How many employees work at Merck?
Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) has approximately 75,540 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Merck’s total headcount has grown 5.9% from 71,347 employees in 2023 to 75,540 in 2026.
Is Merck hiring right now?
Yes, Merck is actively hiring. Merck had 3,130 active job postings in 2026, a 2.2% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Merck’s Workforce
Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) is a Pharmaceuticals company that employs 75,540 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 6th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1891, the company is headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey and trades on the New York Stock Exchange.
Merck's workforce has grown 5.9% from 2023 to 2026, though it is down 1.0% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 71,053 in 2023 Q3 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (46.8%), followed by Western Europe (9.8%) and East Asia (8.9%).
Merck's functional groups are Finance and Operations (45.3%), Engineering (31.1%), and Sales and Marketing (23.6%), with Sales and Marketing growing fastest (up 0.8%). The average salary is $102,423, ranging from a median of $134,000 in North America to $16,000 in South Asia, down 1.6% year over year in 2026.
Merck's active job postings rose 2.2% in 2026 to 3,130, with new postings per month climbing from 2,412 in 2023 to 2,744 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but declining.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Ticker
- New York Stock Exchange: MRK
- Headquarters
- Rahway, New Jersey
- Founded
- 1891
- Industry
- Pharmaceuticals
- Employees
- 75,540
- YoY
- -1.0% (+1,957)
As of March 2026
Merck workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Merck. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsMerck Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Merck had 75,540 employees in 2026, a 1.0% decline (+1,957) from 2025.
- Merck had 75,368 employees in 2025, a 0.8% decline (+2,218) from 2024.
- Merck had 73,150 employees in 2024, a 0.5% decline (+1,838) from 2023.
- Merck had 71,312 employees in 2023, a 0.4% decline (+1,661) from 2022.
Merck's total workforce has grown from 71,347 employees in 2023 to 75,540 in 2026.
Merck & Co., Inc. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 75,540 | +1,957 | -1.0% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 75,368 | +2,218 | -0.8% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 75,003 | +2,353 | -0.6% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 75,010 | +2,295 | -0.3% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 73,583 | +2,207 | -0.4% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 73,150 | +1,838 | -0.5% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 72,650 | +1,597 | -0.5% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 72,715 | +1,368 | -0.7% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 71,376 | +1,319 | -0.5% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 71,312 | +1,661 | -0.4% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 71,053 | +1,596 | -0.3% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 71,347 | +1,645 | -0.2% |
See Merck's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataMerck Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of Merck's global workforce with approximately 47% of total employees, followed by Western Europe and East Asia.
Merck employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 34,994 | 46.8% |
| Western Europe | 7,317 | 9.8% |
| East Asia | 6,673 | 8.9% |
| Northern Europe | 4,524 | 6.1% |
| South Asia | 4,190 | 5.6% |
| Southeast Asia | 3,448 | 4.6% |
| Eastern Europe | 3,298 | 4.4% |
| Southern Europe | 2,623 | 3.5% |
| South America | 2,563 | 3.4% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 1,686 | 2.3% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataMerck Employee Count by Department (2026)
Merck's employee groups are Finance and Operations (45.3%), Engineering (31.1%), and Sales and Marketing (23.6%).
Merck employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 34,040 | 45.3% |
| Engineering | 23,343 | 31.1% |
| Sales and Marketing | 17,678 | 23.6% |
Compare Merck's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataMerck Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Merck's average employee salary is $102,423 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 1.3x the global average. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $16,000.
Merck median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $134,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $81,000 |
| Western Europe | $80,000 |
| Northern Europe | $80,000 |
| Arab States | $61,000 |
| Southern Europe | $57,000 |
| East Asia | $52,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $43,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $40,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $39,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $37,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $23,000 |
| South America | $23,000 |
| South Asia | $16,000 |
| North Africa | $15,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Merck's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataMerck Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Merck had 3,130 active job postings in 2026, a 2.2% increase (-289) from 2025.
- Merck had 3,419 active job postings in 2025, a 17.8% increase (+558) from 2024.
- Merck had 2,861 active job postings in 2024, a 15.9% decline (-494) from 2023.
- Merck had 3,355 active job postings in 2023, a 3.0% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 2,744 new roles/month, down from 2,777 in 2025 and 2,596 in 2024.
Merck's hiring is accelerating: active job postings rose 2.2% in 2026 to 3,130, with new postings per month climbing from 2,412 in 2023 to 2,744 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataMerck Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Merck'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
Similar Pharmaceuticals Companies by Employee Count
Frequently Asked Questions About Merck
- How fast is Merck growing?
- In 2026, Merck's headcount shrank 1.0% to 75,540 employees, up from 73,583 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Merck employees located?
- Most Merck employees are based in North America (46.8% of headcount), followed by Western Europe and East Asia.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Merck?
- The average employee salary at Merck is approximately $102.4k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Merck open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Merck opened 8,231 new job postings. In 2025, Merck opened 33,323 new job postings — about 2,777 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Merck founded and where is it headquartered?
- Merck was founded in 1891 and is headquartered in Rahway, New Jersey.
- Compare Merck to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about Merck.
Book a DemoSee something that doesn't look right? Reach out and our team will review it.