How many employees work at McDonald's?
McDonald's Corp. (MCD) has approximately 153,283 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. McDonald's's total headcount has declined 25.4% from 205,510 employees in 2023 to 153,283 in 2026.
Data source: Revelio LabsCoverage: Global workforce, 2023–2026Published July 2026
Is McDonald's hiring right now?
Yes, McDonald's is actively hiring. McDonald's had 51,584 active job postings in 2026, a 43.5% 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 153,283 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 25.4% from 2023 to 2026, down 11.8% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 153,283 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in the United States (37.9%), followed by the United Kingdom (12.5%) and Canada (8.1%), with India, its fastest-growing location.
McDonald's's largest functional groups are Sales and Marketing (38.9%), Finance and Operations (30.8%), and Engineering (30.3%). Median employee tenure is 4.0 years. The average salary is $31,002, ranging from a median of $33,000 in Northern Europe to $16,000 in Southern Europe.
McDonald's's active job postings rose 43.5% in 2026 to 51,584, with new postings per month climbing from 15,467 in 2023 to 24,668 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but improving.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
As of March 2026
McDonald's
workforce metrics
Headcount
153.3k
11.8% YoY
Avg. Salary
$31k
2.7% YoY
Tenure
4.0yr
0.1yr YoY
Growth Rate
-11.8%
2.1pts YoY
Hiring Rate
Attrition Rate
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.
- McDonald's had 153,283 employees in 2026, a 11.8% decline (-19,227) from 2025.
- McDonald's had 157,423 employees in 2025, a 11.1% decline (-18,469) from 2024.
- McDonald's had 175,892 employees in 2024, a 9.6% decline (-17,834) from 2023.
- McDonald's had 193,726 employees in 2023, a 6.0% decline (-11,899) from 2022.
McDonald's's total workforce has declined from 205,510 employees in 2023 to 153,283 in 2026.
McDonald's Corp. — quarterly employee count (2023–2026)
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 153,283 | -19,227 | -11.8% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 157,423 | -18,469 | -11.1% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 161,609 | -17,943 | -10.5% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 170,521 | -17,859 | -10.0% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 172,510 | -17,517 | -9.7% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 175,892 | -17,834 | -9.6% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 179,552 | -18,076 | -9.6% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 188,380 | -17,130 | -8.7% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 190,027 | -14,200 | -7.2% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 193,726 | -11,899 | -6.0% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 197,628 | -8,561 | -4.2% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 205,510 | -6,231 | -3.0% |
Want to see McDonald's's complete headcount history back to 2008, including quarterly breakdowns?
The United States accounts for the largest share of McDonald's's global workforce with approximately 38% of total employees, followed by the United Kingdom and Canada. McDonald's's headcount in India is growing fastest among its major locations, up 2.2% year over year in 2026.
McDonald's employees by country — 2026
| Country | Employees | % of Total | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 58,482 | 37.9% | -2.6% |
| United Kingdom | 19,255 | 12.5% | -8.9% |
| Canada | 12,555 | 8.1% | -7.3% |
| France | 9,359 | 6.1% | -23.2% |
| Australia | 6,711 | 4.3% | -12.7% |
| India | 4,820 | 3.1% | +2.2% |
| Brazil | 3,517 | 2.3% | -4.0% |
| Italy | 2,443 | 1.6% | -12.1% |
| Spain | 2,384 | 1.5% | -15.0% |
| Netherlands | 2,029 | 1.3% | -8.6% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region and historic geographic shifts
McDonald's's largest employee groups are Sales and Marketing (38.9%), Finance and Operations (30.8%), and Engineering (30.3%).
McDonald's employees by department — 2026
| Department | Employees | % of Total | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sales and Marketing | 58,787 | 38.9% | -8.1% |
| Finance and Operations | 46,483 | 30.8% | -7.9% |
| Engineering | 45,730 | 30.3% | -4.5% |
Compare McDonald's's department mix to industry peers.
McDonald's's average employee salary is $31,002 globally. Employees in Northern Europe receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in Southern Europe, at a median of $16,000.
McDonald's median employee salary by region — 2026 (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Northern Europe | $33,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $32,000 |
| Northern America | $29,000 |
| Western Europe | $26,000 |
| Eastern Asia | $22,000 |
| Arab States | $19,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $17,000 |
| Southern Europe | $16,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $13,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $11,000 |
| Southern America | $6,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $6,000 |
| Northern Africa | $6,000 |
| South-Eastern Asia | $5,000 |
| Southern Asia | $3,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to McDonald's's industry peers.
- McDonald's had 51,584 active job postings in 2026, a 43.5% increase (+3,128) from 2025.
- McDonald's had 48,456 active job postings in 2025, a 12.5% increase (+5,717) from 2024.
- McDonald's had 42,739 active job postings in 2024, a 72.3% increase (+22,705) from 2023.
- McDonald's had 20,034 active job postings in 2023, a 50.5% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 24,668 new roles/month, up from 22,017 in 2025 and 29,729 in 2024. New metric
McDonald's's hiring is accelerating: active job postings rose 43.5% in 2026 to 51,584, with new postings per month climbing from 15,467 in 2023 to 24,668 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
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.
Similar Hospitality and Tourism Management Companies by Employee Count
- How fast is McDonald's growing?
- In 2026, McDonald's's headcount shrank 11.8% to 153,283 employees, down from 172,510 in 2025.
- Where are McDonald's employees located?
- Most McDonald's employees are based in the United States (37.9% of headcount), followed by the United Kingdom and Canada.
- What is the average salary at McDonald's?
- The average employee salary at McDonald's is approximately $31k per year.
- How many people does McDonald's hire per year?
- In 2026, McDonald's opened roughly 296,016 new roles — about 24,668 per month.
- When was McDonald's founded and where is it headquartered?
- McDonald's was founded in 1955 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
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