These Companies Offer the Best Salaries & Benefits in the Country

Everyone aspires to land a job they love, one that'll help them grow and thrive in whatever career path they've set themselves on. But let's be real, when it comes down to it, it's all about the money, honey. It's very easy (and understandable) to prioritize a fat paycheck and top-notch benefits over many, many other things.

Folks in the job-search industry fully understand this, and have helpfully crunched the numbers to figure out exactly where you should set your sights if you're looking to land a gig at a company known for having some of the best compensation and benefits packages in America

To figure out which employers are offering the best salaries and bennies, the data whizzes at the wildly popular job-listing site Indeed evaluated its database of 18 million employee-penned reviews. Specifically, they identified companies with more than 600 reviews apiece that scored very high within the compensation and benefits category between 2016 and 2018, and ranked the top 15

Topping the list this year is Costco Wholesale, which earned the number one spot for its graduated wage program that rewards loyal employees as well as its "family-based philosophy" and a "second to none" insurance and benefits program. Kaiser Permanente scored second for paying well above the national average, while Verizon ranked third for its renowned industry-leading compensation setup. If you're curious where else ranks highly, here's how the full list of employers breaks down.

15. AT&T
14. Microsoft
13. Boeing
12. Intel
11. Publix
10. General Motors
9. Starbucks
8. ALDI
7. HEB
6. Capital One
5. Apple
4. FedEx Express
3. Verizon
2. Kaiser Permanente
1. Costco Wholesale

As Indeed notes, generosity in the benefits department (e.g, health/dental care, parental leave, stock options, company matching programs, etc.) and above-average wages (even for entry-level employees) is key to securing a spot on the list. However, a standout, unique benefit goes a long way as well. The report calls out some specifically solid offerings from certain companies on the list, from Fedex's wedding leave, to Capital One's adoption and surrogacy reimbursements, to Verizon's relief fund for natural disaster victims. 

The main takeaway, though, is the fact that tech companies consistently have some of the best benefits out there. Then again, that squares with the fact that tech companies make up a huge swath of the Best Companies to Work for in 2018.

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Joe McGauley is a senior writer for Thrillist. Follow him @jwmcgauley.