Mayo Clinic, Northwell Health and Stryker stand apart in healthcare for delivering consistently strong career outcomes, from early advancement to long-term retention and pay, according to the 2026 “Where You Work Matters” list.
The three organizations are among just 22 U.S. employers — and the only three in the healthcare industry — to earn top “platinum” rankings across all three career stages on the list, published by the Burning Glass Institute and Schultz Family Foundation.
The list analyzed 1,750 large U.S. employers between 2019 and 2024, tracking about 12 million workers while excluding those in federal and military jobs. It evaluated how organizations perform across key workforce measures, including internal promotion, wages, retention and access to entry-level roles.
Employers are evaluated across three categories: early career jobs, which provide skills and pathways for advancement; growth jobs, which support upward mobility internally and externally; and stability jobs, which offer competitive pay and strong retention.
The list is assembled using data from dozens of sources, including profiles and resumes uploaded to career sites such as LinkedIn and pay data from sites such as Glassdoor. The list does not rely on data provided by the organizations, and companies cannot opt out. Learn more about the methodology here.
Only the top 20% of companies in each category receive platinum status. Rochester, Minn.-based Mayo Clinic, New Hyde Park, N.Y.-based Northwell Health and Kalamazoo, Mich.-based Stryker were among the small group of organizations that ranked at the top across all three, The Wall Street Journal reported March 24.
Workers at top-performing companies see measurable advantages, according to the Journal. The median pay for registered nurses working at a top-rated company is $97,258 — 31% more than peers at an unranked company. Registered nurses at top-performing companies also are 43% more likely to get a promotion within five years and 21% more likely to stay at least three years.
The findings come as health systems intensify efforts to stabilize and grow their workforces. Financial pressures and persistent burnout — with about 1 in 4 healthcare workers considering leaving the field — have pushed leaders to focus on career pathways, compensation and culture.
Northwell President and CEO John D’Angelo, MD, told Becker’s in February that each role within its 106,000-person workforce presents challenges in 2026. The system is undergoing its Epic EHR rollout and engaging in large-scale training for the workforce.
“This demands a dual investment: not only in essential technological training to empower our teams with the most advanced tools, but equally important, in cultivating the next generation of leaders who will passionately carry our mission forward,” Dr. D’Angelo said. “We rely on our leaders across the health system to actively seek new ways to inspire our employees, strategically recruit new talent and build a cohesive team deeply rooted in our culture of care.”
Prathibha Varkey, MD, president of Mayo Clinic Health System, told Becker’s in January that cultural transformation has led to improvements in quality, safety, financial performance and workforce outcomes, such as year-over-year gains in recruitment and retention.
“It has been really inspiring to see how our teams have come together to share resources and expertise, as well as make tough decisions and drive transformation,” Dr. Varkey said.
The post Promotion, pay and longevity: How Mayo Clinic, Northwell and Stryker became healthcare’s career standouts appeared first on Becker's Hospital Review | Healthcare News & Analysis.
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