How many employees work at El Pollo Loco Holdings?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) has approximately 4,063 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. El Pollo Loco Holdings's total headcount has declined 3.7% from 4,221 employees in 2023 to 4,063 in 2026.
Data source: Revelio LabsCoverage: Global workforce, 2023–2026Published July 2026
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings hiring right now?
Yes, El Pollo Loco Holdings is actively hiring. El Pollo Loco Holdings had 736 active job postings in 2026, a 2.8% decline from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About El Pollo Loco Holdings's Workforce
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) is a Hospitality and Tourism Management company that employs 4,063 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 9th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1980, the company is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California and trades on the NASDAQ.
El Pollo Loco Holdings's workforce has declined 3.7% from 2023 to 2026, and its headcount dipped 0.5% year over year in 2026. The company fell to a low of 4,045 in 2025 Q4 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in the United States (90.8%), followed by Mexico (3.6%) and Argentina (0.5%), with the Philippines, its fastest-growing location.
El Pollo Loco Holdings's largest functional groups are Engineering (62.1%), Finance and Operations (28.1%), and Sales and Marketing (9.9%). The average tenure is 2.2 years, and the average salary is $41,919, ranging from a median of $35,000 in Northern America to $4,000 in South-Eastern Asia.
El Pollo Loco Holdings's active job postings fell 2.8% in 2026 to 736, with new postings per month cooling from 497 in 2023 to 412 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but declining.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
As of March 2026
El Pollo Loco Holdings
workforce metrics
Headcount
4.1k
0.5% YoY
Avg. Salary
$41.9k
1.2% YoY
Tenure
2.2yr
0.0yr YoY
Growth Rate
-0.5%
0.9pts YoY
Hiring Rate
Attrition Rate
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for El Pollo Loco Holdings. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
- El Pollo Loco Holdings had 4,063 employees in 2026, a 0.5% decline (-23) from 2025.
- El Pollo Loco Holdings had 4,045 employees in 2025, a 1.2% decline (-50) from 2024.
- El Pollo Loco Holdings had 4,095 employees in 2024, a 1.5% decline (-61) from 2023.
- El Pollo Loco Holdings had 4,156 employees in 2023, a 2.7% decline (-112) from 2022.
El Pollo Loco Holdings's total workforce has grown from 4,045 employees in 2025 to 4,063 in 2026. El Pollo Loco Holdings's headcount peaked at 4,221 in 2023 before declining in 2025 and recovering through 2026.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. — quarterly employee count (2023–2026)
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 4,063 | -23 | -0.5% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 4,045 | -50 | -1.2% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 4,048 | -63 | -1.5% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 4,075 | -64 | -1.6% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 4,086 | -59 | -1.4% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 4,095 | -61 | -1.5% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 4,111 | -83 | -2.0% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 4,139 | -82 | -1.9% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 4,145 | -97 | -2.3% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 4,156 | -112 | -2.7% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 4,194 | -106 | -2.5% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 4,221 | -133 | -3.1% |
Want to see El Pollo Loco Holdings's complete headcount history back to 2008, including quarterly breakdowns?
The United States accounts for the largest share of El Pollo Loco Holdings's global workforce with approximately 91% of total employees, followed by Mexico and Argentina. El Pollo Loco Holdings's headcount in the Philippines is growing fastest among its major locations, up 27.1% year over year in 2026.
El Pollo Loco Holdings employees by country — 2026
| Country | Employees | % of Total | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 3,681 | 90.8% | -0.4% |
| Mexico | 147 | 3.6% | +0.0% |
| Argentina | 21 | 0.5% | +6.7% |
| Peru | 21 | 0.5% | +0.0% |
| Spain | 20 | 0.5% | +0.0% |
| Australia | 11 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| Philippines | 11 | 0.3% | +27.1% |
| Guatemala | 11 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| Colombia | 11 | 0.3% | +0.0% |
| Canada | 10 | 0.3% | +11.7% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region and historic geographic shifts
El Pollo Loco Holdings's largest employee groups are Engineering (62.1%), Finance and Operations (28.1%), and Sales and Marketing (9.9%).
El Pollo Loco Holdings employees by department — 2026
| Department | Employees | % of Total | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 2,408 | 62.1% | -0.1% |
| Finance and Operations | 1,088 | 28.1% | -0.3% |
| Sales and Marketing | 383 | 9.9% | -1.0% |
Compare El Pollo Loco Holdings's department mix to industry peers.
El Pollo Loco Holdings's average employee salary is $41,919 globally. Employees in Northern America receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in South-Eastern Asia, at a median of $4,000.
El Pollo Loco Holdings median employee salary by region — 2026 (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Western Europe | $47,000 |
| Northern America | $35,000 |
| Northern Europe | $32,000 |
| Southern Europe | $23,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $19,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $12,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $11,000 |
| Southern America | $11,000 |
| South-Eastern Asia | $4,000 |
| Southern Asia | $3,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to El Pollo Loco Holdings's industry peers.
- El Pollo Loco Holdings had 736 active job postings in 2026, a 2.8% decline (+108) from 2025.
- El Pollo Loco Holdings had 628 active job postings in 2025, a 23.7% decline (-169) from 2024.
- El Pollo Loco Holdings had 797 active job postings in 2024, a 9.6% decline (-80) from 2023.
- El Pollo Loco Holdings had 877 active job postings in 2023, a 55.6% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 412 new roles/month, down from 950 in 2025 and 493 in 2024. New metric
El Pollo Loco Holdings's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 2.8% in 2026 to 736, with new postings per month cooling from 497 in 2023 to 412 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across El Pollo Loco Holdings's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is neutral and has declined 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 El Pollo Loco Holdings growing?
- In 2026, El Pollo Loco Holdings's headcount shrank 0.5% to 4,063 employees, down from 4,086 in 2025.
- Where are El Pollo Loco Holdings employees located?
- Most El Pollo Loco Holdings employees are based in the United States (90.8% of headcount), followed by Mexico and Argentina.
- What is the average salary at El Pollo Loco Holdings?
- The average employee salary at El Pollo Loco Holdings is approximately $41.9k per year.
- How many people does El Pollo Loco Holdings hire per year?
- In 2026, El Pollo Loco Holdings opened roughly 4,944 new roles — about 412 per month.
- When was El Pollo Loco Holdings founded and where is it headquartered?
- El Pollo Loco Holdings was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California.
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