How many employees work at Smith & Nephew?
Smith & Nephew plc (SN) has approximately 18,560 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Smith & Nephew’s total headcount has declined 1.2% from 18,787 employees in 2023 to 18,560 in 2026.
Is Smith & Nephew hiring right now?
Yes, Smith & Nephew is actively hiring. Smith & Nephew had 1,213 active job postings in 2026, a 43.8% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Smith & Nephew’s Workforce
Smith & Nephew plc (SN) is a Healthcare and Wellness Services company that employs 18,560 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 4th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1856, the company is headquartered in Watford, United Kingdom and trades on the London Stock Exchange.
Smith & Nephew's workforce has declined 1.2% from 2023 to 2026, down 0.2% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 18,145 in 2025 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (40.1%), followed by Central America and the Caribbean (10.6%) and Northern Europe (9.2%).
Smith & Nephew's functional groups are Finance and Operations (43.3%), Engineering (31.1%), and Sales and Marketing (25.6%), with Engineering growing fastest (up 1.8%). The average salary is $71,471, ranging from a median of $93,000 in North America to $12,000 in South Asia, down 1.4% year over year in 2026.
Smith & Nephew's active job postings rose 43.8% in 2026 to 1,213, with new postings per month cooling from 963 in 2023 to 597 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but improving.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Ticker
- London Stock Exchange: SN
- Headquarters
- Watford, United Kingdom
- Founded
- 1856
- Industry
- Healthcare and Wellness Services
- Employees
- 18,560
- YoY
- -0.2% (+415)
As of March 2026
Smith & Nephew workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Smith & Nephew. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsSmith & Nephew Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Smith & Nephew had 18,560 employees in 2026, a 0.2% decline (+415) from 2025.
- Smith & Nephew had 18,403 employees in 2025, a 0.3% decline (+228) from 2024.
- Smith & Nephew had 18,175 employees in 2024, a 1.5% decline (-279) from 2023.
- Smith & Nephew had 18,454 employees in 2023, a 0.6% decline (-266) from 2022.
Smith & Nephew's total workforce has grown from 18,145 employees in 2025 to 18,560 in 2026. Smith & Nephew's headcount peaked at 18,787 in 2023 before declining in 2025 and recovering through 2026.
Smith & Nephew plc quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 18,560 | +415 | -0.2% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 18,403 | +228 | -0.3% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 18,354 | +13 | -0.8% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 18,307 | -56 | -1.0% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 18,145 | -148 | -1.1% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 18,175 | -279 | -1.5% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 18,341 | -333 | -1.3% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 18,363 | -424 | -1.1% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 18,293 | -423 | -1.0% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 18,454 | -266 | -0.6% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 18,674 | +52 | +0.1% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 18,787 | +512 | +1.0% |
See Smith & Nephew's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataSmith & Nephew Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of Smith & Nephew's global workforce with approximately 40% of total employees, followed by Central America and the Caribbean and Northern Europe.
Smith & Nephew employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 7,371 | 40.1% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 1,954 | 10.6% |
| Northern Europe | 1,691 | 9.2% |
| South Asia | 1,494 | 8.1% |
| Western Europe | 986 | 5.4% |
| East Asia | 873 | 4.8% |
| Eastern Europe | 728 | 4.0% |
| Southeast Asia | 679 | 3.7% |
| Southern Europe | 606 | 3.3% |
| South America | 576 | 3.1% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataSmith & Nephew Employee Count by Department (2026)
Smith & Nephew's employee groups are Finance and Operations (43.3%), Engineering (31.1%), and Sales and Marketing (25.6%).
Smith & Nephew employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 7,942 | 43.3% |
| Engineering | 5,716 | 31.1% |
| Sales and Marketing | 4,703 | 25.6% |
Compare Smith & Nephew's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataSmith & Nephew Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Smith & Nephew's average employee salary is $71,471 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 $12,000.
Smith & Nephew median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $93,000 |
| Western Europe | $75,000 |
| Northern Europe | $74,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $72,000 |
| Arab States | $53,000 |
| East Asia | $47,000 |
| Southern Europe | $41,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $32,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $25,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $24,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $21,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $21,000 |
| South Asia | $12,000 |
| North Africa | $12,000 |
| South America | $11,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Smith & Nephew's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataSmith & Nephew Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Smith & Nephew had 1,213 active job postings in 2026, a 43.8% increase (+177) from 2025.
- Smith & Nephew had 1,036 active job postings in 2025, a 46.7% increase (+392) from 2024.
- Smith & Nephew had 644 active job postings in 2024, a 6.4% increase (+40) from 2023.
- Smith & Nephew had 604 active job postings in 2023, a 83.1% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 597 new roles/month, down from 648 in 2025 and 654 in 2024.
Smith & Nephew's active job postings rose 43.8% in 2026 to 1,213, with new postings per month cooling from 963 in 2023 to 597 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataSmith & Nephew Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Smith & Nephew'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 Smith & Nephew
- How fast is Smith & Nephew growing?
- In 2026, Smith & Nephew's headcount shrank 0.2% to 18,560 employees, up from 18,145 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Smith & Nephew employees located?
- Most Smith & Nephew employees are based in North America (40.1% of headcount), followed by Central America and the Caribbean and Northern Europe.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Smith & Nephew?
- The average employee salary at Smith & Nephew is approximately $71.5k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Smith & Nephew open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Smith & Nephew opened 1,791 new job postings. In 2025, Smith & Nephew opened 7,771 new job postings — about 648 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Smith & Nephew founded and where is it headquartered?
- Smith & Nephew was founded in 1856 and is headquartered in Watford, United Kingdom.
- Compare Smith & Nephew to industry peers
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