Fortune 500 Companies Headquartered in New Jersey: Why Global Businesses Choose to Invest Here

New Jersey is home to some of the world’s most recognizable companies — from global pharmaceutical and life sciences leaders to financial services, technology, food, and consumer brands.

For companies looking to grow, innovate, and compete in a global economy, New Jersey offers a combination that is difficult to match: access to world-class talent, proximity to major markets, a robust transportation network, and one of the nation’s strongest concentrations of research and innovation.

That’s why companies headquartered in New Jersey are helping drive industries, create jobs, and strengthen the state’s economy while competing in markets around the world.

Fortune 500 Companies Headquartered in New Jersey

A diverse group of major corporations, including 15 companies featured on the 2026 Fortune 500 list, is headquartered in New Jersey. Together, these companies represent a broad cross-section of the state’s economy.

The Fortune 500 companies headquartered in New Jersey are:

• Automatic Data Processing (ADP)
• Avis Budget Group
• Becton Dickinson
• Bristol Myers Squibb
• Burlington Stores
• Campbell’s
• Cognizant
• Johnson & Johnson
• Kenvue
• Merck & Co.
• PBF Energy
• Prudential Financial
• Public Service Enterprise Group/PSEG
• Quest Diagnostics
• Zoetis

These companies have each benefited from New Jersey’s many assets.

Below is a selection of New Jersey’s Fortune 500 companies, representing the diversity of industries and global businesses headquartered in the state.

Automatic Data Processing (ADP)

ADP, a global leader in human capital management and payroll technology, is headquartered in Roseland, where it has been based for decades. The company provides payroll, human resources, talent, benefits administration, and workforce management solutions to more than 1.1 million clients in more than 140 countries. ADP also operates multiple locations across New Jersey, including offices in Florham Park, Monroe Township, Mount Laurel, Parsippany, and Wall Township. Its presence in New Jersey reflects the state’s strength in technology, data, and business services.

Becton, Dickinson and Company

Becton, Dickinson and Company (BD), a global medical technology company, is headquartered in Franklin Lakes. The company’s New Jersey headquarters is home to nearly 2,500 employees and serves as a center for the company’s global operations. BD develops medical technologies used across healthcare, and its products reach customers in approximately 200 countries. The company’s long-standing New Jersey presence connects its global business with the state’s deep concentration of healthcare, life sciences and engineering talent.

Bristol Myers Squibb

Bristol Myers Squibb (BMS) is a global biopharmaceutical company headquartered in Princeton, with a significant research, development, and commercial presence across New Jersey. Its New Jersey footprint includes facilities in New Brunswick and Lawrenceville, where employees support research and development, commercial operations, product development, and supply. At its New Brunswick site, R&D teams conduct nonclinical safety studies and work alongside teams involved in product and process development and manufacturing to support clinical trials. BMS’s presence illustrates how New Jersey’s life sciences ecosystem supports the full path from scientific discovery and development to commercialization.

Johnson & Johnson

Headquartered in New Brunswick, Johnson & Johnson has called New Jersey home since its founding in 1886. Today, the global healthcare company maintains major research, manufacturing, and corporate operations in the state, developing medicines and medical technologies for patients worldwide. J&J’s New Jersey operations include research and manufacturing facilities developing next-generation treatments and medical products, including innovative medicines and surgical technologies. The company’s roots in the state span generations of healthcare innovation, from the sterile surgical dressings and sutures developed by the company’s founders to today’s advanced medicines and medical technologies.

Merck & Co.

One of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies, Merck is headquartered in Rahway, where its 210-acre campus has been part of the company’s history since 1903. Today, the Rahway campus serves as Merck’s world headquarters and a research-focused center with capabilities in core chemistry, preclinical development, biologics, and synthetic chemistry. Merck develops prescription medicines, vaccines, and animal health products, with research and development accounting for a major part of its global business. The company’s continued investment in its Rahway campus demonstrates the role New Jersey plays in supporting advanced pharmaceutical research and innovation.

Prudential Financial

Headquartered in Newark, Prudential Financial is a global financial services and investment management company with more than 150 years of history. The company provides insurance, retirement, investment and related financial services and serves approximately 50 million customers in more than 50 countries. Its Newark headquarters at 751 Broad Street remains the center of its corporate operations, making Prudential one of the most prominent financial services companies headquartered in New Jersey. Its presence reflects the state’s access to the financial and professional talent of the New York metropolitan region while maintaining a major corporate presence of its own in Newark.

Zoetis

New Jersey’s life sciences strength extends beyond human health. Zoetis, the world’s largest animal health company, is headquartered in Parsippany, where it oversees a global business serving veterinarians, livestock producers and pet owners. The company develops and commercializes medicines, vaccines, diagnostic products and other technologies for animals, with operations extending across 57 countries. Its New Jersey headquarters is part of a broader global organization spanning research and development, manufacturing, commercial and support operations. Zoetis demonstrates the breadth of New Jersey’s life sciences ecosystem and its application across both human and animal health.

Why Are So Many Fortune 500 Companies Headquartered in New Jersey?

The presence of these companies is no coincidence. New Jersey offers several advantages that make it an attractive location for corporate headquarters and major business operations.

Access to a Highly Skilled Workforce

New Jersey has one of the most highly educated workforces in the country, supported by leading universities, research institutions, and a strong network of STEM talent. New Jersey has the #1 concentration of scientists and engineers in the United States.

That talent is particularly important for industries such as life sciences, technology, financial services, and advanced manufacturing, where companies compete globally for specialized workers.

A Strategic Location

Located in the heart of the Northeast between Washington, D.C. and Boston, in close proximity to New York City and Philadelphia, and within a day’s drive of one-third of the U.S. population, New Jersey provides businesses with exceptional access to customers, partners, and talent.

The state’s extensive highway, rail, port, and airport infrastructure also connects companies to national and international markets.

A Global Life Sciences Hub

New Jersey has long been recognized as a global center for life sciences. The state is home to major pharmaceutical companies, biotechnology firms, medical technology companies, and research institutions.

That concentration creates an ecosystem where companies can collaborate, recruit specialized talent, and move discoveries from research and development toward commercialization.

Innovation Across Industries

New Jersey’s business ecosystem extends well beyond life sciences. The state has established strengths in technology, financial services, logistics, food and beverage, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing.

From North Jersey’s technology and financial services clusters to Central Jersey’s life sciences and research institutions and Southern New Jersey’s manufacturing and food and beverage strengths, companies can find the resources and partnerships they need to grow.

A Strong Home for Global Companies

The companies headquartered in New Jersey tell an important story about the state’s economy.

They represent global brands and major employers, but they also demonstrate why businesses continue to choose New Jersey as a place to invest, innovate, and grow. New Jersey is proud to have the second-highest concentration of foreign-born residents, many of whom have gone on to represent New Jersey’s 1,300+ multinational companies.

Explore what New Jersey can offer your business. Choose New Jersey can connect your company with the resources, partners, and opportunities to invest and grow here. Reach out to [email protected] to access our free services.