How many employees work at Hot Topic?
Hot Topic, Inc. has approximately 8,712 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Hot Topic’s total headcount has declined 16.1% from 10,381 employees in 2023 to 8,712 in 2026.
Is Hot Topic hiring right now?
Yes, Hot Topic is actively hiring. Hot Topic had 2,944 active job postings in 2026, a 163.2% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Hot Topic’s Workforce
Hot Topic, Inc. is a Retail and Consumer Goods company that employs 8,712 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 7th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1988, the company is headquartered in Industry, California.
Hot Topic's workforce has declined 16.1% from 2023 to 2026, down 3.4% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 8,712 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (95.3%), followed by Central America and the Caribbean (1.9%) and South Asia (0.8%).
Hot Topic's functional groups are Finance and Operations (47.6%), Engineering (27.6%), and Sales and Marketing (24.9%). The average salary is $38,159, ranging from a median of $30,000 in North America to $3,000 in South Asia, up 1.8% year over year in 2026.
Hot Topic's active job postings rose 163.2% in 2026 to 2,944, with new postings per month climbing from 754 in 2023 to 944 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but improving.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Headquarters
- Industry, California
- Founded
- 1988
- Industry
- Retail and Consumer Goods
- Employees
- 8,712
- YoY
- -3.4% (-564)
As of March 2026
Hot Topic workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Hot Topic. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsHot Topic Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Hot Topic had 8,712 employees in 2026, a 3.4% decline (-564) from 2025.
- Hot Topic had 8,909 employees in 2025, a 4.7% decline (-750) from 2024.
- Hot Topic had 9,659 employees in 2024, a 2.5% decline (-740) from 2023.
- Hot Topic had 10,399 employees in 2023, a 1.6% decline (-551) from 2022.
Hot Topic's total workforce has declined from 10,381 employees in 2023 to 8,712 in 2026.
Hot Topic, Inc. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 8,712 | -564 | -3.4% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 8,909 | -750 | -4.7% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 8,954 | -712 | -3.8% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 9,221 | -650 | -2.6% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 9,276 | -695 | -2.3% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 9,659 | -740 | -2.5% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 9,666 | -592 | -1.9% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 9,871 | -510 | -2.9% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 9,971 | -429 | -1.5% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 10,399 | -551 | -1.6% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 10,258 | -734 | -2.1% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 10,381 | -593 | -0.4% |
See Hot Topic's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataHot Topic Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of Hot Topic's global workforce with approximately 95% of total employees, followed by Central America and the Caribbean and South Asia.
Hot Topic employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 8,266 | 95.3% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 163 | 1.9% |
| South Asia | 69 | 0.8% |
| Southern Europe | 42 | 0.5% |
| Southeast Asia | 24 | 0.3% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 20 | 0.2% |
| Western Europe | 19 | 0.2% |
| Arab States | 18 | 0.2% |
| Northern Europe | 17 | 0.2% |
| Pacific Islands | 11 | 0.1% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataHot Topic Employee Count by Department (2026)
Hot Topic's employee groups are Finance and Operations (47.6%), Engineering (27.6%), and Sales and Marketing (24.9%).
Hot Topic employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 4,117 | 47.6% |
| Engineering | 2,385 | 27.6% |
| Sales and Marketing | 2,151 | 24.9% |
Compare Hot Topic's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataHot Topic Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Hot Topic's average employee salary is $38,159 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $3,000.
Hot Topic median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Northern Europe | $84,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $32,000 |
| North America | $30,000 |
| Arab States | $29,000 |
| Western Europe | $21,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $19,000 |
| Southern Europe | $18,000 |
| South America | $16,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $7,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $5,000 |
| South Asia | $3,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Hot Topic's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataHot Topic Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Hot Topic had 2,944 active job postings in 2026, a 163.2% increase (-1,326) from 2025.
- Hot Topic had 4,270 active job postings in 2025, a 83.3% increase (+2,512) from 2024.
- Hot Topic had 1,758 active job postings in 2024, a 15.5% decline (-295) from 2023.
- Hot Topic had 2,053 active job postings in 2023, a 87.3% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 944 new roles/month, up from 550 in 2025 and 446 in 2024.
Hot Topic's hiring is accelerating: active job postings rose 163.2% in 2026 to 2,944, with new postings per month climbing from 754 in 2023 to 944 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataHot Topic Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Hot Topic'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 Hot Topic
- How fast is Hot Topic growing?
- In 2026, Hot Topic's headcount shrank 3.4% to 8,712 employees, down from 9,276 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Hot Topic employees located?
- Most Hot Topic employees are based in North America (95.3% of headcount), followed by Central America and the Caribbean and South Asia.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Hot Topic?
- The average employee salary at Hot Topic is approximately $38.2k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Hot Topic open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Hot Topic opened 2,832 new job postings. In 2025, Hot Topic opened 6,594 new job postings — about 550 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Hot Topic founded and where is it headquartered?
- Hot Topic was founded in 1988 and is headquartered in Industry, California.
- Compare Hot Topic to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about Hot Topic.
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