Mapped: The Best Employer in Every U.S. State

America’s Top-Rated Employers, State by State

Key Takeaways

• Microsoft is the top-rated employer in nine states, the most of any organization, while Google leads in seven.

• Tech companies rank first in 19 states, more than any other sector.

• The winners range from NASA and Toyota to healthcare providers, banks, and major consumer brands.

This map shows the top-rated employer in every U.S. state in 2026, offering a snapshot of which large organizations earn the strongest marks from workers across the country.

The ranking is based on a Forbes survey of more than 245,000 employees. It covers organizations with at least 500 employees and considers pay, benefits, career growth, management, flexibility, and employee recommendations.

Big Tech Has the Widest Reach

Microsoft ranks first in nine states and Google in seven, meaning the two tech giants collectively lead nearly one-third of the country. Overall, tech companies take the top spot in 19 states.

StateCompanySector

AlabamaNASAGovernment

AlaskaProvidence St. Joseph HealthHealthcare

ArizonaAppleTech

ArkansasArkansas Blue Cross and Blue ShieldFinance

CaliforniaTrader Joe'sConsumer

ColoradoMicrosoftTech

ConnecticutASML HoldingTech

DelawareMountaireConsumer

District of ColumbiaGoogleTech

FloridaCharles SchwabFinance

GeorgiaMicrosoftTech

HawaiiUnited AirlinesIndustrial

IdahoWinCo FoodsConsumer

IllinoisGoogleTech

IndianaGoogleTech

IowaHormel FoodsConsumer

KansasPfizerHealthcare

KentuckyToyota North AmericaIndustrial

LouisianaLockheed MartinIndustrial

MaineIDEXX LaboratoriesHealthcare

MarylandMicrosoftTech

MassachusettsGoogleTech

MichiganDelta Air LinesIndustrial

MinnesotaBlue Cross and Blue Shield of MinnesotaFinance

MississippiUniversity of Mississippi Medical CenterHealthcare

MissouriFabick CatIndustrial

MontanaFirst Interstate BankFinance

NebraskaBryan HealthHealthcare

NevadaJPMorganChaseFinance

New HampshireDemoulas Super MarketsConsumer

New JerseyGoogleTech

New MexicoHome DepotConsumer

New YorkMicrosoftTech

North CarolinaMicrosoftTech

North DakotaEssentia HealthHealthcare

OhioMicrosoftTech

OklahomaIBMTech

OregonMicrosoftTech

PennsylvaniaLockheed MartinIndustrial

Rhode IslandFidelity InvestmentsFinance

South CarolinaHoneywell TechnologiesIndustrial

South DakotaU.S. Department of Veterans AffairsGovernment

TennesseeGoogleTech

TexasMicrosoftTech

UtahDelta Air LinesIndustrial

VermontM&T BankFinance

VirginiaMicrosoftTech

WashingtonGoogleTech

West VirginiaSheetzConsumer

WisconsinKimberly-ClarkConsumer

WyomingState of WyomingGovernment

Outside of tech, the results span a wide range of employers.

NASA leads in Alabama, Lockheed Martin in Louisiana, Toyota in Kentucky, and Trader Joe’s in California. Healthcare, finance, government, industrial, and consumer organizations also claim top spots across the country.

What Makes a Great Employer?

Pay is only one part of how Americans evaluate their workplaces. Benefits, career development, management, flexibility, and job security can also shape overall satisfaction.

In 2026, overall U.S. job satisfaction reached 68.9%, the highest level in 39 years and the 16th consecutive annual increase. That marks a sharp recovery from 2010, when satisfaction fell to 42.6% amid a weak post-recession labor market.

Income remains a major dividing line. Satisfaction ranged from 45.3% among workers in households earning under $25,000 to 76% among those earning $150,000 or more.

At the same time, the labor market remains uncertain, which may make job security more important to workers. Nearly four in 10 workers also said advanced AI improved their job satisfaction, adding another dimension to the changing workplace landscape.

Learn More on the Voronoi App

To learn more about this topic, check out this graphic on the 30 highest-paying jobs in America.

Source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/mapped-the-best-employer-in-every-u-s-state-in-2026/