When it comes to looking around for a new job, most employees agree that compensation – how much you’ll earn – is a very important consideration.
But compensation really involves more than just the salary itself. It also involves how employees feel about their pay and if they feel it’s fair, or even generous, given the job title and responsibilities they have.
That’s why to generate this list of the 50 best-paying large companies, Comparably looked for the highest salaries that employees self-reported and also factored in the sentiment of how employees feel about their compensation (it is not ranked by salary alone.)
Comparably dug through its database of over 3 million employee ratings on 30,000 US companies to come up with this list. Comparably defines a large company as one with at least 500 employees.
To make the list, each company needed at least 25 employee reviews. All of these companies rank in the top 15% or greater in compensation sentiment, where their employees say they are most satisfied with their compensation.
Companies with employees who answered more questions were weighted more heavily than those with staffers that provided fewer answers.
No. 50: Workfront
Company:Workfront
Average compensation:$112,769
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $151,903
Headquarters:Lehi, Utah
What it does:Workfront offers cloud-based project management and collaboration software popular with IT teams.
An employee says: "Competitive salary plus quarterly bonus. It is the most generous compensation plan that I have had the chance to be apart of!"
No. 49: Symantec
Company:Symantec
Average compensation:$113,365
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $185,781
Headquarters:Mountain View, California
What it does:Symantec is one of the world's largest makers of computer security software.
An employee says: "Best company I've ever worked for, a corporate culture of giving & inclusion. Best part of my comp package is the wellness reimbursement"
No. 48: ZipRecruiter
Company:ZipRecruiter
Average compensation:$113,745
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $183,897
Headquarters:Santa Monica, California
What it does:ZipRecruiter is an online service that helps people find jobs and companies find candidates.
An employee says:"ZipRecruiter takes care of healthcare 100%. Parental leave policy!"
No 47: Pluralsight
Company:Pluralsight
Average compensation:$114,081
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $170,244
Headquarters:Farmington, Utah
What it does:Pluralsight is online education company best known for software development and IT training courses.
An employee says: "It's fair, competitive, and there's a great bonus structure that compensates super well for when we perform and over-perform as a company."
No. 46: SAP
Company:SAP
Average compensation:$115,831
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $184,287
Headquarters:Newton Square, Pennsylvania
What it does:SAP makes software for large companies and is best known for its financial applications.
An employee says: "Base and commission are equally weighted."
No. 45: PayPal
Company:PayPal
Average compensation:$116,583
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $178,539
Headquarters:San Jose, California
What it does:PayPal provides online payment solutions to its users worldwide.
An employee says: "Comp packages factor in both direct compensation and stocks to keep you motivated to work for the company."
No. 44: Netflix
Company:Netflix
Average compensation: $117,566
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $138,889
Headquarters: Los Gatos, California
What it does:Netflix is an Internet television and movie-streaming service that has become increasingly known for its original TV shows.
An employee says: "All cash salary vs. golden hand cuffs (i.e. yearly RSUs that lock you in)."
No. 43: T-Mobile
Company:T-Mobile
Average compensation:$117,935
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $174,186
Headquarters:Bellevue, Washington
What it does:T-Mobile is a wireless mobile telecommunications carrier.
An employee says: "Best job I have ever had, and best company I have ever worked for. I love going to work. The pay is icing on the cake!"
No. 42: Slack
Company:Slack
Average compensation:$118,295
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $168,360
Headquarters:San Francisco
What it does:Slack offers a cloud-based workplace communications app.
An employee says:"Paid well, above what I used to get in a similar position."
No. 41: SurveyMonkey
Company:SurveyMonkey
Average compensation:$118,414
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $172,326
Headquarters:San Mateo, California
What it does:SurveyMonkey offers a cloud-based online survey and questionnaire tool that helps users gather survey-related information.
An employee says: "Paid market rate compensation with great additional perks."
No. 40: TripAdvisor
Company:TripAdvisor
Average compensation:$118,810
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $188,381
Headquarters:Needham, Massachusetts
What it does:TripAdvisor is the world's largest travel site and provides trip planning and booking services.
An employee says: "So many great things, we have travel perks, gym perks, free lunch daily, etc, etc!"
No. 39: Cornerstone OnDemand
Company: Cornerstone OnDemand
Average compensation: $119,384
Highest-paying department: Product, with an average salary of $173,858
Headquarters: Santa Monica, California
What it does: Cornerstone OnDemand provides cloud-based HR software best known for is recruitment and training software.
An employee says: "Cornerstone truly is a pay-for-performance company. I feel my hard work has been recognized and salary increased to reflect my contribution."
No. 38: Pinterest
Company:Pinterest
Average compensation:$119,548
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $191,003
Headquarters:San Francisco
What it does:Pinterest is a visual bookmarking site for saving and discovering creative ideas.
An employee says: "Warm, caring, humble leadership team."
No. 37: EMC
Company:Dell EMC
Average compensation:$119,573
Highest-paying department:Sales, with an average salary of $153,298
Headquarters:Hopkinton, Massachusetts
What it does:EMC, now a owned by Dell, makes data center hardware, and is particularly known for its computer storage products.
An employee says: "Very competitive and well compensated."
No. 36: HubSpot
Company:HubSpot
Average compensation:$120,179
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $164,484
Headquarters:Cambridge, Massachusetts
What it does:HubSpot offers cloud-based marketing software.
An employee says:"Great pay, great benefits- HubSpot gives us everything we need to be happy while we're working, and outside of the office too. It's a company that strives to be the best."
No. 35: Chegg
Company:Chegg
Average compensation:$120,186
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $157,384
Headquarters:Santa Clara, California
What it does:Chegg is an online tutoring and textbook rental company.
An employee says: "Best part of my comp package is the RSU's! It makes me feel like they really appreciate my work at Chegg and want me to stay!"
No. 34: Tyson Foods
Company:Tyson Foods
Average compensation:$121,113
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $149,834
Headquarters:Springdale, Arkansas
What it does:Tyson Foods is an multi-national food industry company.
An employee says: "The company has done a great job in assessing the competitive market to ensure our total benefit package is competitive."
No. 33: Nestlé USA
Company: Nestlé USA
Average compensation: $121,151
Highest-paying department: Product, with an average salary of $150,769
Headquarters: Arlington, Virginia
What it does: Nestlé is a nutrition, health and wellness company.
An employee says: "Great people who genuinely are invested in the company's success."
No. 32: Insight Global
Company:Insight Global
Average compensation:$121,316
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $150,747
Headquarters:Atlanta, Georgia
What it does:Insight Global provides temporary contract workers and employment placement services for IT, accounting and engineering jobs.
An employee says: "Good mix of base and incentives."
No. 31: Pegasystems
Company:Pegasystems
Average compensation:$121,461
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $158,700
Headquarters:Cambridge, Massachusetts
What it does:PegaSystems offers customer management and marketing software to businesses.
An employee says: "Our compensation program is so comprehensive it's impossible to pick just one!"
No. 30: GoDaddy
Company:GoDaddy
Average compensation:$121,855
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $175,763
Headquarters:Scottsdale, Arizona
What it does:GoDaddy is an internet domain registrar and web-hosting company.
An employee says: "Very good health and compensation benefits. I feel like the company strives to take care of the employees."
No. 29: Publix Super Markets
Company:Publix Super Markets
Average compensation:$121,931
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $150,428
Headquarters:Lakeland, Florida
What it does:Publix Super Markets a fast-growing employee-owned supermarket chain.
An employee says: "Publix pays fairly and their stock program is amazing. Good benefits with options. Plus they match 401k!"
No. 28: Cisco
Company:Cisco
Average compensation:$122,003
Highest-paying department:Sales, with an average salary of $170,348
Headquarters:San Jose, California
What it does: Cisco makes computer-networking hardware, telecommunications gear, data center hardware and collaboration products.
An employee says: "Compensation is related to the results I deliver. Gives me the ability to make as much as I want."
No. 27: HCA Holdings
Company:HCA Holdings
Average compensation:$122,059
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $149,481
Headquarters:Nashville
What it does:HCA owns and operates hospitals and related health care entities.
An employee says:"Competitive and fair with generous benefits at HCA!"
No. 26: Petco
Company:Petco
Average compensation:$122,146
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $150,399
Headquarters:San Diego
What it does:Petco is a specialty retailer providing products and services for pet owners.
An employee says:"Best part of my comp package is the opportunity share in the value created over time."
No. 25: 3M
Company:3M
Average compensation:$122,182
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $150,016
Headquarters:Saint Paul, Minnesota
What it does:3M manufactures more than 55,000 products including adhesives, laminates, and more.
An employee says:"Extremely competitive salary, with additional variable pay based upon division performance."
No. 24: General Motors
Company:General Motors
Average compensation:$122,547
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $177,089
Headquarters:Detroit
What it does:GM manufactures and sells cars and trucks.
An employee says:"Employees share in the success of the company. Profit share bonus!"
No. 23: Capital One
Company:Capital One
Average compensation:$122,655
Highest-paying department:Sales, with an average salary of $142,365
Headquarters:McLean, Virginia
What it does:Capital One is a financial services company that offers credit cards and auto loans.
An employee says:"I am paid well, and incentivized appropriately with annual bonuses, but our benefits are what really knock Capital One out of the park!"
No. 22: Liberty Mutual Insurance
Company:Liberty Mutual Insurance
Average compensation:$123,593
Highest-paying department:Sales, with an average salary of $171,283
Headquarters: Boston
What it does:Liberty Mutual Insurance is an insurance provider.
An employee says: "Comp packages increase through the years while other companies do not."
No. 21: Costco
Company:Costco
Average compensation:$124,546
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $149,931
Headquarters:Springdale, Arkansas
What it does:Costco is a members-only warehouse that sells bulk grocery items as well as electronics, furniture, and appliances.
An employee says:"Compensation is related to the results I deliver. Gives me the ability to make as much as I want."
No. 20: USAA
Company:USAA
Average compensation:$124,632
Highest-paying department:Engineering, with an average salary of $141,264
Headquarters:San Antonio, Texas
What it does:USAA provides financial services and insurance to the military community.
An employee says:"The annual employee bonus compensation is the best part of my comp package."
No. 19: Geico
Company:Geico
Average compensation:$124,888
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $150,953
Headquarters:Chevy Chase, Maryland
What it does:Geico is one of the largest auto insurers in the US.
An employee says: "Best part of my comp package is the company 401K match."
No. 18: Nvidia
Company:Nvidia
Average compensation:$124,904
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $172,922
Headquarters:Santa Clara, California
What it does:Nvidia manufactures integrated circuits for use in motherboard chipsets, graphic processing units, and game consoles.
An employee says: "I have a great mix of salary and RSU's. I am compensated well for my position."
No. 17: Indeed.com
Company:Indeed.com
Average compensation:$125,198
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $171,426
Headquarters:Austin, Texas
What it does:Indeed is an employment-related meta-search engine for job listings.
An employee says: "It's an excellent mix of base as well as bonus based on a number of different criteria you can hit as an individual and as a team! Very competitive salary / bonus + flexible PTO + food everyday."
No. 16: Atlassian
Company: Atlassian
Average compensation:$125,497
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $179,113
Headquarters:San Francisco
What it does:Atlassian offers collaboration and project management software for teams.
An employee says:"Great respect for engineering."
No. 15: eBay
Company:eBay
Average compensation:$126,543
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $195,057
Headquarters:San Jose, California
What it does:Ebay is an online auction marketplace and ecommerce site.
An employee says:"The ample compensation is generous and is also motivating."
No. 14: Bloomberg
Company:Bloomberg
Average compensation:$128,580
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $169,695
Headquarters:New York
What it does:Bloomberg provides news, data, analytics, and communication services for the global business and financial world.
An employee says:"Cash bonus is dependable."
No. 13: Intel
Company:Intel
Average compensation:$128,968
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $182,974
Headquarters:Santa Clara, California
What it does:Intel is one of the world's largest makers of computer chips.
An employee says: "Quarterly and Yearly profit sharing Bonus."
No. 12: Expedia
Company:Expedia
Average compensation:$129,056
Highest-paying department:Engineering, with an average salary of $182,566
Headquarters:Bellevue, WA
What it does:Expedia is an online travel booking company for airline tickets, hotels, vacations, rental cars, and cruises.
An employee says: "Paid well and receive great benefits including 12 weeks maternity/paternity leave."
No. 11: VMware
Company:VMware
Average compensation:$129,456
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $193,772
Headquarters:Palo Alto, California
What it does:VMware offers enterprise IT software for making computer servers and networks run more efficiently.
An employee says: "They pay very well and continue to do so to keep us here."
No. 10: LinkedIn
Company:LinkedIn
Average compensation:$129,510
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $164,786
Headquarters:Mountain View, California
What it does:LinkedIn, now owned by Microsoft, is a professional networking site.
An employee says: "Great comp package. Equity is a big part of compensation."
No. 9: Kaiser Permanente
Company:Kaiser Permanente
Average compensation:$130,957
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $187,508
Headquarters: Oakland, California
What it does: Kaiser Permanente is healthcare provider in the US famous for its managed healthcare.
An employee says: "I'm compensated very well for the amount of work done."
No. 8: Adobe
Company:Adobe
Average compensation:$132,282
Highest-paying department:Sales, with an average salary of $188,728
Headquarters:San Jose, California
What it does:Adobe offers cloud-based software for creative and marketing professionals.
An employee says: "The employee stock purchasing program is one of the best in the industry. Adobe is growing like crazy!"
No. 7: Salesforce
Company:Salesforce
Average compensation:$132,896
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $176,487
Headquarters:San Francisco
What it does:Salesforce offers cloud software to businesses and is best known for its customer management and marketing software.
An employee says: "Extremely competitive! Sets the bar!"
No. 6: Facebook
Company:Facebook
Average compensation:$138,372
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $208,209
Headquarters:Menlo Park, California
What it does: Facebook is the world's largest social network that has been expanding into other areas like virtual reality.
An employee says:"The company's potential continues to soar, which makes the equity more and more attractive."
No. 5: Intuit
Company:Intuit
Average compensation:$139,286
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $173,246
Headquarters:Mountain View, California
What it does:Intuit offers business and financial management solutions for SMBs, financial institutions, consumers and accounting professionals.
An employee says:"Quarterly and Yearly profit sharing Bonus."
No. 4: Apple
Company:Apple
Average compensation:$142,388
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $182,690
Headquarters:Cupertino, California
What it does:Apple makes the iPhone, iPad, Mac computers, as well as other consumer electronics devices and software.
An employee says: "The compensation package is enormous, I don't feel like people take full advantage of everything Apple has to offer."
No. 3: Amazon
Company:Amazon
Average compensation:$150,977
Highest-paying department:Sales, with an average salary of $187,621
Headquarters:Seattle
What it does:Amazon is the world's largest online retailer, which has expanded into consumer electronics and groceries, via its purchase of Whole Foods.
An employee says:"High Stress, but they compensate us for it. Thankful for Amazon!"
No. 2: Google
Company:Google
Average compensation:$154,409
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $196,417
Headquarters:Mountain View, California
What it does: Google is the world's largest internet search company that also makes the Android operating system, Chromebooks, email, collaboration apps and cloud computing for businesses.
An employee says: "I love working for Google! I can't think of a better work environment with better benefits!"
No. 1: Microsoft
Company:Microsoft
Average compensation:$159,399
Highest-paying department:Product, with an average salary of $188,397
Headquarters:Redmond, Washington
What it does:Microsoft is one of the world's largest software, cloud computing and consumer electronics companies.
An employee says: "Multiple methods of bonus offers great balance for high and mid-level performers to do well."