and paternity leave, adoptions, foster children, and to care for ill family members. DuPont also offers dependent-care spending accounts that help employees save on childcare and adoption expenses.

DuPont also strives to create an environment where employees feel valued, and a solid 66% of employees report high job meaning.

Headquarters: San Francisco, California

Experienced median pay: $136,000

High job satisfaction: 90% of employees

Salesforce is a demanding workplace — only 1% of employees reported having low-stress jobs to PayScale — but the company strives to create a happy work environment, earning the highest job satisfaction mark on our ranking behind Facebook. The customer relationship software company offers on-site fitness and massages, standing and treadmill desks, free snacks and drinks, and dog-friendly offices.

Employee participation in philanthropic work is important as well. Workers can take six days off a year to volunteer, and the company also coordinates volunteer trips around the world.

Headquarters: Zurich, Switzerland

Experienced median pay: $85,000

High job satisfaction: 79% of employees

Chubb Limited — the resulting company that formed when ACE Limited acquired Chubb Corporation in early 2016 — employs about 31,000 people worldwide and is one of the largest property and casualty insurers on the planet. Twelve percent of employees at Chubb, which was headquartered in New Jersey prior to the merger, say their job is low stress, according to PayScale.

Headquarters: Broomfield, Colorado

Experienced median pay: $92,000

High job satisfaction: 76% of employees

Level 3 Communications makes corporate social responsibility a priority, and it encourages employees to give back as well, providing paid time off to volunteer. Though employees can contribute to any organization they choose, the telecommunications company and internet service provider itself invests in education, the environment, and serving underprivileged people and communities.

Headquarters: Midland, Michigan

Experienced median pay: $97,400

High job satisfaction: 79% of employees

The global chemicals conglomerate is invested in helping its 50,000 employees learn and grow within the company, including opportunities for mentoring, classroom training, and cultural training.

Dow offers flexible work options to employees as well, and it prides itself on being one of the best employers for working mothers — offering a minimum of 12 weeks paid leave following the birth of a child.

Headquarters: Sunnyvale, California

Experienced median pay: $102,000

High job satisfaction: 73% of employees

The semiconductor company aims to push the boundaries of technology and has committed to go green along the way with a tri-fold program that rewards employees who save energy at work, during their commute, and at home. Though the company is only 22% female, according to PayScale, it has established programs for the inclusion of women, like executive mentoring for emerging women leaders and a general women’s forum.

Headquarters: Santa Clara, California

Experienced median pay: $118,000

High job satisfaction: 72% of employees

Intel wants every employee to build the career of their dreams, and it helps them do it by providing access to career advisors, networking events, certifications, and tuition assistance. Outside of the workday, employees at the semiconductor and computer technology company enjoy perks such as on-site fitness centers, tickets to local sporting and cultural events, and discounted shopping programs.

Headquarters: Schaumburg, Illinois

Experienced median pay: $103,000

High job satisfaction: 73% of employees

The telecommunications company’s emphasis on flexibility allows 49% of its employees to work from home. Motorola employees also receive about 3.5 weeks of paid vacation on average.

This emphasis on work-life balance has helped Motorola retain its workforce: More than half of employees have worked at the company for more than a decade, and nearly one-quarter of employees have worked at the company for more than 20 years, according to PayScale.

Headquarters: San Antonio, Texas

Experienced median pay: $80,500

High job satisfaction: 83% of employees

The United Services Automobile Association, or USAA, is a financial services company that offers banking, investing, and insurance to former and current military families. The company emphasizes work-life balance for employees, and it offers on-site fitness and a wellness clinic, among other amenities, at its San Antonio headquarters.

Headquarters: New York, New York

Experienced median pay: $111,000

High job satisfaction: 74% of employees

To affirm its culture of inclusion, TIAA-CREF — recently simplified to just "TIAA" — sponsors several employee resource groups to help everyone find their place and provide networking opportunities, community outreach, and multicultural awareness. Groups exist for minorities as well as for women, young professionals, and the LGBT community.

Flexibility is a key perk at TIAA, too: More than 40% of employees at the financial and retirement services company have the ability to work remotely when they need to, according to PayScale.

Headquarters: San Jose, California

Experienced median pay: $125,000

High job satisfaction: 78% of employees

The e-commerce platform jumped up 23 spots on our list this year. The company champions employees to go beyond the work they do in the office and make an impact globally. That includes a "Green Team," in which employees and eBay sellers work together to improve eBay’s sustainability, as well as a match program for philanthropic gifts.

Headquarters: Bellevue, Washington

Experienced median pay: $115,000

High job satisfaction: 71% of employees

Expedia, the parent company of Expedia.com and a host of online travel brands and booking sites including Orbitz and Travelocity, employs more than 18,000 people in 30 countries. Naturally, the company offers its employees travel discounts and fosters a culture that emphasizes curiosity and exploration.

Headquarters: San Jose, California

Experienced median pay: $124,000

Job satisfaction: 75% of employees

Flexibility is key at Cisco, where a whopping 67% of employees can telecommute or work remotely, making it the most flexible workplace on the list. On campus, employees of the IT and networking tech company enjoy a host of perks, including fitness centers and bike paths, cafés and gourmet food trucks, child-care centers and mothers’ rooms, and “fun funds” for team celebrations and team building exercises.

Headquarters: Houston, Texas

Experienced median pay: $111,000

High job satisfaction: 78% of employees

The global oil and gas conglomerate, which has about 16,000 employees, prides itself on attracting strong talent and pushing career development, with programs for student recruitment, early-career development, and mentoring.

The best-paying jobs at ConocoPhillips are for geophysicists, who make about $150,000 on average, followed by petroleum and drilling engineers, who each make upward of $125,000.

Headquarters: New York, New York

Experienced median pay: $98,800

High job satisfaction: 80% of employees

Credit card and financial services titan American Express provides employees benefits like paid family leave and health insurance, as well as an on-site gym and café at the NYC headquarters. They're also among the most flexible on our list, with half of employees reporting the ability to work from home, according to PayScale.

Headquarters: New York, New York

Experienced median pay: $108,000

Job satisfaction: 75% of employees

Pfizer sums up its company culture with two words: own it. The company believes that employees should be able to take ownership of their careers, allowing them the freedom to take risks and the support to confront systems and attitudes that aren’t working. The pharmaceutical giant also offers its employees relative flexibility, as 37% are able to work from home.

Headquarters: Thousand Oaks, California

Experienced median pay: $121,000

High job satisfaction: 77% of employees

The biopharmaceutical company employs about 18,000 people worldwide. Nearly 90% of them report having a high job meaning — not surprising given that Amgen has developed several successful cancer treatments as well as drugs to address autoimmune diseases and osteoporosis.

Amgen is committed to career development and education opportunities, offering tuition reimbursement as well as formal and technical training within the company for those looking to advance their skills.

Headquarters: Sunnyvale, California

Experienced median pay: $129,000

High job satisfaction: 75% of employees

NetApp, a data storage and cloud management company, has a slew of employee benefits that have become typical of tech companies competing for top talent, including gourmet food and on-site fitness centers, as well as coworker training programs and time off to volunteer.

Senior software engineers draw the largest salaries at NetApp, pulling in $145,000 on average, followed closely by senior product managers, who make $143,000, according to PayScale.

Headquarters: Indianapolis, Indiana

Experienced median pay: $102,000

High job satisfaction: 78% of employees

Most Eli Lilly employees find their jobs fulfilling, and 91% report having high job meaning. Employees at the pharmaceutical company — which creates drugs like Prozac (for depression), Cialis (for erectile dysfunction), and Methadone (for opioid addiction) — also find meaning outside of their day-to-day duties through Lilly's volunteering opportunities. As a part of Connecting Hearts Abroad, employees can take two weeks of paid leave to work in impoverished countries, providing hands-on support in healthcare, caregiving, and education.

Headquarters: Redmond, Washington

Experienced median pay: $129,000

High job satisfaction: 70% of employees

The computer tech stalwart jumped up five spots on the list from last year. Employees find the company very flexible — more than 40% reported being able to work from home, according to PayScale. And Microsoft moved to ease its work-life balance even more in October 2015 by implementing a parental leave policy that allows both men and women to take up to 12 fully-paid weeks off.

Headquarters: San Ramon, California

Experienced median pay: $122,000

High job satisfaction: 81% of employees

Headquartered in California but present in more than 180 countries, Chevron runs on “Human Energy” with an employee workforce 61,500 strong, nearly half of them located in the US.

The multinational oil and gas company's employees and retirees are encouraged to participate in its volunteer program, Chevron Humankind. In 2014, employees logged 350,000 volunteer service hours and donated $20 million to nonprofits and charities, which was matched by Chevron.

Headquarters: Cambridge, Massachusetts

Experienced median pay: $93,400

High job satisfaction: 70% of employees

At Biogen, employees feel like they’re making a difference, with 91% reporting high job meaning, according to PayScale. The biotechnology company, which develops therapies for neurological and autoimmune diseases, emphasizes giving back to its communities, and every year the company dedicates a “Care Deeply Volunteer Day,” where thousands of employees participate in local community service projects.

Headquarters: New Brunswick, New Jersey

Experienced median pay: $107,000

High job satisfaction: 77% of employees

With nearly 130,000 employees in more than 60 countries, Johnson & Johnson is dedicated to the entire team's well-being. The pharmaceutical company actively cultivates a healthy culture and offers health programs with services tailored to individual employee needs.

Headquarters: Menlo Park, California

Experienced median pay: $135,000

High job satisfaction: 97% of employees

The 12-year-old social network cum global tech giant is consistently lauded as one of the best places to work thanks to unrivaled employee perks including gourmet food courts, on-site doctors and chiropractors, laundry and dry-cleaning services, bikes to commute around campus, an inclusive company culture, and four months of paid parental leave for mothers, fathers, and same-sex couples.

Headquarters: Atlanta, Georgia

Experienced median pay: $85,100

High job satisfaction: 88% of employees

Southern Company strives to create a culture of trust and excellence by both supporting employees in their daily work and challenging them to set industry performance and safety records. The electric utility company provides a positive atmosphere to accomplish this, and 28% of employees reported low levels of stress at work, making Southern the least-stressful work environment on the list.

Headquarters: Mountain View, California

Experienced median pay: $119,000

High job satisfaction: 74% of employees

Symantec has over 21,000 employees dedicated to creating top-of-the-line cyber security software. Though employees are expected to know a number of computer programming languages — Java being the most popular — PayScale found that the best-paying skill is Python. The best-paying position? That would be principal software engineer, which draws a salary of $140,000 on average.

Headquarters: New York, New York

Experienced median pay: $111,000

High job satisfaction: 78% of employees

Biopharmaceutical giant Bristol-Myers Squibb has a rich employee culture with strong gender diversity — 54% female and 46% male — across its 11 offices in seven states. The company manufactures drugs that treat cancer, HIV/AIDS, and diabetes, among other ailments, and 82% of employees report that their job has high meaning, according to PayScale.

Headquarters: Mountain View, California

Experienced median pay: $140,000

High job satisfaction: 86% of employees

Dethroning last year's No. 1, Facebook, Google earned the title as the best company to work for this year. Notorious for its abundant perks, employees at the search giant can take advantage of free, gourmet food, 24/7 tech support, on-site massages, free fitness classes and gym memberships, and a generous vacation plan.

Employees also report that Google — recently renamed Alphabet in a corporate restructuring — allows them flexibility to work on passion projects and feed their creativity. The company continues to grow, adding nearly 9,000 jobs in the last year.