How many employees work at EF English First?
EF English First Ltd. has approximately 9,649 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. EF English First’s total headcount has grown 7.4% from 8,984 employees in 2023 to 9,649 in 2026.
Is EF English First hiring right now?
Yes, EF English First is actively hiring. EF English First had 768 active job postings in 2026, a 41.8% decline from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About EF English First’s Workforce
EF English First Ltd. is a Professional Development Services company that employs 9,649 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1965, the company is headquartered in Shanghai, China.
EF English First's workforce has grown 7.4% from 2023 to 2026, up 1.2% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 8,983 in 2023 Q3 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in East Asia (58.4%), followed by Southeast Asia (32.7%) and Eastern Europe (2.6%).
EF English First's functional groups are Engineering (44.0%), Finance and Operations (39.1%), and Sales and Marketing (16.9%), with Finance and Operations growing fastest (up 1.3%). The average salary is $22,363, ranging from a median of $35,000 in Northern Europe to $5,000 in Southeast Asia, down 1.2% year over year in 2026.
EF English First's active job postings fell 41.8% in 2026 to 768, with new postings per month cooling from 1,963 in 2023 to 884 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but improving.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Headquarters
- Shanghai, China
- Founded
- 1965
- Industry
- Professional Development Services
- Employees
- 9,649
- YoY
- +1.2% (+264)
As of March 2026
EF English First workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for EF English First. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsEF English First Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- EF English First had 9,649 employees in 2026, a 1.2% increase (+264) from 2025.
- EF English First had 9,663 employees in 2025, a 1.7% increase (+345) from 2024.
- EF English First had 9,318 employees in 2024, a 1.3% increase (+234) from 2023.
- EF English First had 9,084 employees in 2023, a 2.3% increase (+263) from 2022.
EF English First's total workforce has grown from 8,984 employees in 2023 to 9,649 in 2026.
EF English First Ltd. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 9,649 | +264 | +1.2% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 9,663 | +345 | +1.7% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 9,571 | +234 | +1.1% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 9,532 | +252 | +0.8% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 9,385 | +207 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 9,318 | +234 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 9,337 | +354 | +2.8% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 9,280 | +296 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 9,178 | +329 | +2.7% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 9,084 | +263 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 8,983 | +218 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 8,984 | -41 | +1.6% |
See EF English First's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataEF English First Employee Count by Region (2026)
East Asia accounts for the largest share of EF English First's global workforce with approximately 58% of total employees, followed by Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe.
EF English First employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| East Asia | 5,604 | 58.4% |
| Southeast Asia | 3,144 | 32.7% |
| Eastern Europe | 251 | 2.6% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 128 | 1.3% |
| Northern Europe | 108 | 1.1% |
| North America | 106 | 1.1% |
| South Asia | 83 | 0.9% |
| Arab States | 41 | 0.4% |
| North Africa | 39 | 0.4% |
| Western Europe | 27 | 0.3% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataEF English First Employee Count by Department (2026)
EF English First's employee groups are Engineering (44.0%), Finance and Operations (39.1%), and Sales and Marketing (16.9%).
EF English First employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 4,211 | 44.0% |
| Finance and Operations | 3,737 | 39.1% |
| Sales and Marketing | 1,620 | 16.9% |
Compare EF English First's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataEF English First Employee Salary by Region (2026)
EF English First's average employee salary is $22,363 globally. Employees in Northern Europe receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 1.6x the global average. Pay is lowest in Southeast Asia, at a median of $5,000.
EF English First median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $42,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $40,000 |
| Northern Europe | $35,000 |
| Western Europe | $31,000 |
| East Asia | $25,000 |
| Arab States | $21,000 |
| Southern Europe | $20,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $20,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $16,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $14,000 |
| South America | $6,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $6,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $5,000 |
| North Africa | $4,000 |
| South Asia | $3,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to EF English First's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataEF English First Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- EF English First had 768 active job postings in 2026, a 41.8% decline (+479) from 2025.
- EF English First had 289 active job postings in 2025, a 157.6% decline (-2,151) from 2024.
- EF English First had 2,440 active job postings in 2024, a 1.7% decline (-41) from 2023.
- EF English First had 2,481 active job postings in 2023, a 94.9% increase from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 884 new roles/month, down from 1,134 in 2025 and 1,860 in 2024.
EF English First's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 41.8% in 2026 to 768, with new postings per month cooling from 1,963 in 2023 to 884 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataEF English First Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across EF English First's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is neutral 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 EF English First
- How fast is EF English First growing?
- In 2026, EF English First's headcount grew 1.2% to 9,649 employees, up from 9,385 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are EF English First employees located?
- Most EF English First employees are based in East Asia (58.4% of headcount), followed by Southeast Asia and Eastern Europe.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at EF English First?
- The average employee salary at EF English First is approximately $22.4k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does EF English First open per year?
- In Q1 2026, EF English First opened 2,652 new job postings. In 2025, EF English First opened 13,609 new job postings — about 1,134 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was EF English First founded and where is it headquartered?
- EF English First was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Shanghai, China.
- Compare EF English First to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about EF English First.
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