How many employees work at Darden Restaurants?
Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) has approximately 185,396 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Darden Restaurants's total headcount has declined 6.4% from 198,013 employees in 2023 to 185,396 in 2026.
Data source: Revelio LabsCoverage: Global workforce, 2023–2026Published July 2026
Is Darden Restaurants hiring right now?
Yes, Darden Restaurants is actively hiring. Darden Restaurants had 12,148 active job postings in 2026, a 35.3% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Darden Restaurants's Workforce
Darden Restaurants, Inc. (DRI) is a Hospitality and Tourism Management company based in Orlando, Florida, founded in 1938, and it trades on the New York Stock Exchange. It employs 185,396 people worldwide as of March 2026 and stands as the largest by headcount among its peers.
Darden Restaurants's workforce declined 6.4% from 2023 to 2026, and it was down 2.7% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 185,396 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in the United States (94.4%), followed by Canada (0.8%) and Puerto Rico (0.5%), with Brazil noted as its fastest-growing location among the top countries.
Darden Restaurants's largest groups are Finance and Operations (70.1%), Engineering (18.9%), and Sales and Marketing (11.0%). The average tenure is 3.0 years, and the average salary is $36,232, with regional medians of $32,000 in Northern America and $3,000 in Southern Asia. The per-region pay ranges include a median of $32,000 in Northern America and a median of $3,000 in Southern Asia.
Darden Restaurants's active job postings rose 35.3% in 2026 to 12,148, with postings per month trending from 4,740 in 2023 down to 4,207 in 2026. Employee sentiment is neutral and flat overall.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
As of March 2026
Darden Restaurants
workforce metrics
Headcount
185.4k
2.7% YoY
Avg. Salary
$36.2k
0.1% YoY
Tenure
3.0yr
0.0yr YoY
Growth Rate
-2.7%
0.4pts YoY
Hiring Rate
Attrition Rate
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Darden Restaurants. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
- Darden Restaurants had 185,396 employees in 2026, a 2.7% decline (-5,052) from 2025.
- Darden Restaurants had 186,109 employees in 2025, a 2.7% decline (-5,176) from 2024.
- Darden Restaurants had 191,285 employees in 2024, a 2.3% decline (-4,546) from 2023.
- Darden Restaurants had 195,831 employees in 2023, a 1.4% decline (-2,809) from 2022.
Darden Restaurants's total workforce has declined from 198,013 employees in 2023 to 185,396 in 2026.
Darden Restaurants, Inc. — quarterly employee count (2023–2026)
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 185,396 | -5,052 | -2.7% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 186,109 | -5,176 | -2.7% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 187,136 | -4,939 | -2.6% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 189,152 | -4,716 | -2.5% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 190,448 | -4,425 | -2.3% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 191,285 | -4,546 | -2.3% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 192,075 | -4,289 | -2.2% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 193,868 | -4,145 | -2.1% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 194,873 | -3,657 | -1.9% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 195,831 | -2,809 | -1.4% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 196,364 | -2,054 | -1.0% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 198,013 | -1,623 | -0.8% |
Want to see Darden Restaurants's complete headcount history back to 2008, including quarterly breakdowns?
The United States accounts for the largest share of Darden Restaurants's global workforce with approximately 94% of total employees, followed by Canada and Puerto Rico. Darden Restaurants's headcount in Brazil is growing fastest among its major locations, up 1.6% year over year in 2026.
Darden Restaurants employees by country — 2026
| Country | Employees | % of Total | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 174,757 | 94.4% | -1.4% |
| Canada | 1,512 | 0.8% | -5.2% |
| Puerto Rico | 1,005 | 0.5% | -1.6% |
| India | 963 | 0.5% | +0.3% |
| Mexico | 828 | 0.4% | -1.6% |
| Brazil | 469 | 0.3% | +1.6% |
| United Kingdom | 342 | 0.2% | -0.6% |
| Germany | 264 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| Indonesia | 242 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| Georgia | 233 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region and historic geographic shifts
Darden Restaurants's largest employee groups are Finance and Operations (70.1%), Engineering (18.9%), and Sales and Marketing (11.0%).
Darden Restaurants employees by department — 2026
| Department | Employees | % of Total | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 125,168 | 70.1% | -1.6% |
| Engineering | 33,805 | 18.9% | -0.9% |
| Sales and Marketing | 19,596 | 11.0% | -1.4% |
Compare Darden Restaurants's department mix to industry peers.
Darden Restaurants's average employee salary is $36,232 globally. Employees in Northern America receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in Southern Asia, at a median of $3,000.
Darden Restaurants median employee salary by region — 2026 (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Pacific Islands | $36,000 |
| Western Europe | $33,000 |
| Northern America | $32,000 |
| Northern Europe | $32,000 |
| Eastern Asia | $21,000 |
| Arab States | $20,000 |
| Southern Europe | $19,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $18,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $17,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $13,000 |
| South-Eastern Asia | $6,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $6,000 |
| Southern America | $5,000 |
| Northern Africa | $5,000 |
| Southern Asia | $3,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Darden Restaurants's industry peers.
- Darden Restaurants had 12,148 active job postings in 2026, a 35.3% increase (-892) from 2025.
- Darden Restaurants had 13,040 active job postings in 2025, a 12.8% increase (+1,570) from 2024.
- Darden Restaurants had 11,470 active job postings in 2024, a 7.7% decline (-919) from 2023.
- Darden Restaurants had 12,389 active job postings in 2023, a 33.5% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 4,207 new roles/month, down from 5,404 in 2025 and 2,756 in 2024. New metric
Darden Restaurants's active job postings rose 35.3% in 2026 to 12,148, with new postings per month cooling from 4,740 in 2023 to 4,207 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Darden Restaurants'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.
Similar Hospitality and Tourism Management Companies by Employee Count
- How fast is Darden Restaurants growing?
- In 2026, Darden Restaurants's headcount shrank 2.7% to 185,396 employees, down from 190,448 in 2025.
- Where are Darden Restaurants employees located?
- Most Darden Restaurants employees are based in the United States (94.4% of headcount), followed by Canada and Puerto Rico.
- What is the average salary at Darden Restaurants?
- The average employee salary at Darden Restaurants is approximately $36.2k per year.
- How many people does Darden Restaurants hire per year?
- In 2026, Darden Restaurants opened roughly 50,484 new roles — about 4,207 per month.
- When was Darden Restaurants founded and where is it headquartered?
- Darden Restaurants was founded in 1938 and is headquartered in Orlando, Florida.
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