Colorado’s top workplace is Microsoft, according to Forbes’ annual list of the best places to work in each state.
Forbes partnered with Statista on a nationwide survey of employees of companies with at least 500 people. About 245,000 people took the survey, which rated companies based on factors such as management style, wages, company reputation, flexibility and career advancement opportunities.
Microsoft, headquartered in Redmond, Washington, has several footholds in Colorado. Twenty of the top 30 places to work operating in Colorado according to Forbes are headquartered out of state.
Children’s Hospital Colorado was the only employer headquartered in the state to make the top 10.
The Colorado list has a lot of familiar names from Forbes’ ranking of the nation’s top large and mid-sized employers, as well as USA TODAY’s Top Workplaces list.
What are Forbes’ choices for best places to work in Colorado?
The selection runs the gamut of sectors, with technology the most common. Each company is listed with its home state.
- Microsoft, Washington
- Costco, Washington
- Southwest Airlines, Texas
- Whole Foods Market, Texas
- Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Virginia
- Apple, California
- Google, California
- Charles Schwab, Texas
- Progressive Insurance, Ohio
- Children’s Hospital Colorado, Colorado
Top Colorado-based employers for 2026
These are the top 10 companies headquartered in Colorado, listed with headquarters city and ranking among all state employers. Education and health care providers led the way, holding eight of the spots.
- Children’s Hospital Colorado, Aurora (No. 10 overall)
- Denver Health, Denver (No. 12 overall)
- University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, (No. 13 overall)
- Adams 12 Five Star Schools, Thornton (No. 19 overall)
- University of Colorado Denver–Anschutz Medical Campus, Denver (No. 21 overall)
- Colorado State University — Fort Collins, Fort Collins, (No. 23 overall)
- FirstBank, Lakewood (No. 27 overall)
- Coorstek, Golden (No. 28 overall)
- UCHealth, Aurora (No. 29 overall)
- St. Vrain Valley School District, Longmont (No. 30 overall)
Nate Trela covers trending news in Colorado and Utah for the USA TODAY Network, with an emphasis on consumer finance, legal issues and state laws.
This article originally appeared on Fort Collins Coloradoan: Best place to work in Colorado? Forbes names top employers
Reporting by Nate Trela, Fort Collins Coloradoan / Fort Collins Coloradoan
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
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