Average total pay: $116,291
For: Lead Information Systems Engineer*Best Companies rank: 42
A lot of brainy people work at this federally-chartered, non-profit research organization whose principal clients are the military services and other government agencies. MITRE invests in its employees by reimbursing tuition costs up to $20,000, offering cash awards for advanced degrees and encouraging volunteer work - 40 hours of paid time a year for employee volunteering.
MITRE's approach to compensation relies heavily on base salaries, which are competitive with other companies in its field. There are no bonuses or employee ownership. But the company proudly points out that the ratio between top and bottom earners is very narrow. The CEO makes only 12 times what the lowest-paid worker earns.
Last updated January 22 2008: 3:23 PM ET
