LinkedIn released its 10th annual report that lists the "50 best workplaces to grow your career in the U.S." This year’s edition included 18 manufacturers that serve multiple industries, including automotive, aerospace, medical, food & beverage and machinery.
The list arrives as the ISM Manufacturing PMI reported a fourth consecutive month of expansion for the sector. It noted that the Production Index grew for the sixth straight month, while the Employment Index continues to contract, with about 60% of companies managing or reducing their workforce rather than hiring. Among those, 34% use layoffs and 43% rely on attrition or not backfilling positions.
No. 6 - Northrop Grumman
Defense and space manufacturing
Headquarters: Falls Church, VA
Skills: aerospace engineering, fluid mechanics, scientific computing
Job titles: system engineer, software engineer, manufacturing engineer
Last month, the U.S. Navy, in partnership with Northrop Grumman, broke ground on a next-generation missile silo in Promontory, Utah. The company also recently announced that it plans to accelerate production capacity of the Air Force’s B-21 Raider aircraft.
No. 18 - PepsiCo
Food & Beverage
Headquarters: Purchase, NY
Skills: food manufacturing, delivery operations, retail packaging
Job titles: sales manager, merchandiser, account manager
PepsiCo’s revenue jumped 8.5% to $19.44 billion in Q1 2026 compared to the same period a year ago. The company attributed the demand boost to its decision to cut prices and some new snacks.
No. 20 - Apple
Computers and electronics manufacturing
Headquarters: Cupertino, CA
Skills: signal processing, mobile application development, AI engineering
Job titles: software engineer, technical support representative, sales specialist
Apple celebrated its 50th anniversary on April Fools’ Day and boasts a $3.7 trillion market value.
No. 24 - Eli Lilly and Company
Pharmaceutical manufacturing
Headquarters: Indianapolis, IN
Skills: organic chemistry, pharmaceutical manufacturing, pathology
Job titles: sales manager, process engineer, clinical research director
Eli Lilly announced in January a $3.5 billion investment in pharmaceutical manufacturing in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. The company expects the project to create 850 jobs over the next five years.
No. 25 - Procter & Gamble
Manufacturing
Headquarters: Cincinnati, OH
Skills: chemical processing, materials science, scientific computing
Job titles: process engineer, account executive, brand manager
Last June, the maker of Tide detergent and Pampers diapers said it would cut up to 7,000 jobs over the next two years, representing 6% of the company’s global workforce.
No. 26 - Siemens
Automation machinery manufacturing
Headquarters: Munich, Germany
Skills: electronic control systems, power systems, fluid mechanics
Job titles: project manager, software engineer, account executive
Siemens announced this month that it reached $1 billion in U.S. manufacturing investments over the past five years. The company expects these projects to come online throughout 2026 and introduce more than 2,200 jobs by 2028.
No. 27 - Caterpillar
Machinery manufacturing
Headquarters: Irving, TX
Skills: fluid mechanics, scientific computing, electronic control systems
Job titles: manufacturing engineer, software engineer, project manager
Caterpillar announced in January an expanded collaboration with Nvidia to support innovation through AI-enhanced solutions and manufacturing systems.
No. 29 - Lockheed Martin
Defense and space manufacturing
Headquarters: Bethesda, MD
Skills: aerospace engineering, aircraft management, fluid mechanics
Job titles: software engineer, system engineer, manufacturing engineer
In March, Lockheed Martin opened its Rapid Fielding Center facility to streamline the end-to-end development, testing and prototype production of systems and solutions for U.S. government customers.
No. 30 - Roche
Biotechnology research
Headquarters: Switzerland
Skills: genetic engineering, pathology, pharmaceutical manufacturing
Job titles: project manager, clinical affairs manager, software engineer
Roche is the parent company of medicine maker Genentech, which, in January, announced an expansion to its manufacturing facility in Holly Springs, North Carolina. The company expects the project to create 100 jobs and support over 500 manufacturing positions.
No. 33 - General Motors
Motor vehicle manufacturing
Headquarters: Detroit, MI
Skills: electronic control systems, fluid mechanics, scientific computing
Job titles: software engineer, manufacturing engineer, automotive engineer
Last month, GM revealed a combined $830 million investment to strengthen three propulsion sites across its U.S. manufacturing footprint. The automaker has also reportedly been approached by the Trump administration about supporting the U.S. military equipment supply chain.
No. 34 - Ford
Motor vehicle manufacturing
Headquarters: Dearborn, MI
Skills: electronic control systems, scientific computing, fluid mechanics
Job titles: software engineer, manufacturing engineer, design engineer
Ford’s Q1 financial results showed a 6% uptick in revenue to $43.3 billion and a $1.3 billion one-time IEEPA tariff benefit for tariffs paid from March 2025 to February 2026. Like GM, the automaker was also reportedly contacted by the Trump administration about helping with the military equipment supply chain.
No. 37 - Boeing
Aviation and aerospace
Headquarters: Arlington, VA
Skills: aerospace engineering, aircraft management, fluid mechanics
Job titles: manufacturing engineer, software engineer, system engineer
Boeing and its Millennium Space Systems subsidiary said last month it plans to expand space production capacity and broaden its satellite portfolio to help government and commercial customers.
No. 41 - Abbott
Hospitals and health care
Headquarters: Abbott Park, IL
Skills: biomedical engineering, pharmaceutical manufacturing, product testing
Job titles: manufacturing engineer, account manager, software engineer
Abbott recently received FDA clearance and CE Mark for its Ultreon 3.0 Software, an AI-powered imaging platform that uses optical coherence tomography to give doctors real-time planning guidance while they perform minimally invasive procedures.
No. 43 - AkzoNobel
Paint, coating and adhesive manufacturing
Headquarters: Amsterdam, Netherlands
Skills: chemical processing, materials science, product testing
Job titles: account manager, sales manager, technical service representative
Last year, AkzoNobel began using industrial residue as a more sustainable raw material for making paint.
No. 45 - Nvidia
Computer hardware manufacturing
Headquarters: Santa Clara, CA
Skills: signal processing, scientific computing, AI engineering
Job titles: software engineer, system engineer, design engineer
Nvidia showcased examples of AI-driven manufacturing at Hannover Messe 2026, from agentic design and engineering to simulation and humanoid robots operating in factories.
No. 46 - Stellantis
Motor vehicle manufacturing
Headquarters: Netherlands
Skills: aerospace engineering, electronic control systems, fluid mechanics
Job titles: manufacturing engineer, automotive engineer, maintenance engineer
Stellantis and Microsoft in April announced a five-year collaboration to accelerate the automaker’s digital transformation through the co-development of advanced AI, cybersecurity and engineering capabilities.
No. 48 - RTX
Aviation and aerospace component manufacturing
Headquarters: Arlington, VA
Skills: aerospace engineering, scientific computing, fluid mechanics
Job titles: system engineer, software engineer, program manager
In January, the FAA said RTX and Spanish firm Indra would help replace the U.S.’s radar systems by the summer of 2028. The multibillion-dollar overhaul of the nation’s air traffic control system includes 612 radar systems nationwide that date back to the 1980s.
No. 49 - Lear Corporation
Motor vehicle manufacturing
Headquarters: Southfield, MI
Skills: electronic control systems, robotics, manufacturing operations
Job titles: manufacturing engineer, quality assurance manager, maintenance engineer
Lear reported a Q1 2026 revenue of $5.8 billion, a 5% increase compared to Q1 2025.
LinkedIn used its own data to rank companies based on several factors, including promotions, skills growth, attrition, diversity and educational background. Eligible companies had at least 5,000 global employees and at least 500 in the U.S. To view the full list, click here.
