How many employees work at Norfolk Southern?
Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC) has approximately 19,259 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Norfolk Southern’s total headcount has declined 2.7% from 19,790 employees in 2023 to 19,259 in 2026.
Is Norfolk Southern hiring right now?
Yes, Norfolk Southern is actively hiring. Norfolk Southern had 112 active job postings in 2026, a 44.4% decline from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Norfolk Southern’s Workforce
Norfolk Southern Corp. (NSC) is a Logistics and Transportation company that employs 19,259 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 9th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1980, the company is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia and trades on the New York Stock Exchange.
Norfolk Southern's workforce has declined 2.7% from 2023 to 2026, down 0.5% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 19,259 in 2026 Q1 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (98.3%), followed by South Asia (0.6%) and Eastern Europe (0.2%).
Norfolk Southern's functional groups are Finance and Operations (49.2%), Engineering (28.6%), and Sales and Marketing (22.3%). The average salary is $88,896, ranging from a median of $82,000 in North America to $6,000 in South Asia.
Norfolk Southern's active job postings fell 44.4% in 2026 to 112, with new postings per month cooling from 423 in 2023 to 59 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is negative and declining.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Ticker
- New York Stock Exchange: NSC
- Headquarters
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Founded
- 1980
- Industry
- Logistics and Transportation
- Employees
- 19,259
- YoY
- -0.5% (-64)
As of March 2026
Norfolk Southern workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Norfolk Southern. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsNorfolk Southern Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Norfolk Southern had 19,259 employees in 2026, a 0.5% decline (-64) from 2025.
- Norfolk Southern had 19,312 employees in 2025, a 0.6% decline (-105) from 2024.
- Norfolk Southern had 19,417 employees in 2024, a 1.5% decline (-559) from 2023.
- Norfolk Southern had 19,976 employees in 2023, a 0.5% increase (+671) from 2022.
Norfolk Southern's total workforce has declined from 19,790 employees in 2023 to 19,259 in 2026.
Norfolk Southern Corp. quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 19,259 | -64 | -0.5% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 19,312 | -105 | -0.6% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 19,366 | -97 | -0.7% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 19,418 | -226 | -0.8% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 19,323 | -456 | -1.3% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 19,417 | -559 | -1.5% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 19,463 | -426 | -1.2% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 19,644 | -146 | -0.8% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 19,779 | +369 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 19,976 | +671 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 19,889 | +692 | +0.5% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 19,790 | +624 | +0.2% |
See Norfolk Southern's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataNorfolk Southern Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of Norfolk Southern's global workforce with approximately 98% of total employees, followed by South Asia and Eastern Europe.
Norfolk Southern employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 18,801 | 98.3% |
| South Asia | 115 | 0.6% |
| Eastern Europe | 36 | 0.2% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 34 | 0.2% |
| South America | 28 | 0.1% |
| Southern Europe | 24 | 0.1% |
| Central and Western Asia | 23 | 0.1% |
| Pacific Islands | 23 | 0.1% |
| Western Europe | 13 | 0.1% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 12 | 0.1% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataNorfolk Southern Employee Count by Department (2026)
Norfolk Southern's employee groups are Finance and Operations (49.2%), Engineering (28.6%), and Sales and Marketing (22.3%).
Norfolk Southern employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 9,121 | 49.2% |
| Engineering | 5,301 | 28.6% |
| Sales and Marketing | 4,131 | 22.3% |
Compare Norfolk Southern's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataNorfolk Southern Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Norfolk Southern's average employee salary is $88,896 globally. Employees in North America receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in South Asia, at a median of $6,000.
Norfolk Southern median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Western Europe | $107,000 |
| North America | $82,000 |
| Northern Europe | $61,000 |
| Pacific Islands | $52,000 |
| Southern Europe | $40,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $33,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $23,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $17,000 |
| South America | $12,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $7,000 |
| South Asia | $6,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Norfolk Southern's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataNorfolk Southern Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Norfolk Southern had 112 active job postings in 2026, a 44.4% decline (-94) from 2025.
- Norfolk Southern had 206 active job postings in 2025, a 78.4% increase (+116) from 2024.
- Norfolk Southern had 90 active job postings in 2024, a 93.8% decline (-159) from 2023.
- Norfolk Southern had 249 active job postings in 2023, a 46.1% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 59 new roles/month, down from 214 in 2025 and 181 in 2024.
Norfolk Southern's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 44.4% in 2026 to 112, with new postings per month cooling from 423 in 2023 to 59 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataNorfolk Southern Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Norfolk Southern's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is negative 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 Norfolk Southern
- How fast is Norfolk Southern growing?
- In 2026, Norfolk Southern's headcount shrank 0.5% to 19,259 employees, down from 19,323 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Norfolk Southern employees located?
- Most Norfolk Southern employees are based in North America (98.3% of headcount), followed by South Asia and Eastern Europe.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Norfolk Southern?
- The average employee salary at Norfolk Southern is approximately $88.9k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Norfolk Southern open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Norfolk Southern opened 176 new job postings. In 2025, Norfolk Southern opened 2,565 new job postings — about 214 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Norfolk Southern founded and where is it headquartered?
- Norfolk Southern was founded in 1980 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
- Compare Norfolk Southern to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about Norfolk Southern.
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