How many employees work at CERN?
European Organization for Nuclear Research has approximately 4,920 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. CERN’s total headcount has grown 7.7% from 4,569 employees in 2023 to 4,920 in 2026.
Is CERN hiring right now?
Yes, CERN is actively hiring. CERN had 134 active job postings in 2026, a 27.7% decline from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About CERN’s Workforce
European Organization for Nuclear Research is a Research and Development company that employs 4,920 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 7th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1954, the company is headquartered in Geneve, Switzerland.
CERN's workforce has grown 7.7% from 2023 to 2026, though it is down 0.9% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 4,335 in 2023 Q3 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in Western Europe (90.2%), followed by Southern Europe (1.8%) and North America (1.7%).
CERN's functional groups are Finance and Operations (46.7%), Sales and Marketing (28.4%), and Engineering (24.9%). The average salary is $90,148, ranging from a median of $89,000 in Western Europe to $34,000 in Eastern Europe, down 1.5% year over year in 2026.
CERN's active job postings fell 27.7% in 2026 to 134, with new postings per month climbing from 54 in 2023 to 115 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is positive and improving.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Headquarters
- Geneve, Switzerland
- Founded
- 1954
- Industry
- Research and Development
- Employees
- 4,920
- YoY
- -0.9% (+353)
As of March 2026
CERN workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for CERN. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsCERN Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- CERN had 4,920 employees in 2026, a 0.9% decline (+353) from 2025.
- CERN had 4,769 employees in 2025, a 1.8% decline (+300) from 2024.
- CERN had 4,469 employees in 2024, a 1.4% decline (+134) from 2023.
- CERN had 4,335 employees in 2023, a 1.1% decline (+53) from 2022.
CERN's total workforce has grown from 4,569 employees in 2023 to 4,920 in 2026.
European Organization for Nuclear Research quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 4,920 | +353 | -0.9% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 4,769 | +300 | -1.8% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 4,704 | +234 | -1.5% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 4,988 | +281 | +0.4% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 4,567 | +112 | -1.6% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 4,469 | +134 | -1.4% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 4,470 | +135 | -1.3% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 4,707 | +138 | -1.4% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 4,455 | +118 | -1.3% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 4,335 | +53 | -1.1% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 4,335 | +12 | -1.5% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 4,569 | +47 | -0.5% |
See CERN's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataCERN Employee Count by Region (2026)
Western Europe accounts for the largest share of CERN's global workforce with approximately 90% of total employees, followed by Southern Europe and North America.
CERN employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Western Europe | 4,390 | 90.2% |
| Southern Europe | 88 | 1.8% |
| North America | 84 | 1.7% |
| Northern Europe | 64 | 1.3% |
| Eastern Europe | 62 | 1.3% |
| South Asia | 62 | 1.3% |
| Central and Western Asia | 28 | 0.6% |
| South America | 21 | 0.4% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 17 | 0.3% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 15 | 0.3% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataCERN Employee Count by Department (2026)
CERN's employee groups are Finance and Operations (46.7%), Sales and Marketing (28.4%), and Engineering (24.9%).
CERN employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 2,281 | 46.7% |
| Sales and Marketing | 1,384 | 28.4% |
| Engineering | 1,215 | 24.9% |
Compare CERN's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataCERN Employee Salary by Region (2026)
CERN's average employee salary is $90,148 globally. Employees in Western Europe receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in Eastern Europe, at a median of $34,000.
CERN median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Western Europe | $89,000 |
| North America | $76,000 |
| Northern Europe | $57,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $43,000 |
| Arab States | $39,000 |
| Southern Europe | $38,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $34,000 |
| East Asia | $30,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $24,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $21,000 |
| South America | $14,000 |
| North Africa | $13,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $11,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $9,000 |
| South Asia | $7,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to CERN's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataCERN Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- CERN had 134 active job postings in 2026, a 27.7% decline (-19) from 2025.
- CERN had 153 active job postings in 2025, a 61.9% decline (-137) from 2024.
- CERN had 290 active job postings in 2024, a 67.3% increase (+146) from 2023.
- CERN had 144 active job postings in 2023, a 109.7% increase from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 115 new roles/month, down from 137 in 2025 and 110 in 2024.
CERN's active job postings fell 27.7% in 2026 to 134, with new postings per month climbing from 54 in 2023 to 115 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataCERN Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across CERN's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is positive and has improved 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 CERN
- How fast is CERN growing?
- In 2026, CERN's headcount shrank 0.9% to 4,920 employees, up from 4,567 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are CERN employees located?
- Most CERN employees are based in Western Europe (90.2% of headcount), followed by Southern Europe and North America.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at CERN?
- The average employee salary at CERN is approximately $90.1k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does CERN open per year?
- In Q1 2026, CERN opened 345 new job postings. In 2025, CERN opened 1,642 new job postings — about 137 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was CERN founded and where is it headquartered?
- CERN was founded in 1954 and is headquartered in Geneve, Switzerland.
- Compare CERN to industry peers
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