How many employees work at Knife River?
Knife River Corp. (KNF) has approximately 4,935 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Knife River's total headcount has grown 1.5% from 4,862 employees in 2023 to 4,935 in 2026.
Data source: Revelio LabsCoverage: Global workforce, 2023–2026Published July 2026
Is Knife River hiring right now?
Yes, Knife River is actively hiring. Knife River had 838 active job postings in 2026, a 13.9% 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 4,935 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 6th-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 1.5% from 2023 to 2026, though it is down 0.2% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 4,834 in 2023 Q4 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in the United States (98.5%), followed by the United Kingdom (0.2%) and Pakistan (0.2%), with the United Kingdom, its fastest-growing location.
Knife River's largest functional groups are Engineering (38.9%), Sales and Marketing (33.3%), and Finance and Operations (27.8%). Median employee tenure is 4.6 years. The average salary is $74,784, ranging from a median of $204,000 in Western Europe to $11,000 in Southern Asia.
Knife River's active job postings rose 13.9% in 2026 to 838, with new postings per month climbing from 267 in 2023 to 309 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but declining.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
As of March 2026
Knife River
workforce metrics
Headcount
4.9k
0.2% YoY
Avg. Salary
$74.8k
0.4% YoY
Tenure
4.6yr
0.1yr YoY
Growth Rate
-0.2%
1.9pts YoY
Hiring Rate
Attrition Rate
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.
- Knife River had 4,935 employees in 2026, a 0.2% decline (-8) from 2025.
- Knife River had 4,968 employees in 2025, a 1.1% increase (+54) from 2024.
- Knife River had 4,914 employees in 2024, a 1.6% increase (+80) from 2023.
- Knife River had 4,834 employees in 2023, a 2.5% increase (+120) from 2022.
Knife River's total workforce has grown from 4,862 employees in 2023 to 4,935 in 2026.
Knife River Corp. — quarterly employee count (2023–2026)
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 4,935 | -8 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 4,968 | +54 | +1.1% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 4,966 | +53 | +1.1% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 4,983 | +40 | +0.8% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 4,943 | +84 | +1.7% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 4,914 | +80 | +1.6% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 4,913 | +58 | +1.2% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 4,943 | +81 | +1.7% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 4,859 | +123 | +2.6% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 4,834 | +120 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 4,855 | +88 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 4,862 | +56 | +1.2% |
Want to see Knife River's complete headcount history back to 2008, including quarterly breakdowns?
The United States accounts for the largest share of Knife River's global workforce with approximately 99% of total employees, followed by the United Kingdom and Pakistan.
Knife River employees by country — 2026
| Country | Employees | % of Total | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 4,851 | 98.5% | -0.6% |
| United Kingdom | 12 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| Pakistan | 9 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| Canada | 9 | 0.2% | -18.7% |
| India | 8 | 0.2% | +0.0% |
| Australia | 7 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| Italy | 6 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| Germany | 4 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| Iran | 3 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
| Bangladesh | 3 | 0.1% | +0.0% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region and historic geographic shifts
Knife River's largest employee groups are Engineering (38.9%), Sales and Marketing (33.3%), and Finance and Operations (27.8%).
Knife River employees by department — 2026
| Department | Employees | % of Total | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 1,884 | 38.9% | -0.6% |
| Sales and Marketing | 1,615 | 33.3% | +0.2% |
| Finance and Operations | 1,344 | 27.8% | -2.0% |
Compare Knife River's department mix to industry peers.
Knife River's average employee salary is $74,784 globally. Employees in Western Europe receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 2.7x the global average. Pay is lowest in Southern Asia, at a median of $11,000.
Knife River median employee salary by region — 2026 (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Western Europe | $204,000 |
| Northern America | $61,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $51,000 |
| Northern Europe | $49,000 |
| Southern Asia | $11,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Knife River's industry peers.
- Knife River had 838 active job postings in 2026, a 13.9% increase (+515) 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: 309 new roles/month, up from 260 in 2025 and 246 in 2024. New metric
Knife River's hiring is accelerating: active job postings rose 13.9% in 2026 to 838, with new postings per month climbing from 267 in 2023 to 309 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
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.
Similar Engineering and Construction Services Companies by Employee Count
- How fast is Knife River growing?
- In 2026, Knife River's headcount shrank 0.2% to 4,935 employees, down from 4,943 in 2025.
- Where are Knife River employees located?
- Most Knife River employees are based in the United States (98.5% of headcount), followed by the United Kingdom and Pakistan.
- What is the average salary at Knife River?
- The average employee salary at Knife River is approximately $74.8k per year.
- How many people does Knife River hire per year?
- In 2026, Knife River opened roughly 3,708 new roles — about 309 per month.
- When was Knife River founded and where is it headquartered?
- Knife River was founded in 1917 and is headquartered in Bismarck, North Dakota.
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