What’s the best place to work in California? Here are top 10 places to get a job, Forbes says

Looking for work? A California-based grocery store chain is one of the best places to work in the nation, according to Forbes.

The media company recently ranked the best large and mid-sized employers in the United States, surveying workers about their favorite places to work.

Trader Joe’s was the highest-ranked California company on Forbes’ list of the top businesses with more than 5,000 employees, ranking No. 2 in the nation.

“Research over the past decade has shown that employees have remained relatively steadfast when asked what they care about most in an employer: compensation, employee development and advancement opportunities, meaningful work, supportive colleagues, and workplace well-being and flexibility,” Forbes said.

Workers are looking for more on-the-job training, a culture of collaboration and better communication regarding the adoption of technology in the office, according to a recent report from tech research firm Gartner.

Here are the best places to get a job in California, according to Forbes:

What makes Trader Joe’s the best large employer in California?

Founded in 1967, Trader Joe’s makes about $16.5 billion in annual revenue, according to Business Insider.

The Monrovia-based grocery store chain employs about 50,000 employees and operates more than 450 retail locations.

There are a number of factors that make Trader Joe’s a popular employer, including competitive pay and retirement fund contributions, according to Bill Fotsch, founder of Economic Engagement.

“Trader Joe’s pays its employees exceptionally well,” Fotsch wrote in a 2023 article for Inc. magazine, and “keeps its employees motivated during their shifts by having them rotate tasks ...”

As of Friday, Feb. 21, Trader Joe’s was hiring for crew member positions in California paying up to $24 per hour, according to hiring website Indeed.com.

That’s more than $7 higher than the California minimum wage of $16.50 per hour.

Which other California companies made top 10 list?

A total of four California-based companies made Forbes’ list of the top 10 large employers in the nation, including two tech giants.

Coming in fourth place nationally was NVIDIA, which designs and manufactures computer graphics processors, chipsets and related multimedia software. The Santa Clara-based company has 29,600 employees, Forbes said.

Google was No. 6 on Forbes’ list of the best large employers in the United States.

Headquartered in Mountain View, the information technology software and services company employs a total of 190,711 people, according to Forbes.

In-N-Out Burger was No. 8 in terms of the top large employers in the country, Forbes said.

Employees at the fast food restaurant chain are given “a lot of training to teach and instill our high standards,” company owner and president Lynsi Snyder told Forbes. “Part of our mission and purpose statement is a promise to our associates to provide a team-oriented atmosphere whereby goal setting and communications exist and to provide them excellent training and development—whether they are here for a career or just a year or two.”

Forbes previously named the Irvine-based business, which has about 27,000 employees, one of California’s best employers in 2024.

Google and NVIDIA also earned Forbes accolades in 2024.

What are the best large employers in California?

These 10 companies headquartered in California landed highest on Forbes’ list of the best large employers in the United States:

1. Trader Joe’s
2. NVIDIA
3. Google
4. In-N-Out Burger
5. Apple
6. Salesforce
7. UC Davis Health
8. Stanford University
9. Adobe
10. Children’s Hospital Los Angeles

What are the best large employers in America?

These were the best large employers in the United States, according to Forbes:

1. University of Notre Dame
2. Trader Joe’s
3. Houston Methodist
4. NVIDIA
5. Navy Federal Credit Union
6. Google
7. Microsoft
8. In-N-Out Burger
9. Delta Air Lines
10. Raymond James Financial

How did Forbes come up with its rankings?

To produce the 10th anniversary edition of its America’s Best Large Employers list, Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista.

The 2025 rankings were based primarily on survey responses from more than 217,000 employees working at companies within the United States that employ more than 1,000 people.

Survey respondents were asked if they would recommend their employer to others and to rate the company based on criteria including salary, work environment, training programs and opportunities to advance.

Participants were also asked if they would recommend recent employers or the employers they knew through their industry connections, friends or family members.

“The responses were tallied and analyzed along with additional survey data from the last three years,” Forbes said.

This story was originally published February 24, 2025 at 5:00 AM with the headline "What’s the best place to work in California? Here are top 10 places to get a job, Forbes says."

Sarah Linn

The Tribune

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Sarah Linn is an editor and reporter on the West Service Journalism Team, working with journalists in Sacramento, Modesto, Fresno, Merced and San Luis Obispo in California and Bellingham, Olympia and Tri-Cities in Washington, as well as Boise, Idaho. She previously served as the Local/Entertainment Editor of The Tribune in San Luis Obispo, working there for nearly two decades. A graduate of Oregon State University, she has earned multiple California journalism awards.