The best credit unions to work for in 2026

• Key insight: In 2026, 70 credit unions made it onto American Banker's annual ranking of the best places to work.
• Supporting data: At the winning credit unions, 89% of workers had positive feelings about their work environment.
• What's at stake: At a time when many Americans are dissatisfied with their jobs, credit unions continue to get high marks from the people on their payrolls.

Americans don't feel great about work these days. At the end of 2025, more than half of U.S. workers wanted to leave their jobs, according to one recent Gallup poll.

But at credit unions, the vibe is different. According to surveys by American Banker and the consulting firm Best Companies Group, credit-union employees across the country are quite happy with their employers. 

They describe a culture of shared purpose and community. They appreciate their companies' leadership, communications and pay. They enjoy benefits ranging from the practical, such as generous 401(k) matches and tuition reimbursement, to the quirky, like therapy dogs and shuffleboard tournaments.

But not all credit unions are on equal footing. Every year, we rank these lenders in terms of how they rate as workplaces. This year there were 70 winners, located all over the country and ranging in size from less than 30 workers to more than 3,000. 

We judged these credit unions based on two questionnaires: one of the employers and another of the employees. The first survey asked credit-union executives about their workplace policies, practices, philosophy, systems and demographics. The second asked workers a wide range of questions about their own experience, from their training to their vision insurance. 

The results were striking. At the 70 winning companies, 87% of employees approved of their employers' leadership and planning; 89% had positive feelings about their work environment; and 91% said they had good relationships with their supervisors.

Below is the full list of the best credit unions to work for in 2026. Asset sizes and employee headcounts were provided by the credit unions at the time they applied.