With the post-pandemic tech boom in full swing, there’s never been a better time to break into the tech industry. But choosing the right company can be an anxiety-inducing experience, and how do you know which are the best tech companies to work for?
Sure, a company might look great on paper,but in the absence of a crystal ball, there’s no way to know for sure how much you’ll enjoy working there day-to-day. All you can do is be well researched, ask the right questions, and make sure the company’s values and cultures align with yours.
The truth is, it’s not just the big tech giants who are hailed as amazing places to work; more and more tech startups are boasting high employee satisfaction rates. So what are the best tech companies to work for?And how do you know which one is right for you?
We’re here to answer these questions and more. We’ll cover:
- What is the best tech company to work for in 2022?
- Which tech companies pay the most?
- How to choose a tech company that suits you
- The 10 best tech companies to work for
- Closing thoughts
Let’s dive in!
1. What is the best tech company to work for in 2022?
Unfortunately, there’s no straight answer to this question. It depends entirely on what you want out of your job, and what’s important to you in the long and short-term. Salary, culture, work-life balance, remote vs hybrid, career growth, company size—all these factors play a role in how you define a tech company to be worth pursuing.
When you think of ‘best tech company’ you might immediately think of the industry giants, like Meta, Google, or Apple. These companies offer above-average salaries, and the chance to be at the very forefront of the tech industry; working alongside some of tech’s biggest names. But they’re certainly not the only companies to offer exciting, career-affirming opportunities.
There’s certainly no harm in having a ‘dream’ company you’d like to work for, but there can be a downside to getting attached.
There are thousands and thousands of tech companies out there, and there’ll be more than one “perfect” company for you to serve you at different stages of your career. You need to work out what kind of company will suit you (we’ll explore this more a little further on).
2. Which tech companies pay the most?
There’s nothing worse than falling in love with a company, only to find out your salary expectations don’t align.
Perks and benefits are all well and good, but you’ll want to make sure you’re being fairly compensated for your work with a competitive salary, especially in the face of rising global inflation. So which tech companies can you expect to pay above average?
In terms of salaries, it should come as no surprise that the big tech companies (Meta, Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon etc.) have consistently come out on top as having the world’s highest salaries for tech professionals.
Let’s look at a few examples for three popular tech roles. For consistency, we’ve pulled 2022 salary data from Glassdoor and presented it in USD:
- The average salary for a web developer in the USA is $69,274. For this job role, LinkedIn is offering an average salary of $144,272, Apple is offering $113,782, and Amazon is offering $101,067.
- The average salary for a UX designer in the USA is $105,122. For this job role, Paypal is offering an average salary of $159,270, Roblox is offering $153,582, and Microsoft is offering $131,967.
- The average salary for a data analyst in the USA is $69,517. Meta pays the most for this role at $127,207 a year, followed by Uber, who pay $116,515 on average.
Salaries differ hugely based on location, seniority, and job role, so you’ll want to use a salary comparison site like Glassdoor or Payscale to understand what the industry average is in your local area.
Depending on where you’re at in your tech career, and what you need in order to maintain a good quality of life, you’ll want to identify what your salary ‘bottom line’ is, to make sure you don’t settle for less than what you’re worth. Don’t forget, salaries can also be negotiated!
3. How to choose a tech company that suits you
Any tech company might sound great on paper,but going through the interview process when you don’t feel confident that you’ll actually like the role will only waste their time, and yours. So how do you know whether or not a company is the right fit?
Before embarking on your job hunt, here are three things to bear in mind:
Identify what your priorities are
Every company has its own unique culture and set of values. Funnily enough, so do you! It’s up to you to identify what’s important to you in a role.
- Do you want flexibility in where you work?
- Is professional development and career growth particularly important to you?
- Are you looking to join a large team or do you prefer working autonomously?
The answer to these questions might be “all of the above” but identifying what your work non-negotiables are, as well as your approach to working, will help you weed out the companies who don’t share your values.
Do your research
Naturally, every company is going to present itself in the most positive light. Without actively seeking negative reviews, it’s important to get an accurate understanding of what working there is really like.
What are their Glassdoor reviews saying? What’s the history of the company—have they had significant layoffs? In some cases, you might even want to reach out to members of your network who currently work there for an honest chat about their experience.
Ask the right questions
Interviews go both ways, and getting face time with current employees will allow you to really gauge whether this company could suit you. This is your chance to address any doubts you have about the company culture, and whether or not the role will help you achieve your career goals.
Some of the more generic questions are still good to ask; but you’ll also want to fire a few burning questions relating to your priorities—whether that’s work-life balance, diversity and inclusion, or career progression.
Be sure to also pay attention to how these interviews make you feel, and the impression your prospective teammates leave on you. Do you see yourself working with the team you met?
4. The 10 best tech companies to work for
Now that we’ve talked about how to work out whether or not a company is right for you, let’s dive into some of the best tech companies to work for in 2022. This is by no means an objective or exhaustive list; so don’t be discouraged if none of these companies are currently in your LinkedIn DM’s!
The best tech small tech companies to work for
Grover Gaming
Grover Gaming was listed at number two on Glassdoor’s list of best small and medium companies to work at in 2022, and is a multiyear recipient of Inc Magazine’s prestigious Inc 5000 award. With an empathetic and honest company culture, the North Carolina based startup has truly invested in its workforce—and it’s paid off.
Bitrise
Popular DevOps platform Bitrise is a flourishing global hub of web development innovation. If you like to work iteratively and collaboratively, this could be the right environment for you. Currently, Bitrise offers bi-annual bonuses based on company performance, a professional development stipend, and the opportunity to transform the way mobile apps are built.
Lokalise
Lokalise is an industry-leading localization and translation platform; and is hailed by employees as a fantastic place to work (not many companies have a 4.9 Glassdoor review!). As well as a smorgasbord of perks that encourage work-life balance and personal development, Lokalise works with high-profile companies and offers a lot of opportunities for creativity and innovation.
The best tech companies for remote working
Hopin
Hopin is an all-in-one events management platform ranked by LinkedIn as a top startup of 2021. The company was founded in London, but went fully remote in 2019, and hires global talent all over the world. Becoming a “Hopinner” gives you access to perks like $1000 USD for Home-Office Set up, and a $100 monthly remote work stipend.
Deel
Deel is a pioneer in the world of remote working. Their platform helps companies hire, onboard, and pay employees in remote, distributed and international teams. As well as being remote-first, Deel allows its employees to choose where they work, and get access to the company’s global WeWork membership program.
Hubspot
While industry-leading CMS Hubspot is technically a hybrid company, they have a growing roster of talented remote employees based around the worldand an inclusive culture to support them. Hubspot is also featured as number two on Glassdoor’s roundup of the best companies to work for in 2022, so it’s definitely worth exploring their remote opportunities.
The best tech companies for work-life balance
CareerFoundry
Berlin-based company CareerFoundry offers accessible online career-change courses for the tech industry. The company offers remote-first work for all their Germany-based employees, as well as flexible working hours, a generous work-from-abroad policy of up to 6 months per year, 30 days off a year, and they’re trialing a reduced hours work week.
HotJar
When it comes to perks, HotJar has them in spades—and time away from your desk isn’t just allowed, it’s actively encouraged. Among the employee benefits are 40 vacation days, €2,000 a year holiday budget, and a yearly wellbeing stipend of €2,400. Pretty much everything you need for the optimal work-life balance.
Asana
Asana promotes a healthy work-life balance with perks like remote working programs, paid sabbaticals, and generous parental leave. They’ve also taken measures to tackle burnout at work with a team of in-house mental health advocates, and ‘real talk sessions’ that offer employees a safe space to talk about their experiences.
Buffer
In addition to remote working, Buffer boasts asynchronous working to facilitate the company’s ‘work from anywhere’ policy, unlimited PTO, and paid sabbaticals. Above all, the company offers the widely sought-after four-day work week (with no impact on salary); an initiative that’s recently been proven to boost productivity and improve mental health among employees.
5. Closing thoughts
So there we have it: The best tech companies to work for in 2022, and how to choose the right one to match your needs, goals, and working style.
The world of working is changing fast, and companies are having to follow suit to retain top talent. While remote or flexible working was once a ‘nice to have’, it’s now a commonplace working policy. This has meant higher expectations for job seekers.
It’s also important to note that your expectations might have to change depending on the kind of company you’re working for. Naturally, startups won’t be able to pay the same salaries or offer the same perks as more established tech companies; but that doesn’t mean they won’t offer fulfilling, enjoyable work.
Plus, you can always have an impact on the company culture from the inside, and suggest perks and benefits you think would enrich the lives of your fellow employees.
If you enjoyed reading this article, why not give these a read?
- 7 Workplace Trends to Look Out for in 2022
- How To Successfully Change Careers in 2022
- Why Tech is One of the Top Recession-Proof Industries
