How many employees work at Kao?
Kao Corp. (4452) has approximately 29,223 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Kao's total headcount has declined 5.2% from 30,825 employees in 2023 to 29,223 in 2026.
Data source: Revelio LabsCoverage: Global workforce, 2023–2026Published July 2026
Is Kao hiring right now?
Yes, Kao is actively hiring. Kao had 266 active job postings in 2026, a 1.9% decline from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Kao's Workforce
Kao Corp. (4452) is a Wellness Products company that employs 29,223 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 5th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1887, the company is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan and trades on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
Kao's workforce has declined 5.2% from 2023 to 2026, down 3.7% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 29,223 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in Indonesia (36.6%), followed by Japan (12.7%) and the United States (11.2%), with Germany, its fastest-growing location.
Kao's largest functional groups are Finance and Operations (46.1%), Engineering (29.1%), and Sales and Marketing (24.8%). Median employee tenure is 4.5 years. The average salary is $37,523, ranging from a median of $74,000 in Northern America to $6,000 in South-Eastern Asia.
Kao's active job postings fell 1.9% in 2026 to 266, with new postings per month climbing from 184 in 2023 to 341 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but improving.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
As of March 2026
Kao
workforce metrics
Headcount
29.2k
3.7% YoY
Avg. Salary
$37.5k
0.0% YoY
Tenure
4.5yr
0.1yr YoY
Growth Rate
-3.7%
3.2pts YoY
Hiring Rate
Attrition Rate
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Kao. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
- Kao had 29,223 employees in 2026, a 3.7% decline (-1,102) from 2025.
- Kao had 29,423 employees in 2025, a 3.4% decline (-1,027) from 2024.
- Kao had 30,450 employees in 2024, a 0.2% decline (-52) from 2023.
- Kao had 30,502 employees in 2023, a 0.4% decline (-114) from 2022.
Kao's total workforce has declined from 30,825 employees in 2023 to 29,223 in 2026.
Kao Corp. — quarterly employee count (2023–2026)
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 29,223 | -1,102 | -3.7% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 29,423 | -1,027 | -3.4% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 29,759 | -733 | -2.4% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 30,091 | -536 | -1.8% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 30,325 | -145 | -0.5% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 30,450 | -52 | -0.2% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 30,492 | -45 | -0.1% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 30,627 | -198 | -0.6% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 30,470 | -138 | -0.5% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 30,502 | -114 | -0.4% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 30,537 | -349 | -1.1% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 30,825 | -89 | -0.3% |
Want to see Kao's complete headcount history back to 2008, including quarterly breakdowns?
Indonesia accounts for the largest share of Kao's global workforce with approximately 37% of total employees, followed by Japan and the United States. Kao's headcount in Germany is growing fastest among its major locations, up 2.5% year over year in 2026.
Kao employees by country — 2026
| Country | Employees | % of Total | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indonesia | 10,638 | 36.6% | -2.7% |
| Japan | 3,695 | 12.7% | -2.3% |
| United States | 3,251 | 11.2% | +0.6% |
| United Kingdom | 1,866 | 6.4% | -4.0% |
| Germany | 1,392 | 4.8% | +2.5% |
| Thailand | 1,239 | 4.3% | -5.0% |
| China | 1,159 | 4.0% | -1.8% |
| Spain | 964 | 3.3% | -3.8% |
| Malaysia | 670 | 2.3% | +4.6% |
| Australia | 442 | 1.5% | -5.5% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region and historic geographic shifts
Kao's largest employee groups are Finance and Operations (46.1%), Engineering (29.1%), and Sales and Marketing (24.8%).
Kao employees by department — 2026
| Department | Employees | % of Total | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 12,949 | 46.1% | -2.5% |
| Engineering | 8,167 | 29.1% | -1.7% |
| Sales and Marketing | 6,947 | 24.8% | -1.7% |
Compare Kao's department mix to industry peers.
Kao's average employee salary is $37,523 globally. Employees in Northern America receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 2.0x the global average. Pay is lowest in South-Eastern Asia, at a median of $6,000.
Kao median employee salary by region — 2026 (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Northern America | $74,000 |
| Arab States | $69,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $64,000 |
| Western Europe | $63,000 |
| Northern Europe | $45,000 |
| Eastern Asia | $37,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $30,000 |
| Southern Europe | $30,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $24,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $16,000 |
| Northern Africa | $12,000 |
| Southern America | $9,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $7,000 |
| South-Eastern Asia | $6,000 |
| Southern Asia | $4,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Kao's industry peers.
- Kao had 266 active job postings in 2026, a 1.9% decline (+4) from 2025.
- Kao had 262 active job postings in 2025, a 25.9% decline (-78) from 2024.
- Kao had 340 active job postings in 2024, a 46.8% increase (+129) from 2023.
- Kao had 211 active job postings in 2023, a 1.4% increase from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 341 new roles/month, down from 369 in 2025 and 174 in 2024. New metric
Kao's active job postings fell 1.9% in 2026 to 266, with new postings per month climbing from 184 in 2023 to 341 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Kao'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 Wellness Products Companies by Employee Count
- How fast is Kao growing?
- In 2026, Kao's headcount shrank 3.7% to 29,223 employees, down from 30,325 in 2025.
- Where are Kao employees located?
- Most Kao employees are based in Indonesia (36.6% of headcount), followed by Japan and the United States.
- What is the average salary at Kao?
- The average employee salary at Kao is approximately $37.5k per year.
- How many people does Kao hire per year?
- In 2026, Kao opened roughly 4,092 new roles — about 341 per month.
- When was Kao founded and where is it headquartered?
- Kao was founded in 1887 and is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.
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