How many employees work at Knife River?
Knife River Corp. (KNF) has approximately 5,269 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Knife River’s total headcount has grown 3.0% from 5,117 employees in 2023 to 5,269 in 2026.
Is Knife River hiring right now?
Yes, Knife River is actively hiring. Knife River had 873 active job postings in 2026, a 18.0% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Knife River’s Workforce
Knife River Corp. (KNF) is an Engineering and Construction Services company that employs 5,269 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 7th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1917, the company is headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota and trades on the New York Stock Exchange.
Knife River's workforce has grown 3.0% from 2023 to 2026, though it is down 0.9% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 5,060 in 2023 Q4 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (99.3%), followed by Northern Europe (0.3%) and Sub-Saharan Africa (0.1%).
Knife River's functional groups are Engineering (35.7%), Finance and Operations (34.3%), and Sales and Marketing (30.1%), with Sales and Marketing growing fastest (up 1.7%). The average salary is $81,507, highest in North America at a median of $67,000, up 1.2% year over year in 2026.
Knife River's active job postings rose 18.0% in 2026 to 873, with new postings per month climbing from 267 in 2023 to 320 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but declining.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Ticker
- New York Stock Exchange: KNF
- Headquarters
- Bismarck, North Dakota
- Founded
- 1917
- Industry
- Engineering and Construction Services
- Employees
- 5,269
- YoY
- -0.9% (-19)
As of March 2026
Knife River workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Knife River. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsKnife River Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Knife River had 5,269 employees in 2026, a 0.9% decline (-19) from 2025.
- Knife River had 5,293 employees in 2025, a 0.2% decline (+63) from 2024.
- Knife River had 5,230 employees in 2024, a 1.6% increase (+170) from 2023.
- Knife River had 5,060 employees in 2023, a 0.4% decline (+231) from 2022.
Knife River's total workforce has grown from 5,117 employees in 2023 to 5,269 in 2026.
Knife River Corp. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 5,269 | -19 | -0.9% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 5,293 | +63 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 5,312 | +72 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 5,360 | +74 | -0.1% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 5,288 | +169 | +1.5% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 5,230 | +170 | +1.6% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 5,240 | +138 | +0.5% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 5,286 | +169 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 5,119 | +252 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 5,060 | +231 | -0.4% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 5,102 | +162 | +0.1% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 5,117 | +79 | -0.4% |
See Knife River's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataKnife River Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of Knife River's global workforce with approximately 99% of total employees, followed by Northern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Knife River employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 5,182 | 99.3% |
| Northern Europe | 15 | 0.3% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 7 | 0.1% |
| South Asia | 7 | 0.1% |
| Southern Europe | 3 | 0.1% |
| Pacific Islands | 2 | 0.0% |
| Western Europe | 2 | 0.0% |
| Southeast Asia | 1 | 0.0% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataKnife River Employee Count by Department (2026)
Knife River's employee groups are Engineering (35.7%), Finance and Operations (34.3%), and Sales and Marketing (30.1%).
Knife River employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 1,866 | 35.7% |
| Finance and Operations | 1,794 | 34.3% |
| Sales and Marketing | 1,574 | 30.1% |
Compare Knife River's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataKnife River Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Knife River's average employee salary is $81,507 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation.
Knife River median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $67,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Knife River's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataKnife River Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Knife River had 873 active job postings in 2026, a 18.0% increase (+550) from 2025.
- Knife River had 323 active job postings in 2025, a 25.9% increase (+74) from 2024.
- Knife River had 249 active job postings in 2024, a 84.6% decline (-365) from 2023.
- Knife River had 614 active job postings in 2023, a 99.1% increase from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 320 new roles/month, up from 260 in 2025 and 246 in 2024.
Knife River's hiring is accelerating: active job postings rose 18.0% in 2026 to 873, with new postings per month climbing from 267 in 2023 to 320 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataKnife River Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Knife River'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 Knife River
- How fast is Knife River growing?
- In 2026, Knife River's headcount shrank 0.9% to 5,269 employees, down from 5,288 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Knife River employees located?
- Most Knife River employees are based in North America (99.3% of headcount), followed by Northern Europe and Sub-Saharan Africa.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Knife River?
- The average employee salary at Knife River is approximately $81.5k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Knife River open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Knife River opened 961 new job postings. In 2025, Knife River opened 3,114 new job postings — about 260 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Knife River founded and where is it headquartered?
- Knife River was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota.
- Compare Knife River to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about Knife River.
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