How many employees work at Merck KGaA?
Merck KGaA (MRK) has approximately 62,814 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Merck KGaA’s total headcount has grown 4.0% from 60,411 employees in 2023 to 62,814 in 2026.
Is Merck KGaA hiring right now?
Yes, Merck KGaA is actively hiring. Merck KGaA had 729 active job postings in 2026, a 13.4% decline from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Merck KGaA’s Workforce
Merck KGaA (MRK) is a Pharmaceuticals company that employs 62,814 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 8th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1668, the company is headquartered in Kreisfreie Stadt Darmstadt, Germany and trades on the XETRA.
Merck KGaA's workforce has grown 4.0% from 2023 to 2026, though it is down 0.2% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 59,852 in 2023 Q4 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in Western Europe (24.0%), followed by North America (20.4%) and South Asia (14.5%).
Merck KGaA's functional groups are Finance and Operations (45.3%), Engineering (30.1%), and Sales and Marketing (24.6%), with Finance and Operations growing fastest (up 0.6%). The average salary is $70,838, ranging from a median of $101,000 in North America to $15,000 in South Asia, down 2.0% year over year in 2026.
Merck KGaA's active job postings fell 13.4% in 2026 to 729, with new postings per month cooling from 704 in 2023 to 380 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but declining.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Ticker
- XETRA: MRK
- Headquarters
- Kreisfreie Stadt Darmstadt, Germany
- Founded
- 1668
- Industry
- Pharmaceuticals
- Employees
- 62,814
- YoY
- -0.2% (+1,338)
As of March 2026
Merck KGaA workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Merck KGaA. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsMerck KGaA Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Merck KGaA had 62,814 employees in 2026, a 0.2% decline (+1,338) from 2025.
- Merck KGaA had 62,613 employees in 2025, a 0.2% increase (+1,937) from 2024.
- Merck KGaA had 60,676 employees in 2024, a 0.1% increase (+824) from 2023.
- Merck KGaA had 59,852 employees in 2023, a 0.5% decline (+311) from 2022.
Merck KGaA's total workforce has grown from 60,411 employees in 2023 to 62,814 in 2026.
Merck KGaA quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 62,814 | +1,338 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 62,613 | +1,937 | +0.2% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 62,487 | +2,191 | +0.6% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 62,375 | +2,037 | +0.5% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 61,476 | +1,510 | +0.4% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 60,676 | +824 | +0.1% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 60,296 | +171 | -0.3% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 60,338 | -73 | -0.6% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 59,966 | +78 | -0.5% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 59,852 | +311 | -0.5% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 60,125 | +856 | +0.1% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 60,411 | +1,460 | +0.7% |
See Merck KGaA's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataMerck KGaA Employee Count by Region (2026)
Western Europe accounts for the largest share of Merck KGaA's global workforce with approximately 24% of total employees, followed by North America and South Asia.
Merck KGaA employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Western Europe | 14,950 | 24.0% |
| North America | 12,673 | 20.4% |
| South Asia | 9,029 | 14.5% |
| East Asia | 7,313 | 11.8% |
| Southern Europe | 3,493 | 5.6% |
| South America | 3,141 | 5.0% |
| Northern Europe | 3,057 | 4.9% |
| Southeast Asia | 2,948 | 4.7% |
| Eastern Europe | 1,829 | 2.9% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 1,394 | 2.2% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataMerck KGaA Employee Count by Department (2026)
Merck KGaA's employee groups are Finance and Operations (45.3%), Engineering (30.1%), and Sales and Marketing (24.6%).
Merck KGaA employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 28,321 | 45.3% |
| Engineering | 18,803 | 30.1% |
| Sales and Marketing | 15,400 | 24.6% |
Compare Merck KGaA's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataMerck KGaA Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Merck KGaA's average employee salary is $70,838 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 1.4x the global average. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $15,000.
Merck KGaA median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $101,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $91,000 |
| Western Europe | $86,000 |
| Northern Europe | $68,000 |
| Arab States | $62,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $55,000 |
| Southern Europe | $48,000 |
| East Asia | $46,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $41,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $26,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $24,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $20,000 |
| North Africa | $17,000 |
| South Asia | $15,000 |
| South America | $14,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Merck KGaA's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataMerck KGaA Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Merck KGaA had 729 active job postings in 2026, a 13.4% decline (+91) from 2025.
- Merck KGaA had 638 active job postings in 2025, a 26.6% decline (-196) from 2024.
- Merck KGaA had 834 active job postings in 2024, a 13.2% decline (-118) from 2023.
- Merck KGaA had 952 active job postings in 2023, a 74.1% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 380 new roles/month, down from 548 in 2025 and 908 in 2024.
Merck KGaA's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 13.4% in 2026 to 729, with new postings per month cooling from 704 in 2023 to 380 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataMerck KGaA Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Merck KGaA'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.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Merck KGaA
- How fast is Merck KGaA growing?
- In 2026, Merck KGaA's headcount shrank 0.2% to 62,814 employees, up from 61,476 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Merck KGaA employees located?
- Most Merck KGaA employees are based in Western Europe (24.0% of headcount), followed by North America and South Asia.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Merck KGaA?
- The average employee salary at Merck KGaA is approximately $70.8k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Merck KGaA open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Merck KGaA opened 1,141 new job postings. In 2025, Merck KGaA opened 6,577 new job postings — about 548 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Merck KGaA founded and where is it headquartered?
- Merck KGaA was founded in 1668 and is headquartered in Kreisfreie Stadt Darmstadt, Germany.
- Compare Merck KGaA to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about Merck KGaA.
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