How many employees does DARPA have?
US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has approximately 739 total employees worldwide as of June 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. DARPA’s total headcount has grown 6.3% from 695 employees in 2023 to 739 in 2026.
Is DARPA hiring right now?
Yes, DARPA is actively hiring. DARPA had 3 active job postings in 2026, a 40.0% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About DARPA’s Workforce
US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is an Aerospace and Defense company that employs 739 people worldwide as of June 2026. It is the 11th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1958, the company is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
DARPA's workforce has grown 6.3% from 2023 to 2026, though it is down 3.3% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 694 in 2023 Q4 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (89.8%), followed by South Asia (2.2%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (1.9%).
DARPA's functional groups are Finance and Operations (40.1%), Engineering (35.0%), and Sales and Marketing (24.9%). The average salary is $140,131, ranging from a median of $140,000 in North America to $6,000 in Southeast Asia, down 1.7% year over year in 2026.
DARPA's active job postings rose 40.0% in 2026 to 3, with new postings per month climbing from 1 in 2023 to 4 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is positive and improving.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Headquarters
- Arlington, Virginia
- Founded
- 1958
- Industry
- Aerospace and Defense
- Employees
- 739
- YoY
- -3.3% (-25)
As of June 2026
DARPA workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for DARPA. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsDARPA Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
Loading- DARPA had 739 employees in 2026, a 3.3% decline (-25) from 2025.
- DARPA had 752 employees in 2025, a 1.8% increase (+13) from 2024.
- DARPA had 739 employees in 2024, a 6.5% increase (+45) from 2023.
- DARPA had 694 employees in 2023, a 12.7% increase (+78) from 2022.
DARPA's total workforce has grown from 695 employees in 2023 to 739 in 2026.
US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q2 | 739 | -25 | -3.3% |
| 2026 | Q1 | 748 | -2 | -0.3% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 752 | +13 | +1.8% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 771 | +32 | +4.3% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 764 | +38 | +5.2% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 750 | +43 | +6.1% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 739 | +45 | +6.5% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 739 | +44 | +6.3% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 726 | +69 | +10.5% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 707 | +78 | +12.4% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 694 | +78 | +12.7% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 695 | +115 | +19.8% |
See DARPA's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataDARPA Employee Count by Region (2026)
LoadingNorth America accounts for the largest share of DARPA's global workforce with approximately 90% of total employees, followed by South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
DARPA employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 657 | 89.8% |
| South Asia | 16 | 2.2% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 14 | 1.9% |
| Northern Europe | 8 | 1.1% |
| Southeast Asia | 7 | 1.0% |
| Western Europe | 7 | 0.9% |
| Eastern Europe | 6 | 0.9% |
| East Asia | 5 | 0.6% |
| Central and Western Asia | 4 | 0.5% |
| North Africa | 3 | 0.4% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataDARPA Employee Count by Department (2026)
LoadingDARPA's employee groups are Finance and Operations (40.1%), Engineering (35.0%), and Sales and Marketing (24.9%).
DARPA employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 295 | 40.1% |
| Engineering | 258 | 35.0% |
| Sales and Marketing | 184 | 24.9% |
Compare DARPA's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataDARPA Employee Salary by Region (2026)
LoadingDARPA's average employee salary is $140,131 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in Southeast Asia, at a median of $6,000.
DARPA median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $140,000 |
| Western Europe | $84,000 |
| Northern Europe | $84,000 |
| East Asia | $42,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $41,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $22,000 |
| South Asia | $9,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $6,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to DARPA's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataDARPA Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
Loading- DARPA had 3 active job postings in 2026, a 40.0% increase (-1) from 2025.
- DARPA had 4 active job postings in 2025, a 120.0% increase (+3) from 2024.
- DARPA had 1 active job postings in 2024, a 200.0% increase (+1) from 2023.
- DARPA had 0 active job postings in 2023, a 0% no change from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 4 new roles/month, up from 1 in 2025 and 1 in 2024.
DARPA's hiring is accelerating: active job postings rose 40.0% in 2026 to 3, with new postings per month climbing from 1 in 2023 to 4 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataDARPA Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across DARPA's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is positive and has improved year over year in 2026.
Overall
Unlock the full sentiment breakdown by department, tenure, and trend over time.
Unlock SentimentSimilar Companies
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Frequently Asked Questions About DARPA
- How fast is DARPA growing?
- In 2026, DARPA's headcount shrank 3.3% to 739 employees, down from 764 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are DARPA employees located?
- Most DARPA employees are based in North America (89.8% of headcount), followed by South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- How many people work at DARPA in North America?
- About 657 people work at DARPA in North America, its largest region.
- See headcount by region
- What is the average salary at DARPA?
- The average employee salary at DARPA is approximately $140.1k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does DARPA open per year?
- Through Q2 2026, DARPA opened 21 new job postings. In 2025, DARPA opened 17 new job postings — about 1 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was DARPA founded and where is it headquartered?
- DARPA was founded in 1958 and is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia.
- Compare DARPA to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about DARPA.
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