From tech giants to local universities, these companies stand out at the top workplaces in Massachusetts.
The MIT dome highlighted by a morning sunrise. (David L Ryan/Globe Staff)
Thinking about making a career move? Some companies are leading the way when it comes to workplace culture, employee satisfaction, and opportunities for growth—and Forbes has taken a closer look at which ones stand out in Massachusetts.
In its seventh annual ranking of America’s Best Employers by State, Forbes partnered with research firm Statista to survey over 160,000 employees nationwide. Participants worked at companies with at least 500 employees and rated their employers on a range of factors including pay equity, work environment, career development opportunities, and how well the organization addresses serious workplace issues like discrimination and harassment.
The survey covered workers across all 50 states and Washington, D.C. Respondents were asked how likely they would be to recommend their employer to others and were also encouraged to evaluate previous employers and companies within their industry. Recent data from current employees in each state was weighted most heavily.
A total of 1,417 companies made the cut across various states, resulting in over 2,500 rankings nationwide. Some companies appeared on multiple state lists, depending on where they operate and how they were rated locally.
Top 20 employers in Massachusetts
The Massachusetts list includes companies both headquartered in-state (bolded) and those with a significant presence here, like universities and medical institutions. Here’s a look at the top 20 employers for 2025 in the Bay State:
Google (IT Software & Services) – Headquartered in Mountain View, CA
Microsoft (IT Software & Services) – Redmond, WA
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Education) – Cambridge, MA
Delta Air Lines (Transportation & Logistics) – Atlanta, GA
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute (Healthcare & Social Services) – Boston, MA
Trader Joe’s (Retail & Wholesale) – Monrovia, CA
Boston Scientific (Medical Equipment & Services) – Marlborough, MA
Siemens (Engineering, Manufacturing) – Washington, D.C.
Marriott International (Travel & Leisure) – Bethesda, MD
Apple (Semiconductors, Electronics, Electrical Engineering) – Cupertino, CA
JPMorganChase (Banking & Financial Services) – New York, NY
TD Bank (Banking & Financial Services) – Cherry Hill, NJ
Harvard University (Education) – Cambridge, MA
UMass Chan Medical School (Education) – Worcester, MA
athenahealth (Medical Education & Services) – Watertown, MA
General Dynamics (Aerospace & Defense) – Reston, VA
JetBlue Airways (Transportation & Logistics) – Long Island City, NY
AbbVie (Drugs & Biotechnology) – North Chicago, IL
Vertex Pharmaceuticals (Drugs & Biotechnology) – Boston, MA
Starbucks (Restaurants) – Seattle, WA
Best large employers nationwide
Earlier this year, Forbes also released its list of the top large employers across the country—those with over 5,000 employees. Here’s how the top 10 ranked nationally:
University of Notre Dame (Education) – Headquartered in Indiana
Trader Joe’s (Retail & Wholesale) – California
Houston Methodist (Healthcare & Social Services) – Texas
NVIDIA (Semiconductors, Electronics, Electrical Engineering) – California
Navy Federal Credit Union (Banking & Financial Services) – Virginia
Google (IT Software & Services) – California
Microsoft (IT Software & Services) – Washington
In-N-Out Burger (Restaurants) – California
Delta Air Lines (Transportation & Logistics) – Georgia
Raymond James Financial (Banking & Financial Services) – Florida
View the full list of “America’s Best-In-State Employers 2025” here.
Annie Jonas is a Community writer at Boston.com. She was previously a local editor at Patch and a freelancer at the Financial Times.
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