1. Bingham McCutchen
Average total pay: $211,017
For: Associate*
This major corporate law firm brought three firms into its fold in 2007, boosting its staff to more than 1,000 lawyers working in 13 different offices, the largest of which is in Boston.
Most hires fresh out of law school start here with a base salary of $160,000, and even the firm's legal secretaries average a not-too-shabby $69,000 a year. And talent looms large - the legal staff includes 72 graduates from Harvard Law, 24 from Yale and 20 from Stanford.
2. Arnold & Porter
Average total pay: $194,575
For: Associate*
Founded in Washington, D.C. in 1946, where roughly two-thirds of its people still work, Arnold & Porter focuses on litigation, regulatory and corporate issues and is known for pro bono work. The firm has 600 lawyers in eight offices.
Among its many perks, Arnold & Porter offers a self-run onsite childcare center at its main office in D.C. And there's a strong emphasis on diversity: Twenty percent of the staff is African-American, and women hold around 20 percent of the partner positions - high for the industry. Compensation isn't bad either - lawyer bonuses averaged $34,575 in 2006.
3. Alston & Bird
Average total pay: $190,135
For: Associate Attorney*
This Atlanta-based law firm, which serves corporate clients like Wachovia, Dow Chemical, and Delta Airlines, will be celebrating its 115th birthday in 2008. It ranks 55th nationally, measured by revenue.
Like Arnold & Porter, Alston & Bird provides onsite childcare at its headquarters - a rarity in the law field - and currently accommodates 132 children of employees. Pay at Alston & Bird typically falls in the 75th percentile of the market. All employees are eligible for a merit bonus which can be as high as 10 percent of salary for lawyers, and 9 percent for all other staff.
4. Shared Technologies
Average total pay: $187,137
For: Sales Rep*
An installer of telephone and data systems for businesses, Shared Technologies has grown dramatically since 2004, when it converted to a private company under the charismatic leadership of Tony Parella. He did a road show in 2007, visiting all 41 offices of the company and shaking hands with every employee.
Shared Tech reviewed compensation policies in 2006 and paid out a total of $330,000 to bring employee salaries up to or above market rates. Bonuses, targeted between 10 and 40 percent of pay, are awarded to everyone based on both individual and company performances.
5. Nixon Peabody
Average total pay: $178,016
For: Associate Attorney*
Propelled by a series of mergers, Nixon Peabody has achieved its goal of becoming a leading national law firm, with 700 attorneys working in 16 offices. The firm's key principles include pledges to offer professional development for its entire staff and to share financial success with everyone, not just the attorneys.
Pay and benefits have been beefed up substantially in the past three years, and are still improving. One new extra: In 2008 the firm will introduce a scholarship program for children of employees.
Nixon Peabody also reviews its compensation policies annually, considering market adjustments according to each office's geographic location. The firm aims to be in the 70th percentile of the market.
6. Devon Energy
Average total pay: $173,057
For: Engineer*
Devon Energy catapulted itself into the nation's fourth largest natural gas producer and the eighth largest oil producer through a series of acquisitions: PennzEnergy in 1999, Santa Fe Snyder in 2000, Anderson Exploration in 2001, Mitchell Energy in 2002 and Ocean Energy in 2003. Over that same period, employee population ballooned from 764 to more than 5,000 worldwide.
Employee growth hasn't diluted the pay. Devon loves to give big bonuses. The average bonus in 2006 was $21,332. The company also awards a holiday bonus of $600 for every employee, regardless of position.
7. Perkins Coie
Average total pay: $162,860
For: Associate*
Seattle law firm Perkins Coie represents such hometown heavyweights as Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks. But it's also known for its unusual perks, like Happiness Committees - teams of employees who roam the offices and drop surprise gifts on the desks of their colleagues. Every quarter the company holds random drawings and gives away six pairs of round-trip airline tickets to lucky winners. It's even got an in-house rock band.
Salaries are reviewed annually to stay competitive with other law firms, plus they give a five percent bonus to all staff. Special bonuses are also given out if the firm has an exceptional year.
8. EOG Resources
Average total pay: $146,739
For: Engineer*
This independent oil and gas driller pays well and piles on the benefits: stock options, scholarships to children of employees, dollar-for-dollar match of employee contributions to a 401(k) plan up to 6 percent of pay and a pension plan.
The company has a stated policy to provide base salaries above market averages. Employees at all levels are eligible for annual bonuses and additional stock options, and benefit plans are the same for everyone.
9. Adobe Systems
Average total pay: $137,691
For: Computer Scientist*
Best Companies rank: 40
The Silicon Valley software developer famous for products like Acrobat and Photoshop provides all employees with ergonomic furniture and plenty of free time. During the first five years of service an employee is entitled to 24 days of personal time off (vacation, sick days, floating holidays) plus eight holidays. Every five years employees can take a three-week, fully-paid sabbatical.
Adobe has a unique compensation policy: It has established salary ranges for every position based on market levels, but then applies 12-month salary projections to those ranges, in order to remain an industry leader in pay. A quarterly profit-sharing bonus typically pays out 10 percent of pay, and some employees receive additional incentive bonuses.
10. Goldman Sachs
Average total pay: $137,000
For: Other Exempt (Analysts, Program Analysts, Associates, and Professional Non-Exempt)*
2007 proved to be an extremely difficult year for Wall Street firms, but investment bank Goldman Sachs navigated its way to record revenues and profits. Goldman booked profits of $11.6 billion. This translated into bumper bonuses, better than any other Wall Street firm.
Goldman spent nearly $20.2 billion on compensation and benefits in its latest fiscal year. Divide that by the number of worldwide employees (30,522) for an average of.$661,400 per employee. Top people at Goldman receive bonuses in the millions but the awards go deep into the company ranks.
Source: Fortune
Average total pay: $211,017
For: Associate*
This major corporate law firm brought three firms into its fold in 2007, boosting its staff to more than 1,000 lawyers working in 13 different offices, the largest of which is in Boston.
Most hires fresh out of law school start here with a base salary of $160,000, and even the firm's legal secretaries average a not-too-shabby $69,000 a year. And talent looms large - the legal staff includes 72 graduates from Harvard Law, 24 from Yale and 20 from Stanford.
2. Arnold & Porter
Average total pay: $194,575
For: Associate*
Founded in Washington, D.C. in 1946, where roughly two-thirds of its people still work, Arnold & Porter focuses on litigation, regulatory and corporate issues and is known for pro bono work. The firm has 600 lawyers in eight offices.
Among its many perks, Arnold & Porter offers a self-run onsite childcare center at its main office in D.C. And there's a strong emphasis on diversity: Twenty percent of the staff is African-American, and women hold around 20 percent of the partner positions - high for the industry. Compensation isn't bad either - lawyer bonuses averaged $34,575 in 2006.
3. Alston & Bird
Average total pay: $190,135
For: Associate Attorney*
This Atlanta-based law firm, which serves corporate clients like Wachovia, Dow Chemical, and Delta Airlines, will be celebrating its 115th birthday in 2008. It ranks 55th nationally, measured by revenue.
Like Arnold & Porter, Alston & Bird provides onsite childcare at its headquarters - a rarity in the law field - and currently accommodates 132 children of employees. Pay at Alston & Bird typically falls in the 75th percentile of the market. All employees are eligible for a merit bonus which can be as high as 10 percent of salary for lawyers, and 9 percent for all other staff.
4. Shared Technologies
Average total pay: $187,137
For: Sales Rep*
An installer of telephone and data systems for businesses, Shared Technologies has grown dramatically since 2004, when it converted to a private company under the charismatic leadership of Tony Parella. He did a road show in 2007, visiting all 41 offices of the company and shaking hands with every employee.
Shared Tech reviewed compensation policies in 2006 and paid out a total of $330,000 to bring employee salaries up to or above market rates. Bonuses, targeted between 10 and 40 percent of pay, are awarded to everyone based on both individual and company performances.
5. Nixon Peabody
Average total pay: $178,016
For: Associate Attorney*
Propelled by a series of mergers, Nixon Peabody has achieved its goal of becoming a leading national law firm, with 700 attorneys working in 16 offices. The firm's key principles include pledges to offer professional development for its entire staff and to share financial success with everyone, not just the attorneys.
Pay and benefits have been beefed up substantially in the past three years, and are still improving. One new extra: In 2008 the firm will introduce a scholarship program for children of employees.
Nixon Peabody also reviews its compensation policies annually, considering market adjustments according to each office's geographic location. The firm aims to be in the 70th percentile of the market.
6. Devon Energy
Average total pay: $173,057
For: Engineer*
Devon Energy catapulted itself into the nation's fourth largest natural gas producer and the eighth largest oil producer through a series of acquisitions: PennzEnergy in 1999, Santa Fe Snyder in 2000, Anderson Exploration in 2001, Mitchell Energy in 2002 and Ocean Energy in 2003. Over that same period, employee population ballooned from 764 to more than 5,000 worldwide.
Employee growth hasn't diluted the pay. Devon loves to give big bonuses. The average bonus in 2006 was $21,332. The company also awards a holiday bonus of $600 for every employee, regardless of position.
7. Perkins Coie
Average total pay: $162,860
For: Associate*
Seattle law firm Perkins Coie represents such hometown heavyweights as Boeing, Microsoft, Amazon and Starbucks. But it's also known for its unusual perks, like Happiness Committees - teams of employees who roam the offices and drop surprise gifts on the desks of their colleagues. Every quarter the company holds random drawings and gives away six pairs of round-trip airline tickets to lucky winners. It's even got an in-house rock band.
Salaries are reviewed annually to stay competitive with other law firms, plus they give a five percent bonus to all staff. Special bonuses are also given out if the firm has an exceptional year.
8. EOG Resources
Average total pay: $146,739
For: Engineer*
This independent oil and gas driller pays well and piles on the benefits: stock options, scholarships to children of employees, dollar-for-dollar match of employee contributions to a 401(k) plan up to 6 percent of pay and a pension plan.
The company has a stated policy to provide base salaries above market averages. Employees at all levels are eligible for annual bonuses and additional stock options, and benefit plans are the same for everyone.
9. Adobe Systems
Average total pay: $137,691
For: Computer Scientist*
Best Companies rank: 40
The Silicon Valley software developer famous for products like Acrobat and Photoshop provides all employees with ergonomic furniture and plenty of free time. During the first five years of service an employee is entitled to 24 days of personal time off (vacation, sick days, floating holidays) plus eight holidays. Every five years employees can take a three-week, fully-paid sabbatical.
Adobe has a unique compensation policy: It has established salary ranges for every position based on market levels, but then applies 12-month salary projections to those ranges, in order to remain an industry leader in pay. A quarterly profit-sharing bonus typically pays out 10 percent of pay, and some employees receive additional incentive bonuses.
10. Goldman Sachs
Average total pay: $137,000
For: Other Exempt (Analysts, Program Analysts, Associates, and Professional Non-Exempt)*
2007 proved to be an extremely difficult year for Wall Street firms, but investment bank Goldman Sachs navigated its way to record revenues and profits. Goldman booked profits of $11.6 billion. This translated into bumper bonuses, better than any other Wall Street firm.
Goldman spent nearly $20.2 billion on compensation and benefits in its latest fiscal year. Divide that by the number of worldwide employees (30,522) for an average of.$661,400 per employee. Top people at Goldman receive bonuses in the millions but the awards go deep into the company ranks.
Source: Fortune