How many employees work at Costco Wholesale?
Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) has approximately 335,749 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Costco Wholesale’s total headcount has declined 1.9% from 342,138 employees in 2023 to 335,749 in 2026.
Is Costco Wholesale hiring right now?
Yes, Costco Wholesale is actively hiring. Costco Wholesale had 25,467 active job postings in 2026, a 189.0% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Costco Wholesale’s Workforce
Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) is a Retail and Consumer Goods company that employs 335,749 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 2nd-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1983, the company is headquartered in Issaquah, Washington and trades on the NASDAQ.
Costco Wholesale's workforce has declined 1.9% from 2023 to 2026, down 1.3% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 335,749 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (84.2%), followed by Central America and the Caribbean (5.3%) and Northern Europe (3.3%).
Costco Wholesale's functional groups are Finance and Operations (45.9%), Engineering (31.7%), and Sales and Marketing (22.4%). The average salary is $53,661, ranging from a median of $44,000 in North America to $12,000 in Central America and the Caribbean, up 0.9% year over year in 2026.
Costco Wholesale's active job postings rose 189.0% in 2026 to 25,467, with new postings per month climbing from 481 in 2023 to 7,256 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral and broadly stable.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Ticker
- NASDAQ: COST
- Headquarters
- Issaquah, Washington
- Founded
- 1983
- Industry
- Retail and Consumer Goods
- Employees
- 335,749
- YoY
- -1.3% (-5,060)
As of March 2026
Costco Wholesale workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Costco Wholesale. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsCostco Wholesale Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Costco Wholesale had 335,749 employees in 2026, a 1.3% decline (-5,060) from 2025.
- Costco Wholesale had 339,052 employees in 2025, a 1.5% decline (-5,737) from 2024.
- Costco Wholesale had 344,789 employees in 2024, a 0% no change (-1,962) from 2023.
- Costco Wholesale had 346,751 employees in 2023, a 1.4% increase (+4,670) from 2022.
Costco Wholesale's total workforce has declined from 342,138 employees in 2023 to 335,749 in 2026.
Costco Wholesale Corp. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 335,749 | -5,060 | -1.3% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 339,052 | -5,737 | -1.5% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 340,968 | -6,253 | -1.4% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 341,211 | -5,325 | -1.2% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 340,809 | -3,021 | -0.5% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 344,789 | -1,962 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 347,221 | -191 | +0.5% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 346,536 | +4,398 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 343,830 | +6,857 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 346,751 | +4,670 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 347,412 | +3,419 | +1.5% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 342,138 | -2,915 | +0.2% |
See Costco Wholesale's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataCostco Wholesale Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of Costco Wholesale's global workforce with approximately 84% of total employees, followed by Central America and the Caribbean and Northern Europe.
Costco Wholesale employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 280,785 | 84.2% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 17,523 | 5.3% |
| Northern Europe | 11,073 | 3.3% |
| Pacific Islands | 8,115 | 2.4% |
| East Asia | 6,769 | 2.0% |
| Southern Europe | 3,881 | 1.2% |
| Western Europe | 2,106 | 0.6% |
| South Asia | 1,228 | 0.4% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 933 | 0.3% |
| South America | 306 | 0.1% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataCostco Wholesale Employee Count by Department (2026)
Costco Wholesale's employee groups are Finance and Operations (45.9%), Engineering (31.7%), and Sales and Marketing (22.4%).
Costco Wholesale employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 153,273 | 45.9% |
| Engineering | 105,667 | 31.7% |
| Sales and Marketing | 74,738 | 22.4% |
Compare Costco Wholesale's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataCostco Wholesale Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Costco Wholesale's average employee salary is $53,661 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in Central America and the Caribbean, at a median of $12,000.
Costco Wholesale median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $44,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $43,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $41,000 |
| Western Europe | $41,000 |
| Northern Europe | $36,000 |
| Southern Europe | $28,000 |
| East Asia | $26,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $21,000 |
| Arab States | $13,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $12,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $12,000 |
| North Africa | $12,000 |
| South Asia | $8,000 |
| South America | $7,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $6,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Costco Wholesale's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataCostco Wholesale Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Costco Wholesale had 25,467 active job postings in 2026, a 189.0% increase (+284) from 2025.
- Costco Wholesale had 25,183 active job postings in 2025, a 189.9% increase (+24,528) from 2024.
- Costco Wholesale had 655 active job postings in 2024, a 9.4% increase (+59) from 2023.
- Costco Wholesale had 596 active job postings in 2023, a 37.8% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 7,256 new roles/month, up from 3,314 in 2025 and 449 in 2024.
Costco Wholesale's hiring is accelerating: active job postings rose 189.0% in 2026 to 25,467, with new postings per month climbing from 481 in 2023 to 7,256 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataCostco Wholesale Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Costco Wholesale's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is neutral and has held steady year over year in 2026.
Overall
Unlock the full sentiment breakdown by department, tenure, and trend over time.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Costco Wholesale
- How fast is Costco Wholesale growing?
- In 2026, Costco Wholesale's headcount shrank 1.3% to 335,749 employees, down from 340,809 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Costco Wholesale employees located?
- Most Costco Wholesale employees are based in North America (84.2% of headcount), followed by Central America and the Caribbean and Northern Europe.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Costco Wholesale?
- The average employee salary at Costco Wholesale is approximately $53.7k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Costco Wholesale open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Costco Wholesale opened 21,769 new job postings. In 2025, Costco Wholesale opened 39,773 new job postings — about 3,314 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Costco Wholesale founded and where is it headquartered?
- Costco Wholesale was founded in 1983 and is headquartered in Issaquah, Washington.
- Compare Costco Wholesale to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about Costco Wholesale.
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