How many employees work at ZF Friedrichshafen?

ZF Friedrichshafen AG has approximately 78,148 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. ZF Friedrichshafen's total headcount has declined 8.7% from 85,588 employees in 2023 to 78,148 in 2026.

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

ZF Friedrichshafen is hiring

Is ZF Friedrichshafen hiring right now?

Yes, ZF Friedrichshafen is actively hiring. ZF Friedrichshafen had 818 active job postings in 2026, a 27.9% decline from 2025 see job openings & hiring trends.

About ZF Friedrichshafen's Workforce

ZF Friedrichshafen AG is an Automotive Services company founded in 1921 and headquartered in Friedrichshafen, Germany. It employs 78,148 people worldwide as of March 2026 and ranks as the 7th-largest by headcount among its peers.

ZF Friedrichshafen's workforce declined 8.7% from 2023 to 2026 and was down 7.2% year over year in 2026. The headcount fell to a low of 78,148 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. The workforce is most concentrated in Germany (22%), followed by India (18%) and China (11.1%), with China listed as its fastest-growing location.

ZF Friedrichshafen's largest groups by headcount are Finance and Operations (43.7%), Engineering (30.1%), and Sales and Marketing (26.2%), with a median tenure of 6.2 years. The average salary is $50,697, and regional medians range from $88,000 in Northern America to $15,000 in Southern Asia.

ZF Friedrichshafen's active job postings fell 27.9% in 2026 to 818, with postings per month slowing from 1,496 in 2023 to 429 in 2026. Overall sentiment is neutral and flat.

Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.

As of March 2026

ZF Friedrichshafen
workforce metrics

Headcount

78.1k

7.2% YoY

Avg. Salary

$50.7k

0.7% YoY

Tenure

6.2yr

0.1yr YoY

Growth Rate

-7.2%

5.7pts YoY

Hiring Rate

Attrition Rate

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Interactive chart of ZF Friedrichshafen annual worldwide employee count from 2023 to 2026.
  • ZF Friedrichshafen had 78,148 employees in 2026, a 7.2% decline (-5,822) from 2025.
  • ZF Friedrichshafen had 79,706 employees in 2025, a 5.8% decline (-4,785) from 2024.
  • ZF Friedrichshafen had 84,491 employees in 2024, a 1.2% decline (-1,047) from 2023.
  • ZF Friedrichshafen had 85,538 employees in 2023, a 2.3% increase (+1,942) from 2022.

ZF Friedrichshafen's total workforce has declined from 85,588 employees in 2023 to 78,148 in 2026. ZF Friedrichshafen's headcount peaked at 85,621 in 2024.

ZF Friedrichshafen AG — quarterly employee count (20232026)

YearQtrEmployeesYoY ChangeYoY %
2026Q178,148-5,822-7.2%
2025Q479,706-4,785-5.8%
2025Q381,916-3,142-3.8%
2025Q283,412-2,209-2.6%
2025Q183,970-1,236-1.5%
2024Q484,491-1,047-1.2%
2024Q385,058-555-0.7%
2024Q285,621+33+0.0%
2024Q185,206+878+1.0%
2023Q485,538+1,942+2.3%
2023Q385,613+2,864+3.4%
2023Q285,588+3,545+4.2%

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Germany accounts for the largest share of ZF Friedrichshafen's global workforce with approximately 22% of total employees, followed by India and China.

ZF Friedrichshafen employees by country — 2026

CountryEmployees% of TotalYoY %
Germany17,17822.0%-6.4%
India14,02818.0%-4.1%
China8,67011.1%-1.6%
United States7,1119.1%-4.0%
Poland6,0987.8%-3.4%
Mexico5,1076.6%-3.2%
Brazil4,6386.0%-4.7%
Czech Republic2,0592.6%-4.4%
United Kingdom1,2161.6%-5.3%
Romania1,2111.6%-13.3%

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ZF Friedrichshafen's largest employee groups are Finance and Operations (43.7%), Engineering (30.1%), and Sales and Marketing (26.2%).

ZF Friedrichshafen employees by department — 2026

DepartmentEmployees% of TotalYoY %
Finance and Operations34,15743.7%-4.5%
Engineering23,50430.1%-3.8%
Sales and Marketing20,46626.2%-4.3%

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ZF Friedrichshafen's average employee salary is $50,697 globally. Employees in Northern America receive the highest compensation, with median pay approximately 1.7x the global average. Pay is lowest in Southern Asia, at a median of $15,000.

ZF Friedrichshafen median employee salary by region — 2026 (USD)

RegionMedian Salary
Northern America$88,000
Western Europe$80,000
Northern Europe$73,000
Pacific Islands$64,000
Arab States$59,000
Eastern Asia$45,000
Eastern Europe$36,000
Southern Europe$32,000
South-Eastern Asia$24,000
Central and Western Asia$23,000
Central America and the Caribbean$23,000
Sub-Saharan Africa$17,000
Southern Asia$15,000
Northern Africa$10,000
Southern America$8,000

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Interactive chart of ZF Friedrichshafen annual active job postings from 2023 to 2026.
  • ZF Friedrichshafen had 818 active job postings in 2026, a 27.9% decline (+56) from 2025.
  • ZF Friedrichshafen had 762 active job postings in 2025, a 34.3% decline (-315) from 2024.
  • ZF Friedrichshafen had 1,077 active job postings in 2024, a 27.5% decline (-344) from 2023.
  • ZF Friedrichshafen had 1,421 active job postings in 2023, a 65.3% decline from 2022.
  • Hiring velocity in 2026: 429 new roles/month, down from 633 in 2025 and 1,120 in 2024. New metric

ZF Friedrichshafen's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 27.9% in 2026 to 818, with new postings per month cooling from 1,496 in 2023 to 429 in 2026.

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

Overall

NegativePositive

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How fast is ZF Friedrichshafen growing?
In 2026, ZF Friedrichshafen's headcount shrank 7.2% to 78,148 employees, down from 83,970 in 2025.
Where are ZF Friedrichshafen employees located?
Most ZF Friedrichshafen employees are based in Germany (22.0% of headcount), followed by India and China.
What is the average salary at ZF Friedrichshafen?
The average employee salary at ZF Friedrichshafen is approximately $50.7k per year.
How many people does ZF Friedrichshafen hire per year?
In 2026, ZF Friedrichshafen opened roughly 5,148 new roles — about 429 per month.
When was ZF Friedrichshafen founded and where is it headquartered?
ZF Friedrichshafen was founded in 1921 and is headquartered in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

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