Company: Apple
Date: 2015-01-06
Overall rating: 5/5
Employment status: current

One of the best Silicon Valleys at present
Pros: Apple currently offers competitive salaries and benefits, interesting projects, smart colleagues and a comfortable workplace.

Of note is Apple's contribution to the 401(k) plan.  For the first two years, the maximum matching contribution is 3%, but increases to 4.5% after two years of tenure and to 6% after fives years of tenure.  Other employers such as Oracle and (before the Oracle acquisition) Sun offered only a 3% maximum matching contribution.  And the Apple matching contribution vests immediately, unlike for example HP where the matching contribution vests only after three long years; incredibly, HP will confiscate its matching contribution if you leave HP for any reason prior to three years.  Apple won't.

Also, Apple's medical insurance is top-notch, easily besting for example the medical insurance of HP.  With HP's lowest-deductible health plan, a $3,000 MRI will cost you $750 out of pocket ($500 deductible plus 10% of $3,000 less the $500 deductible) whereas with Apple the MRI will cost you nothing out of pocket.  Apple's medical insurance is among the best that I've seen in Silicon Valley, and rivals that of Oracle and Sun.
Cons: My only complaint is that Apple is hiring so rapidly into my department that we all have to share an office with another employee.  Perhaps when we move to the new "spaceship" campus I'll get a private office.