Fortune's Top 10 Best Companies to Work For in 2026 Revealed

The definitive ranking of America’s top employers is out, published by Great Place To Work in partnership with Fortune.

By surveying 7.3 million employees, the companies identified the US-based organisations leading the way in workplace culture.

Beyond being "great places to work," these companies are financial powerhouses, with the winners historically outperforming the Russell 3000 Index by over 4% – proving that a high-trust environment is a primary driver of long-term business success.

According to Catherine Yoshimoto, Director of Product Management at FTSE Russell, the strength of the businesses lies in their consistency. The “outperformance,” she explains, “was not driven by any single period” but instead emerged from long‑term compounding across shifting market environments. “It continued through a variety of market conditions,” she says, underscoring the durability of the trend.

“The 100 Best group shows broader representation across industries such as financials, consumer discretionary, industrials, health care, and telecommunications, underscoring that the long-term results come from a diversified set of companies rather than concentration in mega-cap names,” Catherine added.

Which companies topped the 2026 Top 10 Best Companies to Work For list?

The organisations at the top of this year’s ranking illustrate what high‑trust, high‑performance cultures look like in practice, according to the announcement. These are the companies setting the benchmark for 2026:

1. Synchrony
2. Hilton
3. Cisco
4. American Express
5. Wegmans Food Markets, Inc.
6. NVIDIA
7. Marriott International
8. Accenture
9. Delta Air Lines
10. World Wide Technology

Alyson Shontell, Fortune Editor-in-Chief and Chief Content Officer, commented on the winners, explaining: “Fortune is proud to collaborate with Great Place To Work for the 29th year to recognise the 100 Best Companies to Work For. 

“Amid a fast-evolving workplace landscape, employees said these organisations continue to set the standard for cultures built on trust, innovation, and care for their people. Congratulations to all who earned a place on this year’s list.”

What made these businesses stand out?

Although each of the top-ranking companies covers vastly different markets, the data shows that the top ten reported far stronger psychological and emotional wellbeing than the average U.S. workplace.

81% of employees say they feel psychologically safe, compared with just 56% nationally. This was shown to have a drastic impact on the overall workforce, as employees who feel safe to speak up and be themselves are 44% more likely to express confidence in their leaders and more than twice as likely to stay with their employer.

These dynamics sit at the core of what Great Place To Work calls ‘The Great Place To Work Effect,’ which is proving to be especially influential as organisations move deeper into AI adoption and transformation.

The Great Place to Work Effect can further be defined as the performance lift that happens when people feel trusted and valued – driving 27% greater agility, a 2:1 ratio of empowered innovators to friction, and 9 in 10 employees willing to go above and beyond. 

Great Place To Work’s research shows that employees become significantly more open to using AI when leaders set the tone. Workers are 2.5 times more likely to adopt AI when leaders talk about it openly and encourage experimentation, and 2.1 times more likely to do so when leaders explain how the technology supports long‑term career growth.

The impact becomes even clearer inside organisations that are already putting these practices into action. 

At Synchrony, the company awarded the top spot on this year’s list, employees are nine times more likely to embrace AI when leaders connect the technology to individual growth conversations, and four times more likely to do so when they understand how AI creates new opportunities for advancement.

Concluding, Yoshimoto shared: “The data suggests that organisations characterised by high trust and high engagement often show patterns of faster innovation, stronger execution, and better talent retention – all factors that can influence their long-term financial performance.”