What is the Best FAANG Company to Work At?

FAANG, as you may know, is the popular acronym for well-known and profitable tech companies:  Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, and Google.

And for those interested in the tech industry, landing a job at a FAANG company can be a top professional achievement and goal. Plus, these companies typically offer higher salaries and other perks.

But should you want to work for any of these tech companies? Which FAANG company is the best to work at? Do any offer remote work flexibility? Let’s explore this and more below!

Do FAANG Companies Offer Remote Jobs?

When it comes to FAANG companies, most people know of their insanely cool in-office designs and perks. As well as some of the innovative projects these unicorn companies work on. 

But not all exactly love the remote work concept. 

Apple and Netflix, for example, have pushed more employees to come back to the office. Which, they do have the right to request employees return. 

However, does that mean remote employees want to return? Well not so much, people love flexible working and have proven their job can be done outside the office. 

Now, Facebook is more remote-friendly with jobs where you can work from home. Even Google has a few different job categories where you can work remotely (with some stipulations). 

So there are remote job options within FAANG companies, but make sure you carefully read job listings and research the leaders' views on the subject. 

Working at a FAANG Company

You might be wondering more about working at a FAANG company. The best thing you can do before applying to any jobs (or remote jobs) is to do your research.

Read reviews from employees, and industry reports, and keep tabs on recent news about them. 

I used Comparably below for some insights and each company's career page. But you can also look at salary websites, Glassdoor, and more.

Facebook/Meta

Facebook – now known as Meta – is one of the largest social media platforms in the world. It’s also a company many in tech strive to land a job at. While the company pays well for most job categories, typically engineers are some of the highest paid. 

But is Facebook/Meta a good FAANG company? 

• Employee rating: A+ Work Culture Score on Comparably, according to employees who have provided insights and reviews of Facebook/Meta. 
• Salary Range: $50k - $350k+
• Remote Work Options: Meta follows a hybrid work model currently with many remote options, but also plenty of in-office jobs too. You can take a look at their career page to find remote jobs.
• Work-Life Balance: Overall Meta scores well as a company to work at on Glassdoor, but work-life balance comes into question. Some state that the work can be intense and work expectations are high. But even then, many of the reviews are fairly positive, with 80%+ of reviews mentioning they would recommend the company to a friend. 

Apple

Apple has teetered on being the most valuable company in the world but still ranks at the top. I am certainly a fan of Apple products like their phones and laptops.

Since the tech company likes to be at the cusp of innovation and being different, it tends to be a sought-after company as a place to work.  

But is Apple a good FAANG company? 

• Employee rating: B+ Work Culture Score on Comparably, according to employees who have provided insights and reviews of Apple. 
• Salary Range: $40k - $350k+
• Remote Work Options: Apple had gone remote during the pandemic, but now has a more firm stance on coming back to the office. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like they will be considering a hybrid model at this time. I’ll keep an eye on the Apple careers page, but remote positions are not an option currently. There are a few that are working as a Home Advisor, where you can work from home. But overly remote jobs at Apple aren’t looking too promising right now.
• Work-Life Balance: Generally, people seem to love working for Apple and enjoy the great benefits. However, the work-life balance did pop up as a con in quite a few reviews. Essentially, saying there is no good balance and that leadership talks about correcting it, but has not so far. From reading through, I think this challenge is department specific as others have said it’s more laid back. And just over 80% would still recommend the company to a friend. 

Amazon

I don’t think anyone would disagree that Amazon has taken over the world. From being an online bookseller to now being the most well-known online retailer and dabbling in other ventures, Amazon is here to stay.

And it also makes it attractive to job seekers, knowing how profitable and how many people use the company's products. 

But is Amazon a good FAANG company?

• Employee Rating: B+ Work Culture Score on Comparably, according to employees who have provided insights and reviews of Amazon. 
• Salary Range: $30k - $400k+
• Remote Work Options: Amazon also offers a plethora of virtual and work-from-home jobs, but overall the company follows the hybrid model of work. The good news is there are plenty of options for flexible work arrangements if Amazon is an interesting FAANG company you’d like to work at. Take a look at Amazon’s career page to find remote jobs. 
• Work-Life Balance: Amazon’s work-life balance can also potentially use some work, according to employees on Glassdoor. There have been some statements around expectations of more work, without more pay, and some long hours. You may have even read about some of their factory conditions as well in the news over recent years. Currently, only 70%+ would recommend Amazon to a friend according to employee reviews on Glassdoor. 

Netflix

From a DVD rental service to a streaming giant that many around the world use, Netflix has become a popular brand people want to work at. More recently the company has been in the news for its stance on getting people back to the office and some stalling in their user growth. 

But is Netflix a good FAANG company?

• Employee Rating: A+ Work Culture Score on Comparably, according to employees who have provided insights and reviews of Netflix. 
• Salary range: $40k - $400k+
• Remote Work Options: Unfortunately, Netflix does not have an overly positive view of remote work. The founder Reed Hastings is clearly not a fan and prefers people to be back in the office. However, looking at the Netflix career page, you will find a few remote jobs scattered throughout. I’ve come across some remote contracting roles and some on the IT side. 
• Work-Life Balance: Generally, employees agree that Netflix has great benefits and a good work culture overall. And there are more positive things to say about the work-life balance at Netflix than negative. However, being a large company still presents challenges and there are times when a positive work-life balance has come into question. Currently, 85% of employee reviews would recommend Netflix to a friend. 

Google/Alphabet

Google (or Alphabet as the parent company is called) is the largest search engine on the internet. But the tech company is innovative in many other areas and products. They've been known for having some of the best in-office designs, perks for employees, and generally having a fun work culture.

The search engine giant has long been the top dream destination for software engineers all over the world. Hailed as one of the first adopters of the fun, laid-back Silicon Valley working environment, does the employee experience at Google still hold up today?

But is Google a good FAANG company?

• Employee Rating: A+ Work Culture Score on Comparably, according to employees who have provided insights and reviews of Google/Alphabet. 
• Salary Range: $70k - $450k
• Remote Work Options: Like the other FAANG companies, Google is not fully-remote but they do offer roles where you can work virtually. I’d say Google follows the hybrid approach, but the majority of their open jobs are in their office locations. However, when I was searching on the Google Career site, I did find a nice chunk of “remote eligible” jobs. Most remote options fell in the software, product, and security categories. 
• Work-Life Balance: Google also has strong support from employees who enjoy working for the tech giant. The work-life balance also appears to be a big mix and depends on what job function you are in. Some rated it very positive, others have been feeling burnout. As of writing this, 90% of reviews from employees would recommend Google to a friend as a place to work. 

Which FAANG Company Pays the Most?

In the most recent averages, Netflix currently pays the most. However, all of the FAANG companies tend to pay well, which is usually a combination of a high salary, stock options, and even bonuses. The amount will depend on experience, job category, and even your educational background. 

Here are the average annual compensation packages for each:

• Facebook: Average Annual Total Compensation is $314k
• Apple: Average Annual Total Compensation is $276k
• Amazon: Average Annual Total Compensation is $234k
• Netflix: Average Annual Total Compensation is $428k
• Google: Average Annual Total Compensation is $265k

Which FAANG is Easiest to Get Into?

Amazon and Apple are typically the easier two companies from FAANG to land a job at. However, it also depends on the job field you are in and your experience level. On the opposite side of the general research available online, you’ll find that Google is probably the hardest FAANG company to get hired at.

Overall, What is The Best FAANG Company to Work At?

Of all the FAANG companies, Google has the better rating among employees across various research websites, offers remote jobs and other flexible work options, and tends to have a better work-life balance than the others currently. 

While Google may not have the highest average salary, they make up for it in other areas. Think benefits, great vacation policies, stock options, etc. 

Yet, the others in FAANG do have many employee advocates and loyalists too, but overall Google and Netflix tend to get the most support overall. We’ll see if the others will catch up over the next few years.

One area that was a bit disappointing, was around remote work. Although most FAANG companies like to remain innovative on tech, some still stall when it comes to their views on working from home.

Alternatives to Working at FAANG

While FAANG companies will typically get you higher salaries and some resume prestige, it may not be the best option for you. 

Yes, even though some are remote-friendly, the office culture these tech companies have built is not going away anytime soon. Additionally, there is still no guarantee of a good work-life balance, pending your job position you are in at a FAANG Company. 

But if tech is still interesting to you, take a look at other software (SaaS) companies that offer remote jobs or even companies with 4-day workweeks. You may find a much better work-life balance, great salaries, and awesome job benefits.