The Top 10 Companies to Work For – According to People Who Probably Want to Quit

The number of unemployed in this country has held steady at 14 million the past couple of months. And of those who have a job, 31 percent believe if they lost it today, they wouldn’t find another one with the same pay in the next six months.

That’s according to a survey from Glassdoor.com, a site that tracks industry salaries and collects company reviews from employees. Earlier this month, they also ranked the top 25 companies for career opportunities based on employee-submitted “personal satisfaction” ratings.

But the people who write these reviews are probably people looking for a new job. By anonymously reviewing your own company, you get unlimited access to the site’s data – and why else would you be interested in competitor salaries and reviews?

Looking at what these people get and what they say just goes to show the grass is always greener on the other side. With all the doom and gloom about jobs, the top 10 here should be good for a laugh or two…

10. Goldman Sachs

With a rank of 3.8 out of 5 based on 549 ratings, you have to wonder if they get paid bonuses just to submit reviews. (Nobody else in the top 10 has this many ratings.) But seriously, when the average salary for a research associate is $107,000, it’s probably hard to complain much. Or is it? Several reviewers name “competitiveness,” “arrogance,” and “aggression” as cons to working there.

9. Facebook

A 3.9 based on 83 ratings. The interns make an average of $5,600 a month. Downsides? A lot of people cite “unbalanced” or “inexperienced” management. Uh, yeah, your CEO is 27.

8. Sheetz

Having just 36 ratings may explain why this New England convenience store chain ranked on the list with a 4.0. But these people must be telling the truth, because they aren’t making big bucks: Sheetz sales associates earn around $9.25 an hour. The complaints are typical of retail: managers playing favorites, shifts vary too much, people are annoying. But being the only retail company near the top says something.

7. Edelman

Getting a 4.0 for 210 ratings is no surprise for a major PR firm. Account executives average $43,500 while execs make more than twice that – but most of the reviews come from the former category. There’s a lot of complaining in the reviews about “work-life balance,” which must be the PR way of saying “I’m overworked.”

6. Accretive Health

Netting a 4.0 from 57 ratings, the position with the most data here – “ops lead” – makes an average of $50,500. The most unhealthy parts of the job, according to reviews, are poor communication and favoritism among leadership.

5. Nestle Purina Petcare

4.0 from 51 ratings. Marketing interns make an average of $28 an hour while higher-level marketing jobs top $100,000. The complaints are great – the first reviewer’s con is that the company is “too relaxed” while another complains that HQ is in St. Louis.

4. Keller Williams

Another 4.0, from 58 ratings. Because there’s not much salary data, it shows wide, unhelpful ranges: Real estate agents make from $0 to $95,000. The complaints are more lucid: Employees feel the fee and commission structure disadvantages newer agents and that the training programs are overwhelming.

3. McKinsey & Company

An average 4.1 rating comes from 350 reviews by happy, highly compensated people. A “management consultant associate” makes from $120,000 to $162,000 and an “engagement manager” anywhere from $125,000 to $200,000. Despite giving high marks, many people list “work/life balance” as a con. Favorite comment: “Generally don’t feel like you’re making the world a better place, and sometimes are finding profitable ways to make it worse.”

2. Bain & Company

Another consulting firm, garnering 4.2 from 175 employees. Same complaints too, with the same high ratings. Why are these people so happy? Oh, right, because they start at $63,000 and managers go up to $190,000.

1. Boston Consulting Group

4.3 from 174 people, who list the same cons: unpredictable schedule, long hours, tons of travel. Make it to “principal,” though, and you can bank $340,000 a year, which is apparently enough to buy more happiness than those other consulting firms.

So what’s the lesson here for those unsure about their careers? Go intern for Facebook, and then get into consulting. Failing that, go promote pet products for Purina or pour coffee for Sheetz.