Johns Hopkins APL Named a Glassdoor Top 100 Best Place to Work for Fourth Consecutive Year

For the fourth consecutive year, the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) in Laurel, Maryland, was honored with a Glassdoor Employees’ Choice Award as one of the top 100 Best Places to Work among large U.S. companies. The award is based entirely on insights and feedback shared by employees through voluntary and anonymous reviews about their work environments. This year, APL ranked 34th on the list, marking its fourth year in a row as a top-50 selection from among the more than 10,000 large companies tracked by Glassdoor. Of note, the Laboratory scored particularly high in work/life balance, culture and values, and career opportunities. As in 2023 and 2024, the Lab was again the top-ranked defense and space organization.

“We have focused on nurturing a dynamic and creative workplace and culture where our amazing staff can create game-changing innovations for the nation,” said APL Director Ralph Semmel. “Awards like this are a testament to the passion and commitment of our staff as we focus on delivering critical contributions to many of the nation’s most complex challenges.”

“This honor highlights the incredible dedication and contributions of our staff, who continue to share their experiences and perspectives with us,” said Kristine Frohman, head of APL’s Talent Services Department. “With their help, we continually strive to foster a work environment that is supportive and empowers all of our people to engage creatively to solve extraordinarily difficult problems.”

When employees post reviews about their workplaces on Glassdoor, they evaluate their overall satisfaction with and rate various aspects of their work environment. These attributes include career growth opportunities, compensation and benefits, company culture and values, staff engagement efforts, leadership and work-life balance.

To qualify for the large-company list, employers must receive at least 75 ratings across nine workplace factors during the yearlong eligibility period. Glassdoor uses a proprietary algorithm to analyze the reviews, and considers their quality, quantity and consistency to determine the final rankings.