As much as we’ve heard about AI in the past year, the top two workplaces in the US are decidedly AI-free.
Crew Carwash, an Indianapolis-based chain of car washes with 55 locations in the Midwest, claimed the top spot on Glassdoor’s list of best places to work by 2026. In-N-Out Burger, the beloved chain with more than 400 locations, also rose one spot this year and is now the second best place to work in the US.
From then on, however, technology and AI companies dominated nearly a quarter of Glassdoor’s rankings of the top 100 companies, with Nvidia claiming the third spot. But this sector’s representation on the list has actually declined somewhat in recent years, reflecting the changing dynamics at some of these companies.
“This is part of an ongoing trend where many tech employers are eliminating some of the things that made the job so attractive over the past year,” said Daniel Zhao, Glassdoor’s chief economist. CBS News. “They increasingly strive for efficiency and productivity.”
In addition to Nvidia, ServiceNow and EPAM Systems rounded out the top three companies on an initial list of the best technology and AI companies. These companies are redefining what ‘tech-first’ means and have scaled quickly without losing a human element to the workplace, according to one blog post.
UNCERTAINTY ON THE LABOR MARKET
Over the past year, a number of new career trends have emerged that reflect the insecurity many workers are feeling lately – including so-called ‘job hugging’, or workers staying rigidly in their roles, and ‘Shrekking’, where some workers choose to take jobs that are ‘below’ their qualifications. In 2025, U.S. employers created just 584,000 new jobs, down from 2 million in 2024. This is the worst year for job growth since 2020, when the COVID pandemic upended the economy.
Glassdoor’s annual rankings, now in their 18th year, honor the companies employees love to work for, based on feedback provided on the platform. It comes at a time when many employees are tired of work, and overall employee engagement in the US is at an all-time low decade low.
“Even amid the uncertainty of 2025, these standout employers have shown resilience and maintained high levels of employee satisfaction and trust as they navigate change,” said Owen Humphries, president of Glassdoor, in a statement.
Bragging rights for companies with 1,000 employees or more are based entirely on the anonymous reviews posted to the site by employees between October 2024 and October 2025, as there is no nomination process or employee survey.
FOCUS ON WORKPLACE CULTURE
While identifying those employers that “get workplace culture right” is inherent to the rankings, this year’s winners maintain high levels of employee trust and satisfaction even in a changing economic landscape, according to a blog post.
Even though they cover very different industries, the three largest employers (Crew, In-N-Out and Nvidia) share a common theme: according to Glassdoor, they have operationalized cultural values. “The best workplaces in 2026 aren’t doing anything revolutionary. They’re doing the basics exceptionally well – and doing it consistently, even when it’s hard.”
SHAKEUPS ON LIST
Every year, some employers fall off the list to make room for new companies to make their debut – a cohort that this year also includes Alaska Airlines and Dutch Bros. belonged. There were some other notable shakeups in this year’s rankings.
Bain, the top-ranked employer in 2025, fell to eighth this year, which is the lowest ranking ever for the perennial company with the highest five ratings. Other shakeups saw representation decline among San Francisco-area companies, with just 13 companies on this year’s list, down from 23 in 2025. Meanwhile, New York-area employers have risen in employee satisfaction and are gaining ground with 10 companies on the list, up from six last year.
RENTAL ACTIVITY
In addition to identifying such shifts in the industries and locations of the best employers, the annual list is intended to help job seekers navigate a competitive job market, Humphries said. The number of weeks that someone is unemployed has increased since December to an average of more than 24 weeks.
Combined, this year’s top 10 employers – Crew Carwash, In-N-Out, Nvidia, Ryan, Keller Williams, Mars, ServiceNow, Bain, Houston Methodist and EPAM Systems – currently have more than 11,000 job openings active on Glassdoor.
These awards are intended to be a “trusted guide” for job seekers, Humphries said, by “helping candidates connect with workplaces that reflect their values and career aspirations.”
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