10 Best Companies for Pay and Benefits in 2014
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10 Best Companies for Pay and Benefits in 2014

Google came out on top in a new survey of employees. 

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If your dream job includes free food all day long, overnight ski trips to Vermont, lavish holiday parties, and easy (and largely free) access to such personal service amenities as dry cleaning, a fitness center and massages – not to mention a decent salary and ample opportunities for advancement – you might want to work for a technology company. But not just any tech company, of course – we’re talking about that one called Google, based in Mountain View, Calif.

More than half of the top-rated U.S. companies for compensation and benefits are in the tech sector, according to Glassdoor, which compiled a list of the best companies for pay and benefits. But not surprisingly, the Internet search engine giant took the top spot.

Related: Google Dethrones Apple As Most Valuable Brand

“Google gets that the less you have to pay attention to peripheral stuff and leave campus, the more you get done in a day,” said a former Google employee who contributed to the Glassdoor survey. “This means that on-site benefits are valuable and easy to access, including health care, exercise, and personal care. It’s a challenging environment that will make you play your A game.”

That “challenging environment” is worth noting: Many jobs at the tech giant require computing and coding skills, as well as leadership and critical thinking abilities, so not just anyone can waltz in the door out of college and land a job. “There are a lot of brilliant people” at Google, one former employee told Glassdoor, while also commenting on the company’s fast pace and innovative environment. Other tech companies that made the Glassdoor top 10 list include Facebook, Adobe, Epic Systems (a software company based on Wisconsin), Intuit and Salesforce.com.

Costco, the wholesale retail company headquartered in Seattle, came in second place after Google – and for totally different reasons, as it turns out. One employee raved about the high salaries as far as retail jobs go, as well as the bonuses and attractive benefits, especially affordable health insurance. Another worker particularly liked Costco’s flexible hours and noted that even part-time employees qualify for benefits (as long as they average 23 hours a week and have been with the company for more than 6 months).  

Here are the top 10 companies for pay and benefits, by Glassdoor’s ratings:

1-      Google
2-      Costco
3-      Facebook
4-      Adobe
5-      Epic Systems
6-      Intuit
7-      USAA
8-      Chevron
9-      Salesforce.com
10-   Monsanto

Glassdoor, the career and job website, based its rankings on voluntary and anonymous employee ratings and satisfaction with compensation and benefits as collected online over the past year. The site shares specific employee comments on the pros and cons of working at these companies.

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