Portland, the largest city in Oregon, is also known as the Silicon Forest because of the high-tech companies located in its metropolitan area.
Portland has a generous community, and people are always there to help you in your personal and professional lives. The city also has a great public transportation system; the light rail and bus services are available almost anywhere throughout the city.
The Portland area has lush green mountains and is known to be a favorite place for hikers and bikers. There are also many waterfalls and beaches to unwind on weekends and enjoy a trip with family and friends.
This Silicon Forest is home to many high-tech companies that are spread across the industrial corridor between Beaverton and Hillsboro in northwest Oregon.
Here is a list of the seven best tech companies in Portland, Oregon:
- Autodesk
- Zapproved
- Vernier Software & Technology
- Slalom LLC
- Ruby Receptionists
- Genentech
- Express Employment Professionals
Let’s take a deeper look at these technology companies and their ratings, perks and employee benefits.
Autodesk
Autodesk Inc. is a computer software company that offers design software services for the architecture, engineering, construction, digital media, and entertainment industries. The company provides creative solutions for designers and businesses through a wide range of advanced products and services.
In December 2019, Autodesk was ranked #13 on InHerSight’s The 20 Best Places to Work in Portland, OR, as rated by the Women Who Work There.
Furthermore, Autodesk has great wellness initiatives, telecommute benefits, competitive compensation programs, health insurance, and 401k. Other perks include wellness reimbursement programs, paid volunteer time, donation matching, and adoption assistance.
Zapproved
Zapproved is another big tech company in Oregon. Approved develops and provides cloud-based e-discovery software to mitigate corporate risk for legal and compliance teams. It allows legal teams to have more agency, autonomy, and control. Zapproved is Type 2 certified, and it has a high rating for data security.
Zapproved was rated #18 on Oregon’s Business’ The 2019 100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon.
On top of that, some of the employee perks at Zapproved include monthly lunches, free food, and unlimited paid time off (Take What You Need (TWYN) approach to time off to be used for sick, personal, or vacation.)
Zapproved also covers 100% of the employee premium and 50% of the employee dependent’s premium for insurance, provides 401k matching, Flexible Savings Account (FSA), Health Savings Account (HSA), gym membership, and flexible work environment.
Vernier Software & Technology
The Portland tech company Vernier Software & Technology develops and produces affordable and easy to use data-acquisition products. Vernier uses computer and sensor technology called “probeware” for classrooms and lab experiments to teach students and scientists how to collect, analyze, and interpret scientific data.
Vernier won two ‘Tech & Learning’ TCEA 2019 Best of Show Awards for two of the company’s downloadable activity modules. What’s more, Vernier ranked #19 on The 2019 100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon and was included in the category of “Healthiest Employees” in Portland Business Journal.
Additionally, Vernier offers 100% health and dental insurance premiums for its full-time employees and their families. On top of that, Vernier covers its employees’ life insurance, disability insurance, and vision expense reimbursement. Tuition assistance of up to $5,250 per year is also available for employees.
Employees at Vernier get 30 days of paid sabbatical after seven years of employment at the company. In addition, the company sets aside four hours each month for volunteering activities to give back to the community.
Slalom LLC
Slalom is a modern business and technology consulting firm. It helps companies solve business and technology problems through services like design, engineering, business advisory, customer experience, and analytics.
Slalom ranked #31 on The 2019 100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon and #14 on Glassdoor’s 2019 Best Places to Work in Portland, Oregon.
Furthermore, Slalom employees benefit from training, mentoring and coaching, and support throughout their careers. They enjoy various perks including tuition and certification reimbursement, remote work opportunities, and legal assistance.
Ruby Receptionists
Ruby Receptionists is a telecommunications company based in Portland, Oregon. The company offers virtual receptionist services, which give about 16 hours of phone coverage per day for businesses. This feature allows business owners to use virtual assistants for customer calls during workdays. With Ruby Receptionists, companies don’t have to worry about losing customers because of high volume or unavailability. Ruby’s virtual receptionists answer all of the company’s incoming business hour phone calls.
Ruby Receptionists has been certified by Great Place to Work, with over 81% of employees at Ruby Receptionists saying they love working there. The company was also ranked #8 on InHerSight’s The 20 Best Places to Work in Portland, OR.
Ruby Receptionists is known for its female representation in leadership and management positions. It offers an on-site psychologist who makes sure the employees stay happy, motivated, and positive. The company offers 401k matching, health benefits, and paid time off as well.
Additionally, Ruby Corps—the company’s volunteer group—encourages employees to support volunteer opportunities, donation drives, and financial support.
Genentech
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Genentech Inc. is a biotechnology company. Its research focuses on discovering and developing medicines for people with debilitating and life-threatening diseases.
Most notably, Genentech Inc. was ranked #17 on InHerSight’s The 20 Best Places to Work in Portland, OR, as Rated by the Women Who Work There (December 2019).
The company offers paid time off, maternity and adoptive leave, Flexible Savings Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA), commuter benefits (BART, Caltrain, Genenbuses) and 18 days of paid vacation. In addition, employees who work for the company for six years are eligible for six continuous weeks off with full pay and benefits.
Genentech employees are also eligible for free counseling, financial, and legal advice, and tuition assistance programs (up to $10,000 per year).
Employees get access to fitness through “Hub,” where employees can work out for free. Genentech offers on-site cafeterias, carwash, and bike-repair facilities, as well as a private room for nursing mothers. Employees are also eligible for discounts at local area museums and attractions. An on-site dental van provides full dental service care to employees.
Express Employment Professionals
Founded in 1983, Express Employment Professionals provides staffing services across the U.S., Canada, and South Africa. Express helps job seekers find work opportunities that match their skills and helps businesses/employers find qualified employees.
Express Employment Professionals was rated #11 on The 2019 100 Best Companies to Work For in Oregon.
The company offers competitive pay, generous paid time off, life insurance, prescription drug reimbursement, a scholarship program, and referral bonuses.
Conclusion
If you’re looking for a great tech job opportunity in Portland’s gorgeous Silicon Forest, look no further. These cutting edge and innovative companies offer great perks and wonderful employee benefits.
About us: Career Karma is a platform designed to help job seekers find, research, and connect with job training programs to advance their careers. Learn about the CK publication.