These Are The Top 42 Employers In VA In Forbes Ranking

The best employer in Virginia is Navy Federal Credit Union, according to a new Forbes ranking released last week.

Forbes’ 2025 ranking of America’s Best Employers By State is based on surveys of more 169,000 employees who work for a company of at least 500 within the United States.

They were asked on a scale of zero to 10 how likely they were to recommend their current employer, and also evaluate their workplace on such things as wages, parity, work culture, and paths to professional advancement, and whether their employer takes action on serious issues, such as sexual harassment.

The survey, conducted by market research firm Statista, also asked respondents to evaluate other recent employers and organizations they knew through their industry or through family and friends who work there.

The top 42 companies in Virginia are:

1. Navy Federal Credit Union — Banking and Financial Services, Vienna, founded in 1933
2. University of Virginia Education — Charlottesville, founded in 1819
3. General Dynamics — Aerospace & Defense, Reston, founded in 1952
4. Capital One — Banking and Financial Services, McLean, founded in 1994
5. Northrop Grumman — Aerospace & Defense, Falls Church, founded in 1939
6. Booz Allen Hamilton — Professional Services, McLean, founded in 1914
7. Smithfield Foods — Food, Soft Beverages, Alcohol & Tobacco, Smithfield, founded in 1936
8. CarMax — Retail and Wholesale, Richmond, founded in 1993
9. Ferguson Enterprises — Retail and Wholesale, Newport News, founded in 1953
10. SAIC — IT Software & Services Reston, founded in 1969
11. VCU Health — Healthcare & Social Services, Richmond, founded in 1838
12. Markel — Insurance, Glen Allen, founded in 1930
13. Sentara Health — Healthcare & Social Services, Norfolk, founded in 1888
14. Institute for Defense Analyses — Aerospace & Defense, Alexandria, founded in 1956
15. ICF International — Professional Services, Fairfax, founded in 1969
16. Loudoun County Public Schools — Education, Ashburn, founded in 1870
17. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University — Education, Blacksburg, founded in 1872
18. Valley Health — Healthcare & Social Services, Winchester, founded in 1993
19. Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters — Healthcare & Social Services, Norfolk, founded in 1961
20. BAE Systems, Inc. — Aerospace & Defense, Falls Church, founded in 1999
21. STIHL Inc. — Semiconductors, Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Virginia Beach, founded in 1926
22. Commonwealth of Virginia — Government Services, Richmond, founded in 1776
23. CACI International — Aerospace & Defense, Reston, founded in 1962
24. University of Virginia Health System — Healthcare & Social Services, Charlottesville, founded in 1901
25. Hilton Worldwide Holdings — Travel & Leisure, McLean, founded in 1919
26. Carilion Clinic — Healthcare & Social Services, Roanoke, founded in 1899
27. VHC Health — Healthcare & Social Services, Arlington, founded in 1944
28. Mars — Packaged Goods, McLean, founded in 1911
29. Dominion Energy — Utilities, Richmond, founded in 1983
30. Old Dominion University — Education, Norfolk, founded in 1930
31. K-VA-T Food Stores — Retail and Wholesale, Abingdon, founded in 1955
32. Radford University — Healthcare & Social Services, Radford, founded in 1910
33. Care Advantage, Inc. — Healthcare & Social Services, Richmond, founded in 1988
34. William & Mary — Education, Williamsburg, founded in 1693
35. Prince William County Public Schools — Education, Manassas, founded in 1923
36. Virginia Commonwealth University — Education, Richmond, founded in 1838
37. Leidos — IT Software & Services, Reston, founded in 1969
38. Augusta Health — Healthcare & Social Services, Fishersville, founded in 1994
39. Riverside Health System — Healthcare & Social Services, Newport News, founded in 1915
40. City of Virginia Beach — Government Services, Virginia Beach, founded in 1963
41. Hampton City Public Schools — Education, Hampton, founded in 1634
42. Henrico County, VA — Government Services, Henrico, founded in 1934

The rankings are based on four years of survey data. Greater weight was given to the more recent data and to the responses from current employees within the state, Forbes said. Companies that received the highest scores in each state made Forbes’ final lists.

As in other years, companies in the health care, social services and education industries dominated the list. But employers from other industries were also prominent in multiple states, including retail giant Amazon (ranked in 33 states), transportation and logistics provider United Parcel Service (ranked in 25 states) and Bank of America (ranked in 25 states), according to Forbes.

• Related: Forbes Names 20 Colleges ‘New Ivies,’ Notes Employers Prefer Them