These are the best Washington companies to work for in 2025, according to Forbes ranking
Are you looking for work? Several Washington-based companies are among the best places to work in the nation, according to Forbes.
The media company recently ranked the best large and mid-size employers in the United States, surveying workers about their favorite places to work.
Microsoft was the highest-ranked Washington company on Forbes’ list of the top businesses with more than 5,000 employees, ranking No. 7 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 notes.
Workers in general 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.
Which Washington companies are best to work for?
Based in Redmond, Microsoft is one of the best large employers in the country, according to Forbes, taking the No. 7 spot in the rankings.
Microsoft was the third highest-ranked tech company on the list, one spot behind Google and three spots behind NVIDIA.
Microsoft is the third-largest employer in the state, according to the Puget Sound Business Journal, with more than 50,000 Washington-based employees.
Real estate listing site Zillow took the No. 40 spot. The company, which was founded in Seattle in 2006, employs nearly 7,000 people, including around 1,500 in the Seattle area, according to The Seattle Times.
Just two spots behind Zillow at No. 42 was another Washington mainstay, Costco.
The membership-based retailer employs more than 300,000 people worldwide, including about 7,000 at its Issaquah headquarters, according to South Sound Business. It also operates 34 stores in Washington state.
Nintendo, which is based in Japan but has its U.S. headquarters in Redmond, was the only Washington company to make the top 100 of the mid-size employer rankings, coming in at No. 97.
What are other top employers in Washington state?
While no other Washington companies made Forbes’ list of the top 100 best employers, a few others placed between No. 101 and No. 200.
The media company’s full rankings included more than 1,000 businesses.
In the large employer category, Forbes ranked Seattle’s Fred Hutch Cancer Center at No. 117 on the list, while Pullman-based Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories took the No. 190 spot. In the mid-size employer category, Confluence Health, a medical provider in the Wenatchee area, placed at No. 148, followed by the Lake Washington School District at No. 190.
What are the best large employers in America?
These were ranked the top 10 employers in the United States, according to Forbes. Many of the companies employ people in Washington state, including Trader Joe’s and Navy Federal Credit Union:
- University of Notre Dame
- Trader Joe’s
- Houston Methodist
- NVIDIA
- Navy Federal Credit Union
- Microsoft
- In-N-Out Burger
- Delta Air Lines
- Raymond James Financial
How did Forbes come up with its rankings?
To produce the 10th anniversary edition of its America’s Best Large and Midsize Employers lists, 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.
Respondents to the survey were asked whether they would recommend their employer as a good place to work. They were also asked to give the company a rating based on specific criteria like salary, work culture, training and opportunities for advancement.
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 2:16 PM.