How many employees work at McDonald's?
McDonald's Corp. (MCD) has approximately 159,106 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. McDonald's’s total headcount has declined 23.6% from 208,171 employees in 2023 to 159,106 in 2026.
Is McDonald's hiring right now?
Yes, McDonald's is actively hiring. McDonald's had 55,402 active job postings in 2026, a 49.5% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About McDonald's’s Workforce
McDonald's Corp. (MCD) is a Hospitality and Tourism Management company that employs 159,106 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 2nd-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1955, the company is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and trades on the New York Stock Exchange.
McDonald's's workforce has declined 23.6% from 2023 to 2026, down 4.8% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 159,106 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (41.9%), followed by Northern Europe (16.3%) and Western Europe (10.8%).
McDonald's's functional groups are Sales and Marketing (39.4%), Finance and Operations (31.6%), and Engineering (29.0%). The average salary is $30,593, ranging from a median of $33,000 in Northern Europe to $6,000 in South America, up 3.2% year over year in 2026.
McDonald's's active job postings rose 49.5% in 2026 to 55,402, with new postings per month climbing from 15,476 in 2023 to 26,565 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but improving.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Ticker
- New York Stock Exchange: MCD
- Headquarters
- Chicago, Illinois
- Founded
- 1955
- Industry
- Hospitality and Tourism Management
- Employees
- 159,106
- YoY
- -4.8% (-16,338)
As of March 2026
McDonald's workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for McDonald's. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsMcDonald's Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- McDonald's had 159,106 employees in 2026, a 4.8% decline (-16,338) from 2025.
- McDonald's had 162,709 employees in 2025, a 4.0% decline (-16,244) from 2024.
- McDonald's had 178,953 employees in 2024, a 1.6% decline (-17,351) from 2023.
- McDonald's had 196,304 employees in 2023, a 3.5% increase (-10,013) from 2022.
McDonald's's total workforce has declined from 208,171 employees in 2023 to 159,106 in 2026.
McDonald's Corp. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 159,106 | -16,338 | -4.8% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 162,709 | -16,244 | -4.0% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 166,171 | -16,147 | -3.2% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 174,192 | -17,650 | -2.9% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 175,444 | -17,236 | -2.0% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 178,953 | -17,351 | -1.6% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 182,318 | -17,627 | -1.1% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 191,842 | -16,329 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 192,680 | -12,826 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 196,304 | -10,013 | +3.5% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 199,945 | -6,088 | +5.2% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 208,171 | -2,914 | +6.7% |
See McDonald's's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataMcDonald's Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of McDonald's's global workforce with approximately 42% of total employees, followed by Northern Europe and Western Europe.
McDonald's employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 66,357 | 41.9% |
| Northern Europe | 25,736 | 16.3% |
| Western Europe | 17,029 | 10.8% |
| South America | 8,229 | 5.2% |
| Pacific Islands | 7,817 | 4.9% |
| Southern Europe | 7,287 | 4.6% |
| Southeast Asia | 5,364 | 3.4% |
| South Asia | 5,354 | 3.4% |
| Arab States | 3,262 | 2.1% |
| North Africa | 2,833 | 1.8% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataMcDonald's Employee Count by Department (2026)
McDonald's's employee groups are Sales and Marketing (39.4%), Finance and Operations (31.6%), and Engineering (29.0%).
McDonald's employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Sales and Marketing | 61,631 | 39.4% |
| Finance and Operations | 49,424 | 31.6% |
| Engineering | 45,277 | 29.0% |
Compare McDonald's's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataMcDonald's Employee Salary by Region (2026)
McDonald's's average employee salary is $30,593 globally. Employees in Northern Europe receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in South America, at a median of $6,000.
McDonald's median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Northern Europe | $33,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $31,000 |
| North America | $29,000 |
| Western Europe | $26,000 |
| East Asia | $21,000 |
| Arab States | $19,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $17,000 |
| Southern Europe | $17,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $12,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $10,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $6,000 |
| North Africa | $6,000 |
| South America | $6,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $5,000 |
| South Asia | $3,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to McDonald's's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataMcDonald's Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- McDonald's had 55,402 active job postings in 2026, a 49.5% increase (+6,806) from 2025.
- McDonald's had 48,596 active job postings in 2025, a 12.2% increase (+5,591) from 2024.
- McDonald's had 43,005 active job postings in 2024, a 72.8% increase (+22,951) from 2023.
- McDonald's had 20,054 active job postings in 2023, a 50.4% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 26,565 new roles/month, up from 22,044 in 2025 and 29,770 in 2024.
McDonald's's hiring is accelerating: active job postings rose 49.5% in 2026 to 55,402, with new postings per month climbing from 15,476 in 2023 to 26,565 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataMcDonald's Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across McDonald's'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 McDonald's
- How fast is McDonald's growing?
- In 2026, McDonald's's headcount shrank 4.8% to 159,106 employees, down from 175,444 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are McDonald's employees located?
- Most McDonald's employees are based in North America (41.9% of headcount), followed by Northern Europe and Western Europe.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at McDonald's?
- The average employee salary at McDonald's is approximately $30.6k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does McDonald's open per year?
- In Q1 2026, McDonald's opened 79,694 new job postings. In 2025, McDonald's opened 264,530 new job postings — about 22,044 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was McDonald's founded and where is it headquartered?
- McDonald's was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
- Compare McDonald's to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about McDonald's.
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