BME Spanish Markets: TEF

How many employees work at Telefonica?

Telefónica SA (TEF) has approximately 82,913 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Telefonica’s total headcount has declined 4.7% from 87,034 employees in 2023 to 82,913 in 2026.

Data source: Revelio LabsCoverage: Global workforce, 2023–2026Published August 2026

Is Telefonica hiring right now?

Yes, Telefonica is actively hiring. Telefonica had 2,510 active job postings in 2026, a 10.0% increase from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.

About Telefonica’s Workforce

Telefónica SA (TEF) is a Telecommunications Services company that employs 82,913 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 3rd-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1924, the company is headquartered in Madrid, Spain and trades on the BME Spanish Markets.

Telefonica's workforce has declined 4.7% from 2023 to 2026, down 3.8% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 82,913 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in South America (58.6%), followed by Southern Europe (23.7%) and Western Europe (6.2%).

Telefonica's functional groups are Finance and Operations (43.9%), Engineering (35.8%), and Sales and Marketing (20.3%). The average salary is $33,586, ranging from a median of $76,000 in Western Europe to $11,000 in South America, up 1.1% year over year in 2026.

Telefonica's active job postings rose 10.0% in 2026 to 2,510, with new postings per month cooling from 1,892 in 2023 to 1,541 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but declining.

Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.

Ticker
BME Spanish Markets: TEF
Headquarters
Madrid, Spain
Founded
1924
Industry
Telecommunications Services
Employees
82,913
YoY
-3.8% (-2,640)

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Telefonica Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)

Interactive chart of Telefonica annual worldwide employee count from 2023 to 2026.
  • Telefonica had 82,913 employees in 2026, a 3.8% decline (-2,640) from 2025.
  • Telefonica had 83,801 employees in 2025, a 2.6% decline (-1,891) from 2024.
  • Telefonica had 85,692 employees in 2024, a 0.8% decline (-555) from 2023.
  • Telefonica had 86,247 employees in 2023, a 0.5% decline (-526) from 2022.

Telefonica's total workforce has declined from 87,034 employees in 2023 to 82,913 in 2026.

Telefónica SA quarterly employee count

YearQtrEmployeesYoY ChangeYoY %
2026Q182,913-2,640-3.8%
2025Q483,801-1,891-2.6%
2025Q385,098-1,081-1.7%
2025Q285,232-817-1.4%
2025Q185,553-430-1.0%
2024Q485,692-555-0.8%
2024Q386,179-638-0.9%
2024Q286,049-985-0.9%
2024Q185,983-1,062-0.9%
2023Q486,247-526-0.5%
2023Q386,817+2-0.1%
2023Q287,034+495+0.2%

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Telefonica Employee Count by Region (2026)

South America accounts for the largest share of Telefonica's global workforce with approximately 59% of total employees, followed by Southern Europe and Western Europe.

Telefonica employees by region

RegionEmployees% of Total
South America47,91558.6%
Southern Europe19,37923.7%
Western Europe5,0576.2%
Northern Europe4,3925.4%
Central America and the Caribbean3,0643.7%
North America7660.9%
South Asia3590.4%
Sub-Saharan Africa2770.3%
Eastern Europe2530.3%
Southeast Asia760.1%

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Telefonica Employee Count by Department (2026)

Telefonica's employee groups are Finance and Operations (43.9%), Engineering (35.8%), and Sales and Marketing (20.3%).

Telefonica employees by department

DepartmentEmployees% of Total
Finance and Operations36,06643.9%
Engineering29,42235.8%
Sales and Marketing16,72420.3%

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Telefonica Employee Salary by Region (2026)

Telefonica's average employee salary is $33,586 globally. Employees in Western Europe receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 2.3x the global average. Pay is lowest in South America, at a median of $11,000.

Telefonica median employee salary by region (USD)

RegionMedian Salary
North America$83,000
Western Europe$76,000
Northern Europe$60,000
Southern Europe$51,000
Pacific Islands$48,000
Arab States$36,000
Eastern Europe$33,000
East Asia$29,000
Central America and the Caribbean$19,000
Central and Western Asia$16,000
North Africa$12,000
South America$11,000
Southeast Asia$10,000
Sub-Saharan Africa$8,000
South Asia$7,000

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Telefonica Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)

Interactive chart of Telefonica annual active job postings from 2023 to 2026.
  • Telefonica had 2,510 active job postings in 2026, a 10.0% increase (+503) from 2025.
  • Telefonica had 2,007 active job postings in 2025, a 12.3% increase (+232) from 2024.
  • Telefonica had 1,775 active job postings in 2024, a 19.9% decline (-393) from 2023.
  • Telefonica had 2,168 active job postings in 2023, a 6.9% increase from 2022.
  • Hiring velocity in 2026: 1,541 new roles/month, down from 1,669 in 2025 and 1,901 in 2024.

Telefonica's active job postings rose 10.0% in 2026 to 2,510, with new postings per month cooling from 1,892 in 2023 to 1,541 in 2026.

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Telefonica Employee Sentiment (2026)

Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Telefonica's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is neutral and has declined year over year in 2026.

Overall

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Frequently Asked Questions About Telefonica

How fast is Telefonica growing?
In 2026, Telefonica's headcount shrank 3.8% to 82,913 employees, down from 85,553 in 2025.
See the full headcount history
Where are Telefonica employees located?
Most Telefonica employees are based in South America (58.6% of headcount), followed by Southern Europe and Western Europe.
Explore where the workforce is based
What is the average salary at Telefonica?
The average employee salary at Telefonica is approximately $33.6k per year.
Analyze the salary distribution
How many new job postings does Telefonica open per year?
In Q1 2026, Telefonica opened 4,623 new job postings. In 2025, Telefonica opened 20,027 new job postings — about 1,669 per month.
Track hiring trends by role
When was Telefonica founded and where is it headquartered?
Telefonica was founded in 1924 and is headquartered in Madrid, Spain.
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