New Ranking Reveals Where Workers Truly Get Ahead, Role by Role

SEATTLE, WA – March 24, 2026 – A groundbreaking national rating system released today is shifting the landscape of career planning, offering the most detailed public picture yet of which major U.S. companies are best at helping their employees advance.

The first-ever “Where You Work Matters List” moves beyond traditional “best employer” rankings, which often rely on subjective employee surveys or company-provided data. Instead, this new initiative, assembled by the Schultz Family Foundation and the Burning Glass Institute in partnership with Harvard Business School, uses an empirical analysis of real-world outcomes for more than 12 million American workers to measure what truly matters: pay, promotions, and retention.

“Transparent information around how companies pay, promote and retain their workforce on a role-by-role basis will enable a better marketplace in America,” said Howard Schultz, co-founder of the Schultz Family Foundation, in a statement accompanying the release.

The list assesses 1,750 major U.S. employers, providing unprecedented insight not just into the company as a whole, but into the career prospects for nearly 55,000 specific occupations within those firms.

A New Playbook for Job Seekers

For decades, job seekers have relied on brand reputation, anecdotal evidence, and survey-based lists to gauge a company’s quality. The Where You Work Matters List offers a new, data-driven alternative, empowering individuals to make strategic career decisions based on objective outcomes.

The methodology behind the ratings is its key differentiator. By analyzing hundreds of millions of publicly available data points from online profiles and resumes, the system tracks the actual career trajectories of employees after they join a company. This allows for a granular, role-by-role assessment of which employers provide the strongest pathways for advancement. The initiative is a non-profit, public-interest project and does not rely on corporate participation or fees.

To provide a more nuanced view, the analysis categorizes jobs into three distinct archetypes:

• Early-career jobs: Entry-level roles that provide foundational skills and training.
• Growth jobs: Positions that offer clear opportunities for internal and external advancement.
• Stability jobs: Roles characterized by leading pay and strong employee retention.

“This initiative gives employers a clear picture of what ‘good’ looks like for each role,” noted Matt Sigelman, President of the Burning Glass Institute. “That insight can help companies strengthen career pathways and design jobs that create greater opportunity.”

The data reveals a stark difference in outcomes. According to the analysis, employees at top-ranked “Platinum” firms are 102% more likely to be promoted internally within five years and 61% more likely to earn more for the same role compared to those at lower-ranked companies.

Beyond Branding: A Strategic Tool for Employers

While the list is a powerful tool for workers, it also serves as a critical benchmark for business leaders and HR executives. By providing detailed, role-level data, it allows companies to see precisely where they are succeeding in talent development and where they lag behind competitors.

Among the 1,750 companies assessed, 350 achieved an overall “Platinum” rating. An elite group of 22 companies received Platinum recognition across all three job archetypes, signaling exceptional performance in creating high-quality jobs for a wide range of roles. This list includes industrial giants like Boeing and General Motors, healthcare leaders such as Mayo Clinic and Northwell Health, and technology firms including Qualcomm and HubSpot.

An examination of these top performers reveals a deep commitment to internal talent development. Procter & Gamble, for instance, famously operates on a “build from within” philosophy, with an estimated 99% of its senior leaders being promoted internally through structured job rotations and leadership academies. Similarly, aerospace firm Boeing invests heavily in its workforce with a generous tuition assistance program, offering up to $25,000 annually for employees to pursue degrees, complemented by robust mentoring and on-the-job training. In the healthcare sector, Mayo Clinic champions an employee-driven career development philosophy, offering a suite of professional and leadership programs to foster continuous learning and improve staff satisfaction.

“Where you work has a significant impact on your ability to build skills, increase your earnings, and advance your career. What this List does is make that visible,” said Eva Sage-Gavin, a veteran HR executive from companies like Gap Inc. and The Walt Disney Company.

Reshaping the Labor Market in the Age of AI

The release of the Where You Work Matters List comes at a pivotal moment for the American labor market. As artificial intelligence and automation continue to reshape industries, the ability to build and maintain a skilled, adaptable workforce has become a critical strategic imperative.

“As AI reshapes the labor market, the companies best positioned to thrive will be those that have built strong, sustainable talent pipelines,” said Rajiv Chandrasekaran, managing director at the Schultz Family Foundation. He described the list as “essential intelligence in the era of AI.”

The initiative’s focus on measurable outcomes and transparency has broader implications for economic mobility and corporate accountability. By making career pathway data public, the list creates a powerful incentive for companies to invest in their employees. It shifts the competitive landscape for talent away from superficial perks and toward demonstrable opportunities for growth, potentially driving systemic improvements in labor practices.

This move toward data transparency in human resources mirrors a growing trend in regulatory environments. As AI tools become more common in hiring and performance management, cities and states are increasingly passing laws that demand transparency and bias audits to protect workers. Initiatives like the Where You Work Matters List prefigure a future where corporate accountability is not just a matter of policy, but a market-driven expectation, empowering all stakeholders to better understand and navigate the evolving world of work.