How many employees work at EF English First?
EF English First Ltd. has approximately 10,587 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. EF English First's total headcount has grown 4.2% from 10,157 employees in 2023 to 10,587 in 2026.
Data source: Revelio LabsCoverage: Global workforce, 2023–2026Published July 2026
Is EF English First hiring right now?
Yes, EF English First is actively hiring. EF English First had 726 active job postings in 2026, a 47.2% 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 10,587 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 4.2% from 2023 to 2026, with a year-over-year increase of 1.5% in 2026. Its staff is concentrated in China (58.2%), followed by Indonesia (28.0%), and Russia (2.9%), with South Africa noted as its fastest-growing location.
EF English First's largest groups by headcount are Engineering (43.9%), Finance and Operations (39.9%), and Sales and Marketing (16.2%), with Finance and Operations the fastest-growing at 1.4%. The median tenure is 5.4 years, and the average salary is $22,346, while regional pay ranges from a median of $41,000 in Northern America to $3,000 in Southern Asia.
EF English First's active postings fell 47.2% in 2026 to 726, with new postings per month slowing from 1,963 in 2023 to 834 in 2026. Overall sentiment across the workforce remains neutral but is trending upward. The company ranks first by headcount among its peers, which total 11. The fastest growing region is South Africa, and the top country by share is China.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
As of March 2026
EF English First
workforce metrics
Headcount
10.6k
1.5% YoY
Avg. Salary
$22.3k
0.6% YoY
Tenure
5.4yr
0.2yr YoY
Growth Rate
1.5%
0.7pts YoY
Hiring Rate
Attrition Rate
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.
- EF English First had 10,587 employees in 2026, a 1.5% increase (+162) from 2025.
- EF English First had 10,603 employees in 2025, a 2.0% increase (+215) from 2024.
- EF English First had 10,388 employees in 2024, a 1.3% increase (+138) from 2023.
- EF English First had 10,250 employees in 2023, a 2.3% increase (+231) from 2022.
EF English First's total workforce has grown from 10,157 employees in 2023 to 10,587 in 2026.
EF English First Ltd. — quarterly employee count (2023–2026)
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 10,587 | +162 | +1.5% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 10,603 | +215 | +2.0% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 10,550 | +115 | +1.1% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 10,538 | +124 | +1.2% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 10,425 | +87 | +0.8% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 10,388 | +138 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 10,435 | +239 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 10,414 | +257 | +2.5% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 10,338 | +309 | +3.0% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 10,250 | +231 | +2.3% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 10,196 | +187 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 10,157 | -76 | -0.8% |
Want to see EF English First's complete headcount history back to 2008, including quarterly breakdowns?
China accounts for the largest share of EF English First's global workforce with approximately 58% of total employees, followed by Indonesia and Russia. EF English First's headcount in South Africa is growing fastest among its major locations, up 5.3% year over year in 2026.
EF English First employees by country — 2026
| Country | Employees | % of Total | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|
| China | 6,148 | 58.2% | -0.4% |
| Indonesia | 2,960 | 28.0% | +1.7% |
| Russia | 304 | 2.9% | -0.2% |
| United States | 176 | 1.7% | -2.6% |
| United Kingdom | 123 | 1.2% | +0.4% |
| India | 101 | 1.0% | -0.6% |
| South Africa | 83 | 0.8% | +5.3% |
| Pakistan | 34 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| Egypt | 29 | 0.3% | -10.7% |
| Bangladesh | 29 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region and historic geographic shifts
EF English First's largest employee groups are Engineering (43.9%), Finance and Operations (39.9%), and Sales and Marketing (16.2%).
EF English First employees by department — 2026
| Department | Employees | % of Total | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 4,592 | 43.9% | -0.7% |
| Finance and Operations | 4,174 | 39.9% | +1.4% |
| Sales and Marketing | 1,698 | 16.2% | +0.1% |
Compare EF English First's department mix to industry peers.
EF English First's average employee salary is $22,346 globally. Employees in Northern America receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 1.8x the global average. Pay is lowest in Southern Asia, at a median of $3,000.
EF English First median employee salary by region — 2026 (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Northern America | $41,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $40,000 |
| Northern Europe | $35,000 |
| Western Europe | $31,000 |
| Eastern Asia | $24,000 |
| Southern Europe | $24,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $16,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $11,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $11,000 |
| Arab States | $10,000 |
| Southern America | $8,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $6,000 |
| South-Eastern Asia | $5,000 |
| Northern Africa | $4,000 |
| Southern Asia | $3,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to EF English First's industry peers.
- EF English First had 726 active job postings in 2026, a 47.2% decline (+435) from 2025.
- EF English First had 291 active job postings in 2025, a 157.4% decline (-2,149) 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: 834 new roles/month, down from 1,134 in 2025 and 1,860 in 2024. New metric
EF English First's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 47.2% in 2026 to 726, with new postings per month cooling from 1,963 in 2023 to 834 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
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.
Similar Professional Development Services Companies by Employee Count
- How fast is EF English First growing?
- In 2026, EF English First's headcount grew 1.5% to 10,587 employees, up from 10,425 in 2025.
- Where are EF English First employees located?
- Most EF English First employees are based in China (58.2% of headcount), followed by Indonesia and Russia.
- What is the average salary at EF English First?
- The average employee salary at EF English First is approximately $22.3k per year.
- How many people does EF English First hire per year?
- In 2026, EF English First opened roughly 10,008 new roles — about 834 per month.
- When was EF English First founded and where is it headquartered?
- EF English First was founded in 1965 and is headquartered in Shanghai, China.
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