North Texas is quietly stacking up workplace bragging rights, with hospitals and corporate heavyweights across the region landing on Forbes’ latest rankings of America’s Best Employers. Children’s health systems, public hospitals, airlines and energy giants all earned spots, giving local workers one more data point when sizing up their next paycheck and badge swipe.
As reported by WFAA, Cook Children’s landed at No. 41 and JPS Health Network at No. 112 on Forbes’ list of 700 large employers. Forbes says its 2026 rankings were built from anonymous survey responses from more than 217,000 employees, along with additional data stretching over the past three years.
Hospitals And Health Systems Dominate Local Entries
Health care organizations did most of the heavy lifting for North Texas in the rankings. Fort Worth-based Cook Children’s runs a wide network of specialty facilities across the region, according to Cook Children’s, and Tarrant County’s public system, JPS Health Network, also made the cut. Texas Health Resources, which employs roughly 29,000 people in the area and is a regular on workplace recognition lists, appeared as well, a point the system highlights on its own site.
In a press release cited by WFAA, JPS CEO Matt Robbins credited staff for the repeat showing, saying that “being recognized yet again is a direct reflection of the passion and commitment to safety that our employees bring to work every day.”
Big Corporations And Midsize Winners
The story is not all scrubs and stethoscopes. On the corporate side, Forbes slotted Southwest Airlines at No. 111 and Atmos Energy at No. 95 on the large-employer list, with Toyota Motor North America landing in the middle of the national pack. Vizient, an Irving-based health services firm, broke into the top tier of midsize employers at No. 20.
Southwest employs roughly 72,450 people companywide, according to Southwest’s One Report, so a nudge in its reputation as an employer affects a lot of paychecks.
Why It Matters For North Texas Workers
The rankings are another reminder that North Texas remains a major employment hub. Corporate moves have reshaped the region in recent years, and Toyota’s decision to consolidate its North American operations in Plano still stands out as a marquee example, according to Toyota.
But the warm glow of a “best employer” badge has limits. Recognition did not spare Southwest from 2025 corporate layoffs, a round of cost-cutting that Newsweek reported hit the airline even as it appears on lists celebrating its workplace.
For jobseekers and current staff, the Forbes lists offer a snapshot of companies where employees report strong pay, training and culture, the core measures the ranking emphasizes. Local leaders say those national shout-outs can help with recruiting and keeping talent. Expect more press releases and social media victory laps as North Texas employers continue to respond to the new rankings.
