7 San Diego Companies Rank Among 'Best Employers' In U.S.: Forbes

SAN DIEGO, CA — Seven companies headquartered in San Diego are among America's Best Employers By State ranked by Forbes.

"These aren't the best large or midsize employers nationally, but a deeper look at which companies are closer-to-home options for every American worker," Forbes said with the release of its fifth annual ranking Tuesday.

These are the seven San Diego-based companies that made the list:

1. San Diego-based DexCom, founded in 1999 and now employing 4,500 people; CEO Kevin Ronald Sayer.

2. La Jolla-based University of California, San Diego, founded in 1960 and now employing 37,064 people; Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla.

3. San Diego-based County of San Diego, founded in 1850 and now employing 17,954 people; Chief Administrative Officer Helen N. Robbins-Meyer.

4. San Diego-based Sempra, founded in 1998 and now employing 20,000 people; CEO Jeffrey Walker Martin.

5. San Diego-based General Atomics, founded in 1955 and now employing 12,500 people; CEO Neal Blue.

6. San Diego-based Illumina, founded in 1998 and now employing 7,600 people; CEO Francis A. deSouza.

7. San Diego-based Qualcomm, founded in 1985 and now employing 51,000 people; CEO Cristiano R. Amon.

A full list of the 1,392 organizations that made the list is found on Forbes. To be considered, they had to have at least 500 employees nationwide. Forbes and its data partner Statista surveyed workers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The survey questions reflect a recent Pew Research Center survey that showed only about half of workers nationwide are extremely or very satisfied with their jobs. Work satisfaction and compensation are closely tied, and workers with higher incomes tended to like their jobs more than lower-income workers, the survey found.

"We found an interesting disconnect in terms of how workers are experiencing their jobs," Kim Parker, Pew's director of social trends research, told Forbes. "Most say they are highly satisfied with the human side of work — their relationships with their coworkers and supervisor. They are much less satisfied with their compensation and the opportunities they're given for promotion or advancement."

The anonymous survey asked workers if they would recommend their employer to friends and family, and to evaluate their employer on working conditions, diversity, compensation packages, the potential for development and company image. They were also asked about other employers in their states and were given the opportunity to rate employers anywhere within their respective industries.

Of the 1,392 organizations on the list, 1,123 of them were ranked in only one state. The others were ranked in more than one state.