How many employees does Merck have?
Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) has approximately 76,488 total employees worldwide as of June 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Merck’s total headcount has grown 7.7% from 71,034 employees in 2023 to 76,488 in 2026.
Is Merck hiring right now?
Yes, Merck is actively hiring. Merck had 3,988 active job postings in 2026, a 30.4% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Merck’s Workforce
Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK) is a Pharmaceuticals company that employs 76,488 people worldwide as of June 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 7.7% from 2023 to 2026, up 2.0% year over year in 2026. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (46.1%), followed by Western Europe (10.0%) and East Asia (8.9%).
Merck's functional groups are Finance and Operations (45.3%), Engineering (31.0%), and Sales and Marketing (23.7%), with Sales and Marketing growing fastest (up 1.9%). The average salary is $101,546, ranging from a median of $134,000 in North America to $16,000 in South Asia, down 1.3% year over year in 2026.
Merck's active job postings rose 30.4% in 2026 to 3,988, with new postings per month climbing from 2,429 in 2023 to 3,046 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
- 76,488
- YoY
- +2.0% (+1,519)
As of June 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)
Loading- Merck had 76,488 employees in 2026, a 2.0% increase (+1,519) from 2025.
- Merck had 75,359 employees in 2025, a 3.0% increase (+2,229) from 2024.
- Merck had 73,130 employees in 2024, a 2.6% increase (+1,845) from 2023.
- Merck had 71,285 employees in 2023, a 2.4% increase (+1,684) from 2022.
Merck's total workforce has grown from 71,034 employees in 2023 to 76,488 in 2026.
Merck & Co., Inc. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q2 | 76,488 | +1,519 | +2.0% |
| 2026 | Q1 | 75,554 | +1,992 | +2.7% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 75,359 | +2,229 | +3.0% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 74,971 | +2,310 | +3.2% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 74,969 | +2,274 | +3.1% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 73,562 | +2,201 | +3.1% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 73,130 | +1,845 | +2.6% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 72,661 | +1,627 | +2.3% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 72,695 | +1,418 | +2.0% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 71,361 | +1,369 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 71,285 | +1,684 | +2.4% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 71,034 | +1,646 | +2.4% |
See Merck's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataMerck Employee Count by Region (2026)
LoadingNorth America accounts for the largest share of Merck's global workforce with approximately 46% of total employees, followed by Western Europe and East Asia.
Merck employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 34,919 | 46.1% |
| Western Europe | 7,570 | 10.0% |
| East Asia | 6,747 | 8.9% |
| Northern Europe | 4,696 | 6.2% |
| South Asia | 4,315 | 5.7% |
| Southeast Asia | 3,467 | 4.6% |
| Eastern Europe | 3,406 | 4.5% |
| Southern Europe | 2,668 | 3.5% |
| South America | 2,592 | 3.4% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 1,772 | 2.3% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataMerck Employee Count by Department (2026)
LoadingMerck's employee groups are Finance and Operations (45.3%), Engineering (31.0%), and Sales and Marketing (23.7%).
Merck employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 34,417 | 45.3% |
| Engineering | 23,575 | 31.0% |
| Sales and Marketing | 18,043 | 23.7% |
Compare Merck's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataMerck Employee Salary by Region (2026)
LoadingMerck's average employee salary is $101,546 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 | $82,000 |
| Northern Europe | $80,000 |
| Western Europe | $79,000 |
| Arab States | $60,000 |
| 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 |
| South America | $23,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $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)
Loading- Merck had 3,988 active job postings in 2026, a 30.4% increase (+568) from 2025.
- Merck had 3,420 active job postings in 2025, a 17.8% increase (+559) 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: 3,046 new roles/month, up from 2,777 in 2025 and 2,597 in 2024.
Merck's hiring is accelerating: active job postings rose 30.4% in 2026 to 3,988, with new postings per month climbing from 2,429 in 2023 to 3,046 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.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Merck
- How fast is Merck growing?
- In 2026, Merck's headcount grew 2.0% to 76,488 employees, up from 74,969 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Merck employees located?
- Most Merck employees are based in North America (46.1% of headcount), followed by Western Europe and East Asia.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- How many people work at Merck in North America?
- About 34,919 people work at Merck in North America, its largest region.
- See headcount by region
- What is the average salary at Merck?
- The average employee salary at Merck is approximately $101.5k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Merck open per year?
- Through Q2 2026, Merck opened 18,275 new job postings. In 2025, Merck opened 33,321 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.
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