What’s the best place to work in Idaho? Forbes ranks the state’s top seven employers

An Idaho-based grocery store was ranked among the best large employers in the state and the country in a recent Forbes analysis.

In fact, Idaho was ranked second-best in the nation for its year-over-year job growth rate by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, according to the Idaho Department of Labor. Some key industries in the Boise Metro area include construction, manufacturing and food services.

The large employer list from Forbes ranked 701 of the best companies, according to employee surveys, across the nation. WinCo was ranked the highest for an Idaho-based large company on the Forbes list, coming in at 67th nationally, the only one in Idaho to appear in the top 100.

The employee-owned company is based in Boise. It operates 141 retail stores in several Western and Midwestern states, and employs over 20,000 people, according to WinCo. Forbes says the company generates $9.8 billion in revenue.

Other large employers based in Idaho that appeared on the list included the nonprofit Saint Alphonsus Health System at 187th place, and the J.R. Simplot Co. at 631st. Simplot also appeared on Forbes “America’s Dream Employers” list at 345th place.

Several Idaho companies appeared on the Forbes midsize list with a total of 498 companies across the nation. Those companies included:

• No. 138: University of Idaho
• No. 170: Jackson Food Stores
• No. 292: Scentsy
• No. 370: Norco

Forbes pointed to research over the past decade indicating that employees have been relatively consistent in what they care most about in an employer. Employees have signaled that compensation, employee development and opportunities for advancement, workplace well-being, flexibility, meaningful work and supportive colleagues are important, Forbes says.

Best large and midsize employers nationwide

These were the best large employers across the United States, according to Forbes:

1. University of Notre Dame

2. Trader Joe’s, which has three locations in Idaho

3. Houston Methodist

4. Nvidia

5. Navy Federal Credit Union, which has a branch in Boise

These were the best midsize employers across the United States, according to Forbes:

1. Shriner’s Hospital for Children

2. Federal Communications Commission

3. Western Carolina University

4. Toll Brothers, which has an Idaho division

5. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority

How Forbes rankings are determined

Through market research firm Statista, Forbes used data from more than 217,000 survey responses from employees at companies that employ more than 1,000 people, and are based in the U.S.

The companies were broken into two lists: Companies with 1,000 to 5,000 employees are considered midsize, and those with more than 5,000 are considered large employers.

Those surveyed remained anonymous and rated their employer on a range of things from salary, work environment, training programs, whether they’d recommend their employer to others and opportunities to advance.

The surveys were then tallied and analyzed, and then compared with additional survey data from the last three years to account for companies that consistently ranked well versus those that may have just had a good year. The most recent data and surveys were weighted more than previous data, according to Forbes.

Forbes evaluated the best large and midsize employers in the United States using employee surveys. The Gem State has consistently ranked high for job creation and employment.

This story was originally published March 11, 2025 at 11:28 AM.