April 20--Chicago-based management consulting firm A.T. Kearney has bested Silicon Valley tech firms for the top spot in Glassdoor's list of 25 Highest Paying Companies in America.
"That's a name we don't hear as much as Google or Facebook," said Scott Dobroski, community expert at the job review site, which released the ranking Wednesday.
A.T. Kearney offers a median total compensation of $167,534, according to Glassdoor.
Glassdoor's admittedly limited methodology was based on self-reported salaries posted to the site by employees over the past year. Companies qualified only if they received at least 50 salary reports from U.S. employees that also included "other forms of compensation" such as bonuses, tips and commissions in addition to base salary.
Because the site used median salary as a measure, companies with a lot of entry-level employees could have ranked lower.
Still, the data reveals several clear trends: that technology and consulting firms pay handsomely, and that they are searching for people with higher education and in-demand skills like data analysis for jobs that aren't easily replaced by automation, Dobroski said.
Asked to comment on the honor, an A.T. Kearney spokesperson said in a statement: "We provide competitive compensation to attract the best talent to meet the needs of our clients across the globe."
Here are the nation's five highest-paying companies, according to Glassdoor.
1. A.T. Kearney
Median total compensation: $167,534
Median base salary: $143,620
Industry: Consulting
Headquarters: Chicago
2. Strategy
Median total compensation: $160,000
Median base salary: $147,000
Industry: Consulting
Headquarters: New York
3. Juniper Networks
Median total compensation: $157,000
Median base salary: $135,000
Industry: Technology
Headquarters: Sunnyvale, Calif.
4. McKinsey Co.
Median total compensation: $155,000
Median base salary: $135,000
Industry: Consulting
Headquarters: Global.
5. Google
Median total compensation: $153,750
Median base salary: $123,331
Industry: Technology
Headquarters: Mountain View, Calif.
