How many employees work at Royal Air Force?
The Royal Air Force (United Kingdom) has approximately 21,182 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Royal Air Force’s total headcount has declined 20.1% from 26,508 employees in 2023 to 21,182 in 2026.
Is Royal Air Force hiring right now?
Yes, Royal Air Force is actively hiring. Royal Air Force had 58 active job postings in 2026, a 15.9% decline from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Royal Air Force’s Workforce
The Royal Air Force (United Kingdom) is an Aerospace and Defense company that employs 21,182 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 9th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1918, the company is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
Royal Air Force's workforce has declined 20.1% from 2023 to 2026, down 2.9% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 21,182 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in Northern Europe (94.8%), followed by North America (1.7%) and Southern Europe (1.0%).
Royal Air Force's functional groups are Finance and Operations (56.7%), Engineering (22.2%), and Sales and Marketing (21.0%). The average salary is $56,995, ranging from a median of $67,000 in North America to $31,000 in Arab States.
Royal Air Force's active job postings fell 15.9% in 2026 to 58, with new postings per month cooling from 39 in 2023 to 24 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but improving.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Headquarters
- London, United Kingdom
- Founded
- 1918
- Industry
- Aerospace and Defense
- Employees
- 21,182
- YoY
- -2.9% (-1,407)
As of March 2026
Royal Air Force workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Royal Air Force. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsRoyal Air Force Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Royal Air Force had 21,182 employees in 2026, a 2.9% decline (-1,407) from 2025.
- Royal Air Force had 21,426 employees in 2025, a 3.0% decline (-1,599) from 2024.
- Royal Air Force had 23,025 employees in 2024, a 3.3% decline (-2,055) from 2023.
- Royal Air Force had 25,080 employees in 2023, a 3.0% decline (-2,821) from 2022.
Royal Air Force's total workforce has declined from 26,508 employees in 2023 to 21,182 in 2026.
The Royal Air Force (United Kingdom) quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 21,182 | -1,407 | -2.9% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 21,426 | -1,599 | -3.0% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 21,792 | -1,587 | -2.9% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 22,213 | -1,835 | -3.5% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 22,589 | -1,969 | -3.4% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 23,025 | -2,055 | -3.3% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 23,379 | -2,282 | -3.4% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 24,048 | -2,460 | -3.0% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 24,558 | -2,726 | -3.3% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 25,080 | -2,821 | -3.0% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 25,661 | -2,834 | -2.8% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 26,508 | -2,675 | -2.3% |
See Royal Air Force's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataRoyal Air Force Employee Count by Region (2026)
Northern Europe accounts for the largest share of Royal Air Force's global workforce with approximately 95% of total employees, followed by North America and Southern Europe.
Royal Air Force employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Northern Europe | 19,747 | 94.8% |
| North America | 355 | 1.7% |
| Southern Europe | 217 | 1.0% |
| Arab States | 129 | 0.6% |
| Western Europe | 97 | 0.5% |
| North Africa | 96 | 0.5% |
| South Asia | 53 | 0.3% |
| Pacific Islands | 35 | 0.2% |
| South America | 30 | 0.1% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 23 | 0.1% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataRoyal Air Force Employee Count by Department (2026)
Royal Air Force's employee groups are Finance and Operations (56.7%), Engineering (22.2%), and Sales and Marketing (21.0%).
Royal Air Force employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 11,953 | 56.7% |
| Engineering | 4,686 | 22.2% |
| Sales and Marketing | 4,430 | 21.0% |
Compare Royal Air Force's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataRoyal Air Force Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Royal Air Force's average employee salary is $56,995 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 1.2x the global average. Pay is lowest in Arab States, at a median of $31,000.
Royal Air Force median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $67,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $61,000 |
| Western Europe | $54,000 |
| Northern Europe | $53,000 |
| Southern Europe | $44,000 |
| Arab States | $31,000 |
| South America | $16,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $16,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $15,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $13,000 |
| North Africa | $12,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $8,000 |
| South Asia | $7,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Royal Air Force's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataRoyal Air Force Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Royal Air Force had 58 active job postings in 2026, a 15.9% decline (+6) from 2025.
- Royal Air Force had 52 active job postings in 2025, a 111.9% decline (-132) from 2024.
- Royal Air Force had 184 active job postings in 2024, a 46.0% decline (-110) from 2023.
- Royal Air Force had 294 active job postings in 2023, a 167.5% increase from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 24 new roles/month, down from 81 in 2025 and 54 in 2024.
Royal Air Force's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 15.9% in 2026 to 58, with new postings per month cooling from 39 in 2023 to 24 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataRoyal Air Force Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Royal Air Force'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.
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Frequently Asked Questions About Royal Air Force
- How fast is Royal Air Force growing?
- In 2026, Royal Air Force's headcount shrank 2.9% to 21,182 employees, down from 22,589 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Royal Air Force employees located?
- Most Royal Air Force employees are based in Northern Europe (94.8% of headcount), followed by North America and Southern Europe.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Royal Air Force?
- The average employee salary at Royal Air Force is approximately $57k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Royal Air Force open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Royal Air Force opened 73 new job postings. In 2025, Royal Air Force opened 976 new job postings — about 81 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Royal Air Force founded and where is it headquartered?
- Royal Air Force was founded in 1918 and is headquartered in London, United Kingdom.
- Compare Royal Air Force to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about Royal Air Force.
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