These Are The Best Employers In MD, Forbes Says In New Ranking

MARYLAND — Twenty-nine companies headquartered in Maryland are among America’s Best Employers By State ranked by Forbes.

“These aren’t the best large or midsize employers nationally, but a deeper look at which companies are closer-to-home options for every American worker,” Forbes said with the release of its fifth annual ranking Tuesday.

The top five Maryland companies on the list are:

1. Baltimore-based T Rowe Price, banking and financial services company founded in 1937 and now employing 7,868 people; CEO Rob Sharps.

2. College Park-based University of Maryland, a college system founded in 1858 and now employing 14,505 people; President Darryll J. Pines.

3. Bethesda-based Lockheed Martin, defense and aerospace company founded in 1912 and now employing 106,020 people; CEO Jim Taiclet Jr.

4. Hunt Valley-based McCormick, a food and spice manufacturing company founded in 1888 and now employing 14,200 people; CEO Lawrence Erik Kurzius.

5. Ellicott City-based Howard County Public Schools, a public school system founded in 1777 and now employing 8,561 people; Superintendent Michael Martirano.

A full list of the 1,392 organizations that made the list is found on Forbes. To be considered, they had to have at least 500 employees nationwide. Forbes and its data partner Statista surveyed workers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The survey questions reflect a recent Pew Research Center survey that showed only about half of workers nationwide are extremely or very satisfied with their jobs. Work satisfaction and compensation are closely tied, and workers with higher incomes tended to like their jobs more than lower-income workers, the survey found.

“We found an interesting disconnect in terms of how workers are experiencing their jobs,” Kim Parker, Pew’s director of social trends research, told Forbes. “Most say they are highly satisfied with the human side of work — their relationships with their coworkers and supervisor. They are much less satisfied with their compensation and the opportunities they’re given for promotion or advancement.”

The anonymous survey asked workers if they would recommend their employer to friends and family, and to evaluate their employer on working conditions, diversity, compensation packages, the potential for development and company image. They were also asked about other employers in their states and were given the opportunity to rate employers anywhere within their respective industries.

Of the 1,392 organizations on the list, 1,123 of them were ranked in only one state. The others were ranked in more than one state.