How many employees work at KIST?
KIST Corp. (South Korea) has approximately 1,606 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. KIST’s total headcount has declined 5.8% from 1,704 employees in 2023 to 1,606 in 2026.
Is KIST hiring right now?
Yes, KIST is actively hiring. KIST had 1 active job postings in 2026, a 200.0% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About KIST’s Workforce
KIST Corp. (South Korea) is a Research and Development company that employs 1,606 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 4th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1966, the company is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.
KIST's workforce has declined 5.8% from 2023 to 2026, down 0.9% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 1,606 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in East Asia (95.9%), followed by North America (1.5%) and Southeast Asia (0.9%).
KIST's functional groups are Finance and Operations (65.2%), Sales and Marketing (24.5%), and Engineering (10.3%). The average salary is $38,132, ranging from a median of $96,000 in North America to $9,000 in South Asia, up 1.9% year over year in 2026.
KIST's active job postings rose 200.0% in 2026 to 1. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but declining.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Headquarters
- Seoul, South Korea
- Founded
- 1966
- Industry
- Research and Development
- Employees
- 1,606
- YoY
- -0.9% (-46)
As of March 2026
KIST workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for KIST. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsKIST Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- KIST had 1,606 employees in 2026, a 0.9% decline (-46) from 2025.
- KIST had 1,624 employees in 2025, a 1.2% increase (-24) from 2024.
- KIST had 1,648 employees in 2024, a 0.5% increase (-43) from 2023.
- KIST had 1,691 employees in 2023, a 6.0% increase (+59) from 2022.
KIST's total workforce has declined from 1,704 employees in 2023 to 1,606 in 2026.
KIST Corp. (South Korea) quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 1,606 | -46 | -0.9% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 1,624 | -24 | +1.2% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 1,631 | -29 | +0.8% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 1,653 | -17 | +0.8% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 1,652 | -16 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 1,648 | -43 | +0.5% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 1,660 | -36 | +0.7% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 1,670 | -34 | +1.3% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 1,668 | -10 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 1,691 | +59 | +6.0% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 1,696 | +79 | +7.7% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 1,704 | +97 | +9.1% |
See KIST's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataKIST Employee Count by Region (2026)
East Asia accounts for the largest share of KIST's global workforce with approximately 96% of total employees, followed by North America and Southeast Asia.
KIST employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| East Asia | 1,533 | 95.9% |
| North America | 24 | 1.5% |
| Southeast Asia | 14 | 0.9% |
| South Asia | 13 | 0.8% |
| Western Europe | 5 | 0.3% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 4 | 0.3% |
| Northern Europe | 2 | 0.1% |
| Eastern Europe | 1 | 0.1% |
| Pacific Islands | 1 | 0.0% |
| Southern Europe | 0 | 0.0% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataKIST Employee Count by Department (2026)
KIST's employee groups are Finance and Operations (65.2%), Sales and Marketing (24.5%), and Engineering (10.3%).
KIST employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 1,018 | 65.2% |
| Sales and Marketing | 383 | 24.5% |
| Engineering | 161 | 10.3% |
Compare KIST's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataKIST Employee Salary by Region (2026)
KIST's average employee salary is $38,132 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 2.5x the global average. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $9,000.
KIST median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $96,000 |
| Western Europe | $55,000 |
| East Asia | $29,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $16,000 |
| South Asia | $9,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $2,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to KIST's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataKIST Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- KIST had 1 active job postings in 2026, a 200.0% increase (+1) from 2025.
- KIST had 0 active job postings in 2025, a 0% no change from 2024.
- KIST had 0 active job postings in 2024, a 0% no change from 2023.
- KIST had 0 active job postings in 2023, a 0% no change from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 0 new roles/month, up from 0 in 2025 and 0 in 2024.
KIST's active job postings rose 200.0% in 2026 to 1.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataKIST Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across KIST'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.
Unlock SentimentSimilar Companies
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Frequently Asked Questions About KIST
- How fast is KIST growing?
- In 2026, KIST's headcount shrank 0.9% to 1,606 employees, down from 1,652 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are KIST employees located?
- Most KIST employees are based in East Asia (95.9% of headcount), followed by North America and Southeast Asia.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at KIST?
- The average employee salary at KIST is approximately $38.1k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does KIST open per year?
- In Q1 2026, KIST opened 1 new job postings. In 2025, KIST opened 1 new job postings — about 0 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was KIST founded and where is it headquartered?
- KIST was founded in 1966 and is headquartered in Seoul, South Korea.
- Compare KIST to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about KIST.
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