Avera Named to Forbes' Best-In-State Employers 2026 for South Dakota

Avera Health has been named on the Forbes list of America’s Best-In-State Employers 2026 for South Dakota. Avera ranks third on the list and is the first ranking health care system.

This prestigious award is presented in collaboration with Statista, the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The award list was announced on Aug. 13, 2026, and can be viewed on Forbes website.

To create this eighth annual list, Forbes partnered with market research firm Statista to survey more than 245,000 employees who work for a company of at least 500 people within the United States. Survey respondents from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. were asked how likely they were to recommend their employer on a scale of zero to 10 and were asked to assess their workplace based on criteria including wages and benefits, management style, company reputation, flexibility and career advancement opportunities. Participants were also asked to evaluate their previous employers (within the last two years) and organizations they knew within their industry or through friends or family who work there.

Responses were then tallied and incorporated into a scoring system, along with survey data from the past three years. Greater weight was given to the more recent data and to the responses from current employees within the state. Companies that received the highest scores in each state made the final lists, with each state ranking between three and 101 employers, depending on the size of the state and the number of responses received.

Ultimately, 1,365 employers across the country landed on at least one of the final state lists, which produced a combined total of 2,499 rankings.

"We are honored to receive this recognition and are deeply proud of the incredible team we have built at Avera," said Jim Dover, FACHE, Avera President and CEO. "Our employees are dedicated to the mission of Avera. They want to be part of something bigger than themselves and contribute to the greater good. This creates a collaborative workplace culture as well as a caring and compassionate setting for achieving excellence in the care we deliver.”

This recognition reinforces that Avera continues to lead the industry for workplace excellence on a regional and statewide level.

For more information about Avera, visit Avera.org.