How many employees does Forward Air have?
Forward Air Corp. (FWRD) has approximately 6,232 total employees worldwide as of June 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Forward Air’s total headcount has declined 6.9% from 6,692 employees in 2023 to 6,232 in 2026.
Is Forward Air hiring right now?
Yes, Forward Air is actively hiring. Forward Air had 430 active job postings in 2026, a 33.4% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Forward Air’s Workforce
Forward Air Corp. (FWRD) is a Logistics and Transportation company that employs 6,232 people worldwide as of June 2026. It is the 9th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1981, the company is headquartered in Dallas, Texas and trades on the NASDAQ.
Forward Air's workforce has declined 6.9% from 2023 to 2026, though it is up 0.8% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 6,097 in 2025 Q3 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (70.6%), followed by South Asia (10.0%) and East Asia (6.5%).
Forward Air's functional groups are Finance and Operations (42.1%), Engineering (30.0%), and Sales and Marketing (27.8%), with Finance and Operations growing fastest (up 4.0%). The average salary is $62,689, ranging from a median of $63,000 in North America to $5,000 in South Asia, down 2.5% year over year in 2026.
Forward Air's active job postings rose 33.4% in 2026 to 430, with new postings per month cooling from 470 in 2023 to 457 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is negative and declining.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Ticker
- NASDAQ: FWRD
- Headquarters
- Dallas, Texas
- Founded
- 1981
- Industry
- Logistics and Transportation
- Employees
- 6,232
- YoY
- +0.8% (+52)
As of June 2026
Forward Air workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Forward Air. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsForward Air Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Forward Air had 6,232 employees in 2026, a 0.8% increase (+52) from 2025.
- Forward Air had 6,125 employees in 2025, a 0.4% increase (+26) from 2024.
- Forward Air had 6,099 employees in 2024, a 5.6% decline (-359) from 2023.
- Forward Air had 6,458 employees in 2023, a 4.4% decline (-299) from 2022.
Forward Air's total workforce has grown from 6,097 employees in 2025 to 6,232 in 2026. Forward Air's headcount peaked at 6,692 in 2023 before declining in 2025 and recovering through 2026.
Forward Air Corp. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q2 | 6,232 | +52 | +0.8% |
| 2026 | Q1 | 6,144 | +16 | +0.3% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 6,125 | +26 | +0.4% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 6,097 | -85 | -1.4% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 6,180 | -39 | -0.6% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 6,128 | -222 | -3.5% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 6,099 | -359 | -5.6% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 6,182 | -510 | -7.6% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 6,219 | -427 | -6.4% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 6,350 | -325 | -4.9% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 6,458 | -299 | -4.4% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 6,692 | -31 | -0.5% |
See Forward Air's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataForward Air Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of Forward Air's global workforce with approximately 71% of total employees, followed by South Asia and East Asia.
Forward Air employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 4,368 | 70.6% |
| South Asia | 618 | 10.0% |
| East Asia | 400 | 6.5% |
| Southeast Asia | 266 | 4.3% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 244 | 4.0% |
| South America | 157 | 2.5% |
| Northern Europe | 53 | 0.9% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 31 | 0.5% |
| Western Europe | 29 | 0.5% |
| Arab States | 6 | 0.1% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataForward Air Employee Count by Department (2026)
Forward Air's employee groups are Finance and Operations (42.1%), Engineering (30.0%), and Sales and Marketing (27.8%).
Forward Air employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 2,613 | 42.1% |
| Engineering | 1,862 | 30.0% |
| Sales and Marketing | 1,725 | 27.8% |
Compare Forward Air's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataForward Air Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Forward Air's average employee salary is $62,689 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $5,000.
Forward Air median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Western Europe | $77,000 |
| North America | $63,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $61,000 |
| Northern Europe | $55,000 |
| East Asia | $26,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $16,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $13,000 |
| South America | $12,000 |
| South Asia | $5,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Forward Air's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataForward Air Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Forward Air had 430 active job postings in 2026, a 33.4% increase (+141) from 2025.
- Forward Air had 289 active job postings in 2025, a 5.7% decline (-17) from 2024.
- Forward Air had 306 active job postings in 2024, a 14.0% decline (-46) from 2023.
- Forward Air had 352 active job postings in 2023, a 78.7% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 457 new roles/month, up from 308 in 2025 and 306 in 2024.
Forward Air's active job postings rose 33.4% in 2026 to 430, with new postings per month cooling from 470 in 2023 to 457 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataForward Air Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Forward Air's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is negative and has declined 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 Forward Air
- How fast is Forward Air growing?
- In 2026, Forward Air's headcount grew 0.8% to 6,232 employees, up from 6,180 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Forward Air employees located?
- Most Forward Air employees are based in North America (70.6% of headcount), followed by South Asia and East Asia.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- How many people work at Forward Air in North America?
- About 4,368 people work at Forward Air in North America, its largest region.
- See headcount by region
- What is the average salary at Forward Air?
- The average employee salary at Forward Air is approximately $62.7k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Forward Air open per year?
- Through Q2 2026, Forward Air opened 2,739 new job postings. In 2025, Forward Air opened 3,693 new job postings — about 308 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Forward Air founded and where is it headquartered?
- Forward Air was founded in 1981 and is headquartered in Dallas, Texas.
- Compare Forward Air to industry peers
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