These Are The Best Employers In CA, Forbes Says In New Ranking

CALIFORNIA — Twenty-five companies headquartered in California 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 top 25 companies that are headquartered in the Golden State:

1. Pasadena-based Caltech, founded in 1892 and now employing 3,500 people; President Thomas F. Rosenbaum.

2. Mountain View-based Google, founded in 1998 and now employing 156,500 people; CEO Sundar Pichai.

3. Los Angeles-based UCLA Health, founded in 1955 and now employing 32,000 people; CEO John C. Mazziotta.

4. Standford-based Stanford University, founded in 1891 and now employing 16,963 people; President Marc Tessier-Lavigne.

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

6. Irvine-based n-N-Out Burger, founded in 1948 and now employing 27,000 people; CEO Lynsi Snyder.

7. Davis-based University of California, Davis, founded in 1908 and now employing 25,214 people; Chancellor Gary S. May.

8. San Francisco-based City and County of San Francisco, founded in 1776 and now employing 34,219 people; City Administrator Carmen Chu.

9. Fresno-based Community Medical Centers - Central California, founded in 1897 and now employing 10,300 people; Chair Roger Sturdevant.

10. Santa Clara-based NVIDIA, founded in 1993 and now employing 26,196 people; CEO Jensen Huang.

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

12. Pleasanton-based Workday, founded in 2005 and now employing 15,200 people; CEO Aneel Bhusri.

13. Los Angeles-based Capital Group Companies, founded in 1930 and now employing 8,000 people; CEO Timothy D. Armour.

14. Sacramento-based UC Davis Health, founded in 1973 and now employing 11,600 people; CEO David Lubarsky.

15. Monrovia-based Trader Joe's, founded in 1967 and now employing 50,000 people; CEO Dan Bane.

16. Cupertino-based Apple, founded in 1976 and now employing 164,000 people; CEO Tim Cook.

17. Foster City-based Visa, founded in 1958 and now employing 9,540 people; CEO Ryan McInerney.

18. Loma Linda-based Loma Linda University Health, founded in 1905 and now employing 18,011 people; President Richard H. Hart.

19. Redlands-based Esri, founded in 1969 and now employing 5,000 people; President Jack Dangermond.

20. San Jose-based Cisco Systems, founded in 1984 and now employing 39,900 people; CEO Charles H. Robbins.

21. Auburn-based Placer County, founded in 1851; CEO Jane Christenson.

22. Thousand Oaks-based Amgen, founded in 1980 and now employing 24,000 people; CEO Robert A. Bradway.

23. Los Angeles-based University of California, Los Angeles, founded in 1919 and now employing 42,244 people; Chancellor Gene Block.

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

25. Los Angeles-based Children's Hospital Los Angeles, founded in 1901 and now employing 6,460 people; CEO Paul S. Viviano.

A full list of Forbes' 1,392 Best Employers is found on Forbes. To be considered, organizations 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.