Columbia and Tysons; 128 employees
Whether they’re creating an app to assist first responders or technology to help law enforcement find human traffickers, employees at this software-engineering firm say they’re proud to do work that can save lives. For its part, Next Century offers fully paid health-care premiums, 22 to 27 days of paid time off, career coaching, and year-end bonuses personally handed out by the firm’s leaders.
Perk: Referral bonuses that can amount to $15,000.