The basics:

• Forbes named 90 organizations among NJ’s top employers
• 42 of those organizations are headquartered in NJ
• Google ranks No. 1 among the state’s best employers
• Merck, PSEG and J&J also made the top 15

Among companies doing business in New Jersey, organizations based here account for nearly half of those named to Forbes’ 2026 list of best employers by state.

Now in its eighth year, the ranking showcases companies that are successfully creating positive workplaces. To compile the list, the business publication said it partnered with market research firm Statista to survey more than 245,000 employees who work for large U.S. companies. Forbes defined that as organizations with a workforce of at least 500 people.

How they were evaluated

According to Forbes, participants were asked to assess their workplace based on criteria including wages and benefits, management style, company reputation, flexibility and career advancement opportunities. They were also to evaluate any previous employers within the past two years, as well as organizations they knew within their industry or through friends or family who work there, Forbes said.

Responses were then tallied and incorporated into a scoring system alongside survey data from the past three years. Greater weight was given to the more recent data and to the responses from current employees within the state, according to the publication.

Companies that received the highest scores in each state made the final lists, Forbes said. Depending on the size of the state and number of responses received, each state ranking has between three and 101 employers.

Overall, 1,365 firms were included nationwide in the state-by-state rankings, Forbes said.

On a local level

Within New Jersey, the top five employers are Google, Wegmans Food Markets, Whole Foods Market, Fidelity Investments and Apple, according to Forbes.

Of the 90 organizations included in the New Jersey-specific compilation, 42 are headquartered here.

According to Forbes, those entities are:

• No. 7 – Automatic Data Processing, Roseland
  Business services and supplies
• No. 9 – Merck & Co., Rahway
  Drugs and biotechnology
• No. 12 – PSEG, Newark
  Utilities
• No. 13 – Sanofi, Morristown
  Drugs and biotechnology
• No. 14 – Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick
  Drugs and biotechnology
• No. 15 – Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Newark
  Insurance
• No. 17 – Capital Health, Trenton
  Healthcare and social services
• No. 23 – New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark
  Education
• No. 24 – Cooper University Health Care, Camden
  Healthcare and social services
• No. 28 – University Hospital Newark, Newark
  Healthcare and social services
• No. 29 – Rowan University, Glassboro
  Education
• No. 35 – Catalent, Somerset
  Drugs and biotechnology
• No. 37 – Prudential Financial, Newark
  Banking and financial services
• No. 38 – Virtua, Marlton
  Healthcare and services
• No. 39 – Rutgers University, New Brunswick
  Education
• No. 43 – Church & Dwight, Ewing
  Packaged goods
• No. 45 – Novartis, East Hanover
  Drugs and biotechnology
• No. 47 – Inspira Health Network, Mullica Hill
  Healthcare and social services
• No. 48 – Holman, Mount Laurel
  Automotive and suppliers
• No. 49 – SHI International, Somerset
  IT software and services
• No. 50 – Compass International Holdings, Madison
  Business services and supplies
  
  • New York City-headquartered Compass Inc. acquired Anywhere Real Estate Inc., based in Madison, in January. Forbes included Compass in the Garden State list.
    
• No. 53 – William Paterson University, Wayne
  Education
• No. 54 – St. Joseph’s Healthcare System, Paterson
  Healthcare and social services
• No. 55 – Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville
  Drugs and biotechnology
• No. 56 – Crestron Electronics, Rockleigh
  Semiconductors, electronics and electrical engineering
• No. 57 – Hackensack Meridian Health, Edison
  Healthcare and social services
• No. 58 – RWJBarnabas Health, West Orange
  Healthcare and social services
• No. 59 – Bayada Home Health Care, Pennsauken
  Healthcare and social services
• No. 63 – TD Bank, Mount Laurel
  Banking and financial services
• No. 64 – Hamilton Township Public School District, Hamilton
  Education
• No. 66 – Collabera, Basking Ridge
  IT software and services
• No. 67 – Atlantic Health System, Morristown
  Healthcare and social services
• No. 68 – State of New Jersey, Trenton
  Government services
• No. 69 – Panasonic, Newark
  Semiconductors, electronics and electrical engineering
• No. 70 – Princeton University, Princeton
  Education
• No. 71 – NJ Transit, Newark
  Transportation and logistics
• No. 76 – Cognizant, Teaneck
  IT software and services
• No. 80 – J&J Snack Foods, Pennsauken
  Food and beverages
• No. 81 – Novo Nordisk, Plainsboro
  Drugs and biotechnology
• No. 83 – Burlington Stores, Burlington
  Clothing and shoes
• No. 84 – Center For Family Services, Camden
  Healthcare and social services
• No. 86 – Zoetis, Parsippany
  Drugs and biotechnology

‘There is no higher compliment’

William Paterson University President Richard Helldobler said, “Receiving this Forbes recognition for the third consecutive year is especially meaningful because it is based on independent surveys of employees, including our dedicated faculty and staff.”

He went on, “All our employees share an unrelenting dedication to student success, and William Paterson is committed to empowering them in that mission by building and sustaining a strong institutional culture, where they can thrive personally and professionally.”

Allison Boucher-Jarvis is human resources vice president for William Paterson. She added, “We’ve worked intentionally to create an environment where people feel supported, challenged and empowered to grow throughout their careers. Our Forbes survey results, as well as other engagement surveys, have consistently demonstrated employees’ sense of belonging in the organization. Seeing that reflected in employee feedback year after year is incredibly rewarding.”

NJ Transit President and CEO Kris Kolluri shared, “For eight straight years, our employees have told Forbes that NJ Transit is a place they would recommend to their own friends and family, and there is no higher compliment an employer can receive.”

“That culture was on full display this summer, when our team moved more than 370,000 customers during theFIFA World Cup with the skill and enthusiasm that define this organization,” Kolluri said.