Top Employers in the San Francisco Bay Area
While it’s no secret that the Bay Area’s climbing job market is one of the country’s richest destinations for MBAs, recent news from global consulting firm A.T. Kearney only strengthens this fact. San Francisco recently received the title of the world’s leading international city, in a tie with London.
Poised at the forefront of the United States’ knowledge-based economy, the top employers in the San Francisco Bay Area offer a wide landscape of opportunity for those who wish to put their MBA degrees to work.
Top Employers in the San Francisco Bay Area
Healthcare
At the head of the list is Kaiser Permanente (KP), the country’s leading non-profit health plan. For those with a finance, sales or marketing background, Kaiser offers connections with area universities that connect students with internships and permanent or contract jobs. As of 2015, KP employed over 30,000 residents in the Bay Area.
CEO Bernard Tyson, who received his master of business in health service administration from Golden Gate University, has led the organization in becoming the region’s leader.
Stanford Healthcare, which in 2015 employed close to 9,000 Bay Area residents, also provides MBAs with opportunities in healthcare administration or technology applications. Interim CEO and President Mariann Byerwalter received an undergrad degree from Stanford in economics, political science and public policy and her masters from Harvard Business School.
Along with its healthcare organization, Stanford University itself employs over 11,000 people in the region. Described on its employment site as a “small city of staff members who contribute to every aspect of this world-changing enterprise” Stanford provides opportunities for MBA grads ranging from finance, to research, to professorships in each of the university’s schools.
UC Berkeley also leads the fray of top regional workplaces, with a wealth of opportunities in similar fields. The school is frequently in search of MBAs with specialties in social enterprise, public policy and finance. Over 20,000 Bay Area residents currently hold jobs at UC Berkeley.
Technology
A recent article pointed out a reality that is true not only of the Bay Area, but of the country at large – “Fewer… people are working in factories and other production facilities, in stores, on building projects, in banks and mortgage offices… Instead, many more are working in the ‘softer’ side of [tech].”
Globant is a prime example of one of the Bay Area’s most innovative software companies, which also has an international presence. With current opportunities for analysts and MBAs with a tech specialty, Globant is definitive of San Francisco’s ‘soft tech’ boom.
The list of employers in this area would be incomplete without mention of Oracle, whose ranks contain over 6,000 Bay Area Residents. MBAs who are driven by standards of “extreme performance” as the tech giant’s site describes its environment, can find a home there. The options available for those who have specialized in information sciences during their MBA training are endless here.
Oracle also recently acquired Opower, which provides utility companies with energy efficiency cloud services. A hallmark of Opower is their consciousness of sustainable solutions, making it an appealing option for MBAs who have specialized in social enterprise/impact, public policy, or technology management. Already a major employer for Bay Area residents, the acquisition by Oracle makes Opower all the more appealing for those who are embarking on either a new or a pivoted career.
Hospitality
For MBAs with a specialty in hospitality management, San Francisco provides a haven of opportunity. According to Greg Smith, EVP at Commune Hotels, the city has “moved past traditional ideas of diversity… people come to [the area] for all kinds of reasons. Whether you want to be on the forefront of technology or hospitality… people are attracted to the area because it encourages them to think about things in different ways.” Commune is the parent company of Joie De Vivre Hotels and Resorts, Alila Destinations, Thompson Hotels, Tommie, and the Chicago Athletic Clubs.
About the Author
Maggie Boccella
Maggie Boccella, a lifelong resident of Philadelphia, is a freelance writer, artist and photographer. She has consulted on various film and multimedia projects, and she also serves as a juror for the city's annual LGBTQIA Film Festival.
