10 best-paying companies in tech

The modern business world runs on technology, which means companies need people to manage it. Getting a job in STEM is a great way to not only ensure job security, but also earn a six figure salary. Glassdoor — a website that offers reviews, salaries and benefits information provided by employees on companies from all industries — collects salary data on the biggest tech companies in the U.S. to determine the 10 highest paying tech companies. Using their self-reported data, Glassdoor calculated the average total compensation and median base salary for companies across every industry. These are the top 10 technology companies that report the highest average salaries.

Juniper Networks is based in Sunnyvale, Calif., and its mission is to improve and reinvent network infrastructure with a focus on “simplicity, security, openness and scale.” Juniper states that it handles 4.5 billion social media updates daily on five of the most used networks, enables seven out of the eight world’s largest stock exchanges and is responsible for securing over 85 percent of all U.S. smartphone traffic. According to reviews on Glassdoor, the company has a 3.7-star rating, 96 percent approve of CEO Rami Rahim, and 76 percent would recommend the company to a friend. Reviews mention a strong and comprehensive healthcare plan and the ability to work from home when needed.

At Juniper Networks, the median total compensation is $157,000 per year and the median annual base salary is $147,000. Data from Glassdoor shows that staff engineers at Juniper Networks earn an average salary of $146,699, while technical support engineers average $111,483 per year.

Google is a powerhouse in the tech world, and nearly anyone with Internet access has used a Google product at some point in time. The company has a 4.4 star rating out of over 5,000 reviews on Glassdoor and 98 percent say they approve of the CEO, Sundar Pichai, while 91 percent say they would recommend the company to a friend. And Google is more than just a search engine, the company has its hand in nearly every area of tech, and prides itself on staying as unconventional as possible albeit it’s corporate status. Google states that it is built on “small, focused teams” with a “high-energy energy environment.” Employee benefits include free lunch and snacks, gym memberships, company cars, flexible time off, strong maternity and paternity leave and the ability to work from home, just to name a few.

The median total annual compensation at Google is $153,750, while the median base salary is $123,331 per year. Glassdoor data shows that the average salary for a software engineer at Google is $127,047, while senior software engineers earn an average salary of $162,249 per year.

Located in Palo Alto, Calif., VMware is a leader in cloud infrastructure and business mobility thanks to their proprietary virtualization technology. VMware promises to make IT more “fluid, instant and more secure,” allowing IT departments to promote innovation at work and develop new tools quickly. VMware has a 3.8 rating on Glassdoor, while 85 percent approve of CEO Pat Gelsinger and 78 percent would recommend the company to a friend. Company benefits at VMware earned a 4.2-star rating, citing perks like a strong 401k matching program, a good work-life balance, a wealth of employee discounts on various items, unlimited vacation time and quality health insurance.

VMware has a median total compensation of $152,133 per year and a median annual base salary of $130,000. Software engineers at VMware report an average salary of $110,737 on Glassdoor, while senior application developers report an average salary of $125,246 per year.

Amazon Lab126, headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.,is a business segment of Amazon that focuses on innovating around the development of consumer electronic devices, such as the Kindle. It was started in 2004 as a way to develop and improve products such as the Kindle Voyage, Amazon Fire TV and Kindle Fire HDX. The mission of Amazon Lab126 is to “make available in less than 60 seconds every book ever written, in any language, in print or out of print.” Also included in the mission is a dedication to creating a seamless user experience that integrates movies, TV shows, music, magazines, apps and games. The company has a 3-star rating on Glassdoor and 75 percent approve of CEO Jeff Bezos, but only 50 percent would recommend the company to a friend.

For employees at Amazon Lab126, the median total compensation is $150,100 and the median base annual salary is $138,700. Software development engineers at Amazon Lab126 report an average salary of $108,621, according to Glassdoor, while senior software development engineers report a median salary of $153,961 per year.

Located in Foster City, Calif., Guidewire is dedicated to helping property and casualty insurers adapt to the fast-paced change of technology with software. Guidewire’s software provides predictive analytics for the P & C insurance industry to help increase speed-to-market, give agents more independence and quickly react to global catastrophes. The company has an impressive 4.6 rating on Glassdoor, and 95 percent of those that voted approve of CEO Marcus Ryu, while 93 percent would recommend the company to a friend. Benefits are pretty standard, including a 401k matching program, strong health insurance and the flexibility to work from home one day a week.

At Guidewire, the median total compensation is $150,020, while the median base salary is $135,000 per year. Senior software engineers at Guidewire report an average yearly salary of $144,228 while the average salary for a QA engineer is $111,559.

Cadence Design Systems, located in San Jose, Calif., works to develop cutting-edge electronic products whether its cameras, smartphones, tablets, gaming devices or cloud infrastructure. It has offices in 17 countries around the world. Cadence currently has a 4.0 rating on Glassdoor, and 97 percent say they approve of CEO Lip-Bu Tan, while 84 percent would be happy to recommend the company to a friend. Reviewers cite excellent healthcare, unlimited sick days and flexibility for a healthy work-life balance as some of the best benefits of working for Cadence.

Cadence Design Systems has a median total compensation of $150,101 per year and a median annual base salary of $140,000. Principal product engineers at Cadence report an average annual salary of $132,485 per year, while software developers earn an average yearly salary of $98,824.

Facebook, headquartered in Menlo Park, Calif., is currently the largest social network in the world. Founded in 2004, Facebook has become the premier way for people to stay connected and communicate. The company prides itself on the impact it has on its billions of users around the world and tries to focus on creating meaningful change. Facebook currently has a 4.5-star rating on Glassdoor, CEO Mark Zuckerberg has a 98 percent approval rating, and 92 percent say they would recommend the company to a friend. As a company, Facebook has always been dedicated to challenging social norms, which Zuckerberg made apparent when he set a precedent for Silicon Valley by taking two months of paternity leave after the birth of his daughter.

Employees at Facebook earn an average total compensation of $150,000 per year, with a median base salary of $127,406 per year. Software engineers at Facebook report an average salary of $126,276 on Glassdoor, while the average salary for a data scientist is $134,247 per year.

Based in San Francisco, Twitter quickly grew in popularity after it was founded in 2006, becoming one of the most used social network sites available. It’s permeated social culture as a way to give everyone a voice, even if it’s only in 140 characters. Twitter currently has a 4.0 rating on Glassdoor, while CEO Jack Dorsey has an 88 percent approval rating and 74 percent say they would recommend the company to a friend. Reviews note the generous maternity and paternity leave, flexible schedules and free lunch and snacks as some of the best employee benefits.

At Twitter, the median total compensation is $150,000 per year, while the median base salary is $133,000 per year. The average salary for a software engineer at Twitter is $127,430, according to Glassdoor, while senior software engineers earn an average salary of $154,696 per year. Data scientists at Twitter report an average annual salary of $134,861 and data systems engineers report an average salary of $149,392 per year.

Headquartered in Redwood City, Calif., Box is dedicated to helping big businesses become more agile, like startups. The company promises to help businesses in any industry become more flexible, productive and competitive. According to ratings on Glassdoor, 95 percent of employees at Box approve of the CEO, Aaron Levie, and 71 percent would recommend the company to a friend. Employee benefits at Box include flexible time off, free meals and snacks, wellness incentives, an employee stock purchase plan and fitness subsidy. Reviewers also noted the flexible maternity and paternity leave and a strong, competitive and comprehensive healthcare plan.

Box has an average total compensation of $150,000 per year, with a median annual base salary of $133,000. At Box, software engineers earn an average salary of $129,299 according to Glassdoor’s data, while senior software engineers earn an average of $159,307 per year.

Walmart eCommmerce is a technology division of Walmart that focuses on the digital aspect of the company. They boast an open source and hybrid cloud technology that allows technology workers to code in any language. Walmart eCommerce prides itself on maintaining a startup-like culture, despite its parent company’s corporate reputation. They look to hire engineers, web designers and data scientists from around the world who can create solutions to leverage the company’s proprietary open source technology, whether it’s in UX/UI, mobile, supply chain, merchandising, marketing, HR, finance, legal or customer service. Walmart eCommerce currently holds a 3.3-star rating on Glassdoor, and 76 percent say they approve of CEO, Neil M. Ashe, while only 52 percent would recommend the company to a friend.

For employees at Walmart eCommerce, the average total compensation per year is $149,000, with a median annual base salary of $126,000. The average salary for a senior software engineer is $128,572 per year, while level three software engineers earn an average salary of $113,364.