How many employees work at Nelnet?
Nelnet, Inc. (NNI) has approximately 5,831 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Nelnet’s total headcount has declined 3.7% from 6,052 employees in 2023 to 5,831 in 2026.
Is Nelnet hiring right now?
Yes, Nelnet is actively hiring. Nelnet had 117 active job postings in 2026, a 12.8% decline from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Nelnet’s Workforce
Nelnet, Inc. (NNI) is an Information Technology Services company that employs 5,831 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 9th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1977, the company is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska and trades on the New York Stock Exchange.
Nelnet's workforce has declined 3.7% from 2023 to 2026, down 1.3% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 5,766 in 2025 Q4 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (90.9%), followed by South Asia (2.2%) and Southeast Asia (2.1%).
Nelnet's functional groups are Finance and Operations (44.6%), Engineering (30.1%), and Sales and Marketing (25.3%), with Engineering growing fastest (up 1.5%). The average salary is $68,611, ranging from a median of $72,000 in Pacific Islands to $4,000 in South Asia, up 0.9% year over year in 2026.
Nelnet's active job postings fell 12.8% in 2026 to 117, with new postings per month cooling from 113 in 2023 to 77 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but improving.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Ticker
- New York Stock Exchange: NNI
- Headquarters
- Lincoln, Nebraska
- Founded
- 1977
- Industry
- Information Technology Services
- Employees
- 5,831
- YoY
- -1.3% (+3)
As of March 2026
Nelnet workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Nelnet. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsNelnet Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Nelnet had 5,831 employees in 2026, a 1.3% decline (+3) from 2025.
- Nelnet had 5,766 employees in 2025, a 1.6% decline (-119) from 2024.
- Nelnet had 5,885 employees in 2024, a 2.9% decline (-269) from 2023.
- Nelnet had 6,154 employees in 2023, a 1.4% decline (-70) from 2022.
Nelnet's total workforce has grown from 5,766 employees in 2025 to 5,831 in 2026. Nelnet's headcount peaked at 6,154 in 2023 before declining in 2025 and recovering through 2026.
Nelnet, Inc. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 5,831 | +3 | -1.3% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 5,766 | -119 | -1.6% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 5,767 | -150 | -1.7% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 5,770 | -218 | -2.4% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 5,828 | -266 | -2.8% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 5,885 | -269 | -2.9% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 5,917 | -221 | -2.8% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 5,988 | -64 | -1.1% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 6,094 | -55 | -1.2% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 6,154 | -70 | -1.4% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 6,138 | -99 | -1.2% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 6,052 | -153 | -1.8% |
See Nelnet's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataNelnet Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of Nelnet's global workforce with approximately 91% of total employees, followed by South Asia and Southeast Asia.
Nelnet employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 5,143 | 90.9% |
| South Asia | 123 | 2.2% |
| Southeast Asia | 120 | 2.1% |
| Pacific Islands | 66 | 1.2% |
| South America | 49 | 0.9% |
| Southern Europe | 30 | 0.5% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 26 | 0.5% |
| Northern Europe | 22 | 0.4% |
| Eastern Europe | 22 | 0.4% |
| Western Europe | 21 | 0.4% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataNelnet Employee Count by Department (2026)
Nelnet's employee groups are Finance and Operations (44.6%), Engineering (30.1%), and Sales and Marketing (25.3%).
Nelnet employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 2,541 | 44.6% |
| Engineering | 1,716 | 30.1% |
| Sales and Marketing | 1,445 | 25.3% |
Compare Nelnet's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataNelnet Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Nelnet's average employee salary is $68,611 globally. Employees in Pacific Islands receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $4,000.
Nelnet median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Pacific Islands | $72,000 |
| North America | $59,000 |
| Western Europe | $58,000 |
| Northern Europe | $45,000 |
| East Asia | $42,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $38,000 |
| Southern Europe | $36,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $32,000 |
| Arab States | $30,000 |
| South America | $17,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $16,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $12,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $11,000 |
| North Africa | $11,000 |
| South Asia | $4,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Nelnet's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataNelnet Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Nelnet had 117 active job postings in 2026, a 12.8% decline (+21) from 2025.
- Nelnet had 96 active job postings in 2025, a 18.2% increase (+16) from 2024.
- Nelnet had 80 active job postings in 2024, a 42.4% increase (+28) from 2023.
- Nelnet had 52 active job postings in 2023, a 114.4% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 77 new roles/month, up from 70 in 2025 and 72 in 2024.
Nelnet's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 12.8% in 2026 to 117, with new postings per month cooling from 113 in 2023 to 77 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataNelnet Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Nelnet'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.
Unlock SentimentSimilar Companies
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Frequently Asked Questions About Nelnet
- How fast is Nelnet growing?
- In 2026, Nelnet's headcount shrank 1.3% to 5,831 employees, up from 5,828 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Nelnet employees located?
- Most Nelnet employees are based in North America (90.9% of headcount), followed by South Asia and Southeast Asia.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Nelnet?
- The average employee salary at Nelnet is approximately $68.6k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Nelnet open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Nelnet opened 230 new job postings. In 2025, Nelnet opened 838 new job postings — about 70 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Nelnet founded and where is it headquartered?
- Nelnet was founded in 1977 and is headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska.
- Compare Nelnet to industry peers
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