Time, U.S. News name top New Jersey companies

Dawn Furnas//July 15, 2026//

Merck's headquarters in Rahway. -PROVIDED BY MERCK

Dawn Furnas//July 15, 2026//

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The basics:

Time names 32 NJ companies to America’s Best Companies of 2026 list
Merck ranks No. 9 overall, the highest-placing NJ company on Time’s list
U.S. News recognizes 31 New Jersey employers, 14 law firms as top workplaces
Rankings evaluate companies using different criteria, including business performance, employee experience

Time magazine and U.S. News & World Report have released their lists of the nation’s best companies. Time focused on the top-performing businesses in the U.S., factoring in a range of metrics, while U.S. News evaluated companies largely from an employee perspective.

Time:
America’s Best Companies of 2026

The publication partnered with data analysis firm Statista to rank the most prominent public and private firms in the country based on:

Employee satisfaction
Financial performance
Sustainability transparency

In total, Time’s America’s Best Companies of 2026 released July 9 named the top 1,000 companies. Of those, 32 are based in New Jersey.

The top three firms – NVIDIA, Apple and Salesforce – have their headquarters in California. See the complete rankings here.

In its introduction of the list, Time noted that several healthcare companies held their own against tech firms to land in the top 10 this year, including Rahway-based Merck, which ranked No. 9.

Time cited investment firm UBS’ research, which found “the healthcare sector has consistently outperformed the S&P 500 due in part to healthcare coverage and access expansion for obesity drugs, as Medicare patients begin qualifying for them, oral pills draw in new users, and generics expand its reach to markets outside the U.S.”

New Jersey | Time’s America’s Best Companies of 2026 (along with their industry):

No. 9: Merck & Co., Rahway
Chemicals, Drugs & Biotechnology
No. 24: Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick
Chemicals, Drugs & Biotechnology
No. 37: Automatic Data Processing (ADP), Roseland
Professional Services
No. 84: Cognizant Technology Solutions, Teaneck
Professional Services
No. 117: Burlington Stores, Burlington
Apparel, Footwear & Sporting Goods
No. 128: Verisk, Jersey City
Professional Services
No. 167: American Water, Camden
Utilities
No. 180: Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville
Chemicals, Drugs & Biotechnology
No. 183: Becton, Dickinson and Co. (BD), Franklin Lakes
Engineering, Manufacturing & Medical
No. 253: Prudential Financial, Newark
Insurance, Healthcare & Social Services
No. 257: Church & Dwight Co., Ewing
Retail, Wholesale & Consumer Goods
No. 282: Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, Parsippany
Hospitality, Travel & Leisure
No. 293: Quest Diagnostics, Secaucus
Insurance, Healthcare & Social Services
No. 318: The Campbell’s Co., Camden
Food & Beverages
No. 361: Zoetis, Parsippany
Chemicals, Drugs & Biotechnology
No. 418: Selective Insurance, Branchville
Insurance, Healthcare & Social Services
No. 440: PSEG, Newark
Utilities
No. 480: Integra LifeSciences, Princeton
Engineering, Manufacturing & Medical Technology
No. 494: New Jersey Resources, Wall
Utilities
No. 508: Balchem, Montvale
Chemicals, Drugs & Biotechnology
No. 649: Commvault, Tinton Falls
Technology, Media & Services
No. 688: K. Hovnanian Homes, Matawan
Real Estate
No. 726: J&J Snack Foods, Mount Laurel
Food & Beverages
No. 735: The Children’s Place, Secaucus
Apparel, Footwear & Sporting Goods
No. 768: Amneal Pharmaceuticals, Bridgewater
Chemicals, Drugs & Biotechnology
No. 785: John Wiley and Sons, Hoboken
Technology, Media & Services
No. 799: Avis Budget Group, Parsippany
Transportation, Logistics & Aviation
No. 821: Valley National Bank, Morristown
Banking & Financial Services
No. 934: MISTRAS Group, Princeton Junction
Business Services & Supplies
No. 952: Conduent, Florham Park
Professional Services
No. 974: PBF Energy, Parsippany
Resource Generation & Infrastructure Sector
No. 985: B&G Foods, Parsippany
Food & Beverages

U.S. News & World Report:
2026-2027 U.S. News Best Companies to Work For

More than 40 New Jersey organizations landed on U.S. News & World Report’s 2026-2027 U.S. News Best Companies to Work For ratings.

The publication noted this is the first year that the ratings included public and private firms in one release. U.S. News launched the inaugural list in 2023, which assessed the largest 1,000 publicly traded companies in the U.S.

U.S. News evaluated 3,900 companies across 14 industries for this year’s general list, unveiled June 30.

Researchers analyzed factors including:

Quality of pay and benefits
Work-life balance and flexibility
Job and company stability
Physical and psychological comfort
Belongingness and esteem
Career opportunities and professional development

“Job seekers’ definitions of ‘best’ evolve with their needs,” Carly Chase, vice president of careers at U.S. News, said in a statement accompanying the list. “From new grads in the AI era and seasoned pros seeking a career change, to HR leaders researching organizational trends, the ratings are a central hub that highlights businesses that U.S. News found effectively support their staff.”

To determine this year’s list, U.S. News researchers “analyzed publicly available employee sentiment of companies, incorporating editorial judgment and other data that informs how a company supports the everyday experience of its workers.”

[T]he ratings are a central hub that highlights businesses that U.S. News found effectively support their staff.
– Carly Chase, vice president of Careers at U.S. News

The publication evaluated private companies that have at least 1,000 employees and more than $500 million in annual revenue, and the 5,000 largest publicly traded companies by market cap. All companies needed at least 75 Glassdoor reviews written between 2021–2025 to be considered.

Local competition

Find out which organizations landed on the recently released 2026 NJBIZ Best Places to Work in New Jersey list here.

The ratings recognize the top 25% of businesses evaluated. Ultimately, 1,346 companies made the general list, which was presented in alphabetical order. A sublist included 341 law firms.

U.S. News did not elaborate on why law firms received their own list, only to note that they “were excluded from consideration” on the overall list.

To support the findings, U.S. News turned to experts from Good Jobs Institute, NYU School of Professional Studies, the City University of New York, Families and Workers Fund, Work for America, Titus Group and the Living Wage Institute.

Garden State listings

Within U.S. News’ general Best Companies to Work For List, 31 organizations are based in New Jersey. On the law sublist, 14 firms call the Garden State home.

New Jersey | U.S. News Best Companies to Work for 2026-2027 – general

ADP, Roseland
Information Technology
American Water, Camden
Energy and Resources
Anywhere Real Estate, Madison
Real Estate and Facilities Management
(Note: New York City-based Compass Inc. acquired Anywhere Jan. 9.)
Ascendion, Basking Ridge
Consulting and Human Resources
Astound Broadband, Princeton
Media and Communications
AvePoint, Jersey City
Information Technology
BD, Franklin Lakes
Healthcare and Research
Bristol Myers Squibb, Lawrenceville
Healthcare and Research
The Campbell’s Co., Camden
Consumer Products
Church & Dwight, Ewing
Consumer Products
Compunnel, Plainsboro
Consulting and Human Resources
DTCC, Jersey City
Finance and Insurance
GEP, Clark
Information Technology
Horizon Healthcare Services Inc., Newark
Healthcare and Research
Imperial Dade, Jersey City
Engineering and Construction
Incedo, Florham Park
Consulting and Human Resources
Johnson & Johnson, New Brunswick
Healthcare and Research
J&J Snack Foods, Mount Laurel
Consumer Products
Kenvue, Summit
Consumer Products
(Note: In November 2025, Texas-based Kimberly-Clark announced plans to acquire Kenvue for $48.7 billion.)
Langan, Parsippany
Engineering and Construction
Marlabs, Piscataway
Consulting and Human Resources
Merck, Rahway
Healthcare and Research
Messer, Bridgewater
Manufacturing and Agriculture
Movado, Paramus
Consumer Products
OceanFirst Bank, Red Bank
Finance and Insurance
PSEG, Newark
Energy and Resources
PTC Therapeutics, Warren
Healthcare and Research
Prudential, Newark
Finance and Insurance
SGS Consulting, Princeton
Consulting and Human Resources
SageSure, Jersey City
Finance and Insurance
Verisk, Jersey City
Information Technology