For many, landing a job at Google is a dream come true, kind of like winning the ticket to Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Except that instead of chocolate rivers and oompa loompas dancing and singing like you’re on some kind of bad acid trip, you get to take mid-day naps in dedicated sleeping pods. When you’re awake and refreshed, you get to go down a slide like you’re a kid again before heading off for your free gourmet meal. That sounds way more fun than working in some lousy spaceship (Sorry, Apple.)
That being said, as fun as it might seem to work for Google, not all Google offices were created equal. In fact, some locations might make you a happier Googler than others.
A recent study by Switch On Business analyzed Glassdoor employee reviews from January 2023 to October 2024 to find out which Google offices have the best employee satisfaction. As it turns out, even at Google’s “worst” office, employees are still rating it higher than almost every Amazon location.
Google employee satisfaction
If you’re looking for the happiest Google employees, it’s time to pack your bags and move to Illinois, unless you’re already living there. This is because the state scored an impressive 4.52 out of 5. Who says you can’t have your deep-dish pizza and eat it too?
If deep-dish pizza isn’t your thing and Philly cheesestakes are, Pennsylvania could be a good choice. The state came in a close second, scoring a 4.48 out of 5. Tied for third are Maryland and New York with a score of 4.39 out of 5. This might be perfect if you thought your subway rides could do with the addition of questionable individuals and buskers. Texas rounds out the top five with a decent score of 4.35 out of 5. We suppose not everything is necessarily bigger in Texas.
If we’re breaking this down further into cities, Illinois once again steals the spotlight, with Chicago scoring an impressive 4.54 out of 5 rating. Go Cubs! San Francisco comes in second at 4.42. It looks like despite the astronomical prices of rent, many think it’s worth paying just to live in the heart of Silicon Valley.
Dallas sneaks into third place at 4.41 out of 5. If you’ve ever wanted to wear a cowboy hat without getting weird looks, this could be your chance. Tied at fourth place are San Jose and California City with a score of 4.4.
So maybe you’re a masochist, and you’re wondering where the least happy Google employees work. Maybe you’re just curious as to how bad can it be. The answer to that million-dollar question is Virginia, which scored 4.03 out of 5. However, 4.03 out of 5 is still pretty good.
This is because compared to Amazon, where some locations barely scrape past 3.17 out of 5, you would still eat at a restaurant that scored a 4.03 out of 5 if you were checking Yelp reviews. Unfortunately, the study doesn’t really tell us why some Google offices have a higher employee satisfaction rating than others, or why Virginia has come in last.
Not feeling Google?
Maybe Google isn’t your cup of tea. Maybe you’re more of an Apple person, a Microsoft loyalist, or an Amazon warrior. Switch On Business has analyzed the numbers for these other tech giants so these might be worth checking out if you’re looking for their best locations.
For those who can’t wait to don a black turtleneck and blue jeans, Apple’s Palo Alto office takes the crown as the best location to work, boasting a solid 4.48 out of 5 rating.
If you’re hoping to be the next Bill Gates and want to cut your teeth at Microsoft, the company’s Los Angeles location scored a 4.52 out of 5 rating.
If maybe you think that Amazon is where you belong, the company’s ratings are a mixed bag and have the widest discrepancies. The worst Amazon office you could work at is at Buena Park. It scored a dismal painful 2.73 out of 5 among employees. As for the best, you’ll have to head to Herndon which scored a respectable 4.24 out of 5. However, even then Amazon’s best doesn’t even make Apple, Microsoft, or Google’s top five. That’s a red flag if we ever saw one.
Your mileage may vary
These rankings give us a glimpse into where Googlers are happiest and which Google office has the highest employee satisfaction, at least based on their ratings, but does that mean you should start uprooting your life in Virginia and start hitch-hiking your way to Illinois? Hardly! A higher overall satisfaction rating might hint at better perks, a good office culture, or a thriving local tech scene. At the end of the day, your personal experience will boil down to individual factors that employee ratings might not be able to take into account.
For starters, we can talk about work culture. There are some people who seem to thrive better in fast-paced and more competitive work cultures, where every day feels like it’s going to be ride or die. Maybe they enjoy the adrenaline rush. Others prefer a chill atmosphere where no one expects you to answer emails or Slack messages after 8 pm.
Next, management also plays a big role in affecting employee happiness and satisfaction. You could be drawing an amazing salary and enjoying incredible dental perks that let you get new braces every month. But if you have a boss who loves micromanaging every little aspect of your work life and expects you to reply to emails at 2 am, maybe having crooked teeth ain’t so bad.
Also, you have to factor in the department you’ll be working in. Maybe some teams get along better than others. So digging further into the reviews and checking who’s posting them is important.
You also have to take into consideration the cost of living. Getting paid $100,000 a year sounds amazing, and no one in their right mind would refuse that kind of salary. However, $100,000 can quickly become a lot smaller. Especially if you live in a high-income tax state such as California, versus Florida, especially if you plan on eating smashed avocado toasties for breakfast every day.
To quote Lord Harold Samuel, location, location, location!
