How many employees work at Stepan?
Stepan Co. (SCL) has approximately 2,295 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Stepan’s total headcount has declined 4.4% from 2,400 employees in 2023 to 2,295 in 2026.
Is Stepan hiring right now?
Yes, Stepan is actively hiring. Stepan had 40 active job postings in 2026, a 60.9% decline from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Stepan’s Workforce
Stepan Co. (SCL) is a Materials Manufacturing company that employs 2,295 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 10th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1932, the company is headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois and trades on the New York Stock Exchange.
Stepan's workforce has declined 4.4% from 2023 to 2026, down 2.5% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 2,295 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (49.2%), followed by South America (14.7%) and Western Europe (11.4%).
Stepan's functional groups are Finance and Operations (42.2%), Engineering (31.7%), and Sales and Marketing (26.2%). The average salary is $75,847, ranging from a median of $103,000 in North America to $12,000 in South America, up 2.4% year over year in 2026.
Stepan's active job postings fell 60.9% in 2026 to 40, with new postings per month cooling from 46 in 2023 to 18 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but declining.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Ticker
- New York Stock Exchange: SCL
- Headquarters
- Northbrook, Illinois
- Founded
- 1932
- Industry
- Materials Manufacturing
- Employees
- 2,295
- YoY
- -2.5% (-103)
As of March 2026
Stepan workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Stepan. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsStepan Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Stepan had 2,295 employees in 2026, a 2.5% decline (-103) from 2025.
- Stepan had 2,342 employees in 2025, a 1.5% decline (-28) from 2024.
- Stepan had 2,370 employees in 2024, a 0.2% increase (+41) from 2023.
- Stepan had 2,329 employees in 2023, a 2.4% decline (-71) from 2022.
Stepan's total workforce has declined from 2,400 employees in 2023 to 2,295 in 2026.
Stepan Co. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 2,295 | -103 | -2.5% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 2,342 | -28 | -1.5% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 2,377 | +9 | -1.2% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 2,404 | +60 | -0.7% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 2,398 | +64 | -0.2% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 2,370 | +41 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 2,368 | -44 | -1.8% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 2,344 | -56 | -1.3% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 2,334 | -61 | -1.1% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 2,329 | -71 | -2.4% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 2,412 | +35 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 2,400 | +35 | -0.4% |
See Stepan's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataStepan Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of Stepan's global workforce with approximately 49% of total employees, followed by South America and Western Europe.
Stepan employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 1,112 | 49.2% |
| South America | 332 | 14.7% |
| Western Europe | 256 | 11.4% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 172 | 7.6% |
| Southeast Asia | 115 | 5.1% |
| East Asia | 100 | 4.4% |
| Northern Europe | 83 | 3.7% |
| Eastern Europe | 49 | 2.2% |
| South Asia | 26 | 1.1% |
| Central and Western Asia | 6 | 0.3% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataStepan Employee Count by Department (2026)
Stepan's employee groups are Finance and Operations (42.2%), Engineering (31.7%), and Sales and Marketing (26.2%).
Stepan employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 964 | 42.2% |
| Engineering | 725 | 31.7% |
| Sales and Marketing | 598 | 26.2% |
Compare Stepan's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataStepan Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Stepan's average employee salary is $75,847 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 1.4x the global average. Pay is lowest in South America, at a median of $12,000.
Stepan median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| North America | $103,000 |
| Northern Europe | $66,000 |
| Western Europe | $59,000 |
| East Asia | $42,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $37,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $24,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $23,000 |
| South America | $12,000 |
| South Asia | $10,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Stepan's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataStepan Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Stepan had 40 active job postings in 2026, a 60.9% decline (+3) from 2025.
- Stepan had 37 active job postings in 2025, a 31.8% decline (-14) from 2024.
- Stepan had 51 active job postings in 2024, a 37.2% increase (+16) from 2023.
- Stepan had 35 active job postings in 2023, a 106.7% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 18 new roles/month, down from 34 in 2025 and 44 in 2024.
Stepan's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 60.9% in 2026 to 40, with new postings per month cooling from 46 in 2023 to 18 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataStepan Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Stepan'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
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Frequently Asked Questions About Stepan
- How fast is Stepan growing?
- In 2026, Stepan's headcount shrank 2.5% to 2,295 employees, down from 2,398 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Stepan employees located?
- Most Stepan employees are based in North America (49.2% of headcount), followed by South America and Western Europe.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Stepan?
- The average employee salary at Stepan is approximately $75.8k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Stepan open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Stepan opened 54 new job postings. In 2025, Stepan opened 412 new job postings — about 34 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Stepan founded and where is it headquartered?
- Stepan was founded in 1932 and is headquartered in Northbrook, Illinois.
- Compare Stepan to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about Stepan.
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