F ounded during the Great Depression, Navy Federal Credit Union was created by employees of the United States Navy who wanted to give veterans and their families pathways toward financial security. Today, nearly a century later, the member-owned non-profit is also a place where women have been empowered to grow their careers while having access to resources and support throughout a range of life phases, says Britton Bloch, the organization’s vice president of global talent, acquisition strategy and recruiting.

“[For] women, and particularly for working parents, caregivers, military spouses, and employees that are balancing multiple responsibilities,” says Bloch, the credit union offers a “combination of well-being, flexibility, financial security and career development.”

As proof of the organization’s investment in its female employees, Bloch cites the examples of women who’ve spent their careers at Navy Federal, rising through the ranks into senior positions. Chief operations officer Kara Cardona, for instance, started her journey at Navy Federal 25 years ago as a part-time teller while stationed with her family in Puerto Rico. “As a military spouse and mother, I found an organization that believed in me, invested in my growth and created opportunities I never imagined possible,” Cardona says. And this experience has not been unique to her. She says the organization’s commitment to its employees at every stage of life is very much built into its culture.

This dedication, along with comprehensive benefits, including adoption and surrogacy assistance, a pension and a 401(k) match at 7% helped Navy Federal Credit Union land at No. 5 on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Employers For Women 2026 .

This ninth-annual ranking, created in partnership with market research firm Statista , is based primarily on survey responses from more than 146,000 women working for companies that employ at least 1,000 people in the United States. Survey respondents were asked how likely they were to recommend their current—and previous—employers, and if they’d recommend any employers they knew through their industry or through family and friends who work there. Participants were also asked to rate their current employers in areas such as pay equity, career development, parental leave, work-life balance, benefits for childcare or eldercare, and the company’s handling of incidents related to sexual misconduct and discrimination. Responses from the last three years were considered. Additionally, Statista analysts researched the percentage of women in executive and board positions at each company.

To calculate each company’s ranking, the survey responses and data analysis were combined into a scoring system, with the more recent data from current employees weighted more heavily than information gathered in previous years or from employees with second-hand knowledge of the companies. Ultimately, the 700 companies with the highest scores made our final ranking.

Leading the list this year was Pacific Gas and Electric , followed by Johnson & Johnson in the No. 2 spot for the second straight year, Google at No. 3, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota at No. 4, and Navy Federal rounding out the top five.

According to Colleen Stuart, associate professor and co-director of the Gender & Work Initiative at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, a flexible work culture is key for caregivers, who are often women. “Caregivers directly benefit from flexibility because it allows them to stay employed full-time as opposed to working part-time and it’s associated with higher wages for women,” she says. “And this isn’t just important when you have small children. It’s also important when you’re caring for elders or you’re just trying to manage a household.”

Stuart adds that “all workers benefit from having a bit of flexibility in their schedule to be able to better integrate their lives and their jobs.” And not only does this flexibility benefit employees, studies show it also tends to impact the employer’s success. When employees have a workplace that can adjust to their needs, says Stuart, they take less paid leave, and retention increases, which ultimately benefits the bottom line.

Such commitment to a hybrid workplace with tailored benefits is also important to Mutual of Omaha (No. 11), says Earl Dudley, the insurance firm’s chief human resources officer, as is a consistent focus on equity. “We approach equity as an ongoing responsibility rather than a one-time initiative,” says Dudley. “We assess our programs, policies and practices to ensure they are fair, competitive and accessible.” The company also boasts executive listening sessions, asks for constant feedback from its associates and from employee resource groups (ERGs)—like their Women in Leadership group, which is the largest ERG at the company—and implements ongoing pay equity reviews to ensure employees are treated fairly.

At Progressive (No. 9), women also find themselves in a supportive culture that encourages open communication, says Lori Niederst, the insurer’s chief personal lines officer, who has been with the company for 28 years. Employees also enjoy such benefits as preventative medical care and an on-site clinic at Progressive’s headquarters in Mayfield Village, Ohio. One of the biggest benefits at Progressive, however, might be its emphasis on promoting from within, allowing women to develop into well-rounded leaders who have worked across various aspects of the business and can make decisions based on their institutional knowledge of the company’s business and core values, says Niederst.

Possibly due in part to this strategy of promoting from within the company, Niederst says she has “never felt the proverbial glass ceiling.” In fact, Progressive CEO Tricia Griffith contends that career paths at the insurer are often not linear, as evidenced by the fact that the executive team includes several former claims representatives, interns and product managers who were all able to learn different job functions and gain a fuller picture of the business.

As Niederst says: “By investing in our people, we’re investing in our business and creating a unique Progressive culture and career destination workplace.”

To find other employers that are investing in their employees and creating a supportive work culture for women, see our full list of America’s Best Employers For Women 2026 .

To create America’s Best Employers For Women 2026, Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to survey more than 146,000 women working for companies that employ at least 1,000 people in the United States. Survey respondents were asked how likely they were to recommend their current—and previous—employers, and if they’d recommend any employers they knew through their industry or through family and friends who work there. Participants were also asked to rate their current employers in areas such as pay equity, career development, parental leave, work-life balance, benefits for childcare or eldercare, and the company’s handling of incidents related to sexual misconduct and discrimination. Responses from the last three years were considered. Additionally, Statista analysts researched the percentage of women in executive and board positions at each company.

To calculate each company’s ranking, the survey responses and data analysis were combined into a scoring system, with the more recent data from current employees weighted more heavily than information gathered in previous years or from employees with second-hand knowledge of the companies. Ultimately, the 700 companies with the highest scores made our final ranking.

As with all Forbes lists, companies do not pay to participate or be selected. To read more about how we make these lists, click here . For questions about this list, please email listdesk [at] forbes.com.