What are the best companies to work for in NC? Here’s the Forbes 2026 list
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- Forbes and Statista surveyed more than 217,000 workers to rank top U.S. companies.
- In North Carolina, Wake Forest University was named the top large employer.
- Cary-based Epic Games ranked as the best midsize employer in North Carolina.
If you’re looking for a fulfilling job in North Carolina, you may be in luck.
That’s because the state is home to six of the nation’s 100 best places to work, a new report finds.
To create the lists, the business website Forbes said it teamed up with researchers at Statista. Together, they conducted an online survey of more than 217,000 workers, The News & Observer previously reported.
“Survey respondents were asked if they would recommend their employer to others and to rate it based on a range of criteria, including wages, work-life balance, leadership training and opportunities to advance. Participants were also asked if they would recommend their previous employers” as well as other companies they know about, Forbes wrote in a Tuesday, Feb. 10 report.
Best large companies in NC
In the rankings, Forbes defined large companies as those with more than 5,000 workers.
Among the North Carolina employers that earned top spots on the list, Wake Forest University the ranked highest at No. 59. The private school in Winston-Salem has roughly 9,000 students, according to its website.
Here are the other big North Carolina companies that ranked among the nation’s 100 best places to work:
- FirstHealth of the Carolinas in Pinehurst at No. 69
- Bank of America in Charlotte at No. 81
Best midsize companies in NC
Forbes also considered the nation’s top midsize companies, those with 1,000 to 5,000 workers.
The highest ranking North Carolina business in this category was Epic Games, landing at No. 17. The company based in Cary — just west of Raleigh — developed the popular video game Fortnite, which had more than 800 million user accounts as of 2024, The N&O previously reported.
The other two North Carolina employers to earn spots in the top 100 were both universities. Here’s where they landed:
- Appalachian State University in Boone at No. 31
- Western Carolina University in Cullowhee at No. 42
Best companies to work for?
In all, Forbes shared the top 700 large companies and top 500 midsize companies in the country. So, how did other North Carolina businesses fare?
The Charlotte area boasted nine companies on the Forbes lists, and 14 Raleigh-based companies made it into the rankings. A list of all the winners can be found on forbes.com.
Across the United States, Forbes said the top large employer was California-based grocery chain Trader Joe’s.
Toll Brothers, a home builder headquartered in Pennsylvania, reigned supreme among midsize employers.
Portions of this story were previously published in The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer.
This story was originally published February 23, 2026 at 8:30 AM with the headline "What are the best companies to work for in NC? Here’s the Forbes 2026 list."
