California is the U.S. leader in tech employment, with an estimated 1.4 million workers. At least half of them are based in Silicon Valley, which is home to some of the biggest names in tech. The region opens the door for promising talent to make their mark on frontier advancements in AI, robotics and other fields. San Francisco is at the heart of this innovation, and the billions in venture capital flowing into startups each year coupled with a strong ecosystem of established enterprises have made it an attractive career destination.
Although the San Francisco metropolitan area sees some of the highest employment in the country for software development, this high-impact career choice is far from perfect. Demanding workloads exacerbated by tension with peers and managers, lack of autonomy and unrealistic project timelines can lead to burnout. In the high stakes, competitive environment of Silicon Valley, the risk of fatigue and disengagement at work is especially high.
To combat the stressors that contribute to job dissatisfaction, some companies are taking a more flexible approach to where and when their employees work and intentionally structuring benefits programs to make overall wellness and growth a top priority. For software engineers seeking Bay Area job opportunities, we’ve put together a list of companies aiming to make work-life balance a foundational pillar of their culture.
Companies With Great Work-Life Balance Hiring Software Engineers in SF
- Toast
- Salesforce
- Webflow
- Airwallex
- Datadog
- Qualtrics
- PagerDuty
- Udemy
Companies With Great Work-Life Balance Hiring Software Engineers in San Francisco
Founded: 1998
Industry: Software
Size: 10,001+ employees
How Google Supports Work-Life Balance:
- Hybrid work model
- On-site wellness centers
- Student loan reimbursement
- Four weeks to work from anywhere each year
Founded: 2013
Industry: Software, design, artificial intelligence
Size: 501 - 1,000 employees
How Webflow Supports Work-Life Balance:
- Remote-first work model
- Monthly stipend for wellness expenses
- 12 weeks of paid parental leave
- Quarterly refresh days
- Sabbatical after five years of employment
Employee perspective: “Remote-first allows for more time for the things that matter to employees. Not commuting to an office (unless you count walking to the spare room I work in) leaves so much time for things that fulfill my life outside of work, which then fuels the way I show up to work.” Lauren S., Business Recruiting
Founded: 2002
Industry: Artificial intelligence, software, business intelligence
Size: 5,001 - 10,000
How Qualtrics Supports Work-Life Balance:
- Hybrid work policy
- Two-week work from anywhere policy
- $300 quarterly wellness policy
- $1,800 annual experience bonus
- Five yearly wellness days
Employee perspective: “We prioritize making great experiences for our team members through flexible schedules, generous time off, and providing an experience bonus to all employees so that they can make their own memories and cultivate great experiences with their family and community.” Kate, Product Marketing Manager, Frontline CX Product Portfolio
Founded: 2010
Industry: HR tech, artificial intelligence
Size: 1,001 - 5,000 employees
How Udemy Supports Work-Life Balance:
- Free access to Udemy and Udemy Business
- Yearly professional development budget
- Free access to meditation and mindfulness content through Headspace
- Free coaching and therapy through Modern Health
- Access to financial planners through Origin
Employee perspective: “Udemy is the best place I have ever worked. Senior leadership’s transparency, candor, & commitment to the whole employee is palpable. My managers have been true coaches who want to support my personal growth & career development. Great culture!” Nicole, Customer Success Manager
Founded: 1999
Industry: Cloud, software
Size: 10,001+ employees
How Salesforce Supports Work-Life Balance:
- Paid parental leave and gradual return-to-work program
- Coaching via BetterUp
- Access to wellness platform Thrive
- Annual paid volunteer time
Founded: 2011
Industry: Food, fintech, software
Size: 1,001 - 5,000 employees
How Toast Supports Work-Life Balance:
- Hybrid work model
- Flexible PTO
- Wellness stipend
- Professional development reimbursement
- Paid parental and family medical leave
Employee perspective: “I have felt a ton of support from management to feel empowered to take control of my schedule to best support my family, while still working to be a leader within my team.” Sally MacDonnell, Senior Account Executive
Founded: 2009
Industry: Cloud, software, artificial intelligence
Size: 1,001 - 5,000 employees
How PagerDuty Supports Work-Life Balance:
- Flexible work schedule
- Mental health support through Headspace Care
- Free membership to the Calm app
- Family planning support through Cleo Baby
- 20 hours of paid volunteer time
Employee perspective: “The flexibility we have with our working hours is super important to me. I am a mom, so I want to be present for my daughter, and at the same time I want to be good at my work.” Suzan, People Ops Coordinator
Founded: 2010
Industry: Software, cloud, cybersecurity
Size: 1,001 - 5,000 employees
How Datadog Supports Work-Life Balance:
- Hybrid workplace
- Flexible PTO
- 10 free annual mental health appointments
- Paid gender-neutral parental leave
- Learning and development programs
Employee perspective: “Here, we mean it when we say we’re employee-focused. We want to make sure we focus on everything and have a truly inclusive environment that’s reflected in our benefits and fosters the needs of all people here.” Candice Hart, Benefits Manager
Founded: 2015
Industry: Fintech
Size: 1,001 - 5,000 employees
How Airwallex Supports Work-Life Balance:
- Hybrid work model
- Generous PTO that includes birthday and volunteer leave
- Access to coaching and therapy via Modern Health
- Regular engagement surveys to inform benefits offerings
Employee perspective: “At Airwallex, you’ll be joining a team where you will have opportunities to drive direct business outcomes and accelerate your professional growth.” Adrian Tham, Data Science Director
