How many employees work at Sonoco?
Sonoco Ltd. (United Kingdom) has approximately 15,853 total employees worldwide as of March 2026, according to Revelio Labs workforce intelligence data. Sonoco’s total headcount has grown 2.4% from 15,476 employees in 2023 to 15,853 in 2026.
Is Sonoco hiring right now?
Yes, Sonoco is actively hiring. Sonoco had 142 active job postings in 2026, a 6.8% decline from 2025 — see job openings & hiring trends.
About Sonoco’s Workforce
Sonoco Ltd. (United Kingdom) is a Packaging Services company that employs 15,853 people worldwide as of March 2026. It is the 11th-largest by headcount among its peers. Founded in 1904, the company is headquartered in Whitworth, United Kingdom.
Sonoco's workforce has grown 2.4% from 2023 to 2026, though it is down 1.9% year over year in 2026. It fell to a low of 15,333 in 2024 Q3 before recovering. Its workforce is concentrated most in North America (47.9%), followed by Western Europe (9.6%) and Southern Europe (7.4%).
Sonoco's functional groups are Finance and Operations (43.0%), Engineering (32.3%), and Sales and Marketing (24.7%). The average salary is $60,323, ranging from a median of $65,000 in Western Europe to $9,000 in South America, down 1.9% year over year in 2026.
Sonoco's active job postings fell 6.8% in 2026 to 142, with new postings per month cooling from 132 in 2023 to 55 in 2026. Overall employee sentiment is neutral but declining.
Sourced from Revelio Labs workforce data.
- Headquarters
- Whitworth, United Kingdom
- Founded
- 1904
- Industry
- Packaging Services
- Employees
- 15,853
- YoY
- -1.9% (-58)
As of March 2026
Sonoco workforce metrics
Unlock hiring rate, attrition rate, and 12 additional workforce metrics for Sonoco. Compare to peers, export the dataset, and access the full quarterly history.
Unlock MetricsSonoco Annual Employee Count (2023-2026)
- Sonoco had 15,853 employees in 2026, a 1.9% decline (-58) from 2025.
- Sonoco had 15,947 employees in 2025, a 1.0% decline (+327) from 2024.
- Sonoco had 15,620 employees in 2024, a 0.9% decline (+202) from 2023.
- Sonoco had 15,418 employees in 2023, a 0% no change (+75) from 2022.
Sonoco's total workforce has grown from 15,476 employees in 2023 to 15,853 in 2026.
Sonoco Ltd. (United Kingdom) quarterly employee count
| Year | Qtr | Employees | YoY Change | YoY % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Q1 | 15,853 | -58 | -1.9% |
| 2025 | Q4 | 15,947 | +327 | -1.0% |
| 2025 | Q3 | 15,995 | +662 | -0.8% |
| 2025 | Q2 | 16,099 | +714 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | Q1 | 15,911 | +574 | -0.5% |
| 2024 | Q4 | 15,620 | +202 | -0.9% |
| 2024 | Q3 | 15,333 | -95 | -0.6% |
| 2024 | Q2 | 15,385 | -91 | -0.6% |
| 2024 | Q1 | 15,337 | +33 | +0.1% |
| 2023 | Q4 | 15,418 | +75 | -0.0% |
| 2023 | Q3 | 15,428 | +142 | +0.3% |
| 2023 | Q2 | 15,476 | +279 | +1.0% |
See Sonoco's complete headcount history, including quarterly breakdowns.
Get the DataSonoco Employee Count by Region (2026)
North America accounts for the largest share of Sonoco's global workforce with approximately 48% of total employees, followed by Western Europe and Southern Europe.
Sonoco employees by region
| Region | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| North America | 7,507 | 47.9% |
| Western Europe | 1,499 | 9.6% |
| Southern Europe | 1,157 | 7.4% |
| South America | 1,075 | 6.9% |
| Central America and the Caribbean | 988 | 6.3% |
| Northern Europe | 852 | 5.4% |
| Eastern Europe | 569 | 3.6% |
| Southeast Asia | 520 | 3.3% |
| South Asia | 477 | 3.0% |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 296 | 1.9% |
Drill into city-level data, hiring trends by region, and historic geographic shifts.
Unlock Geographic DataSonoco Employee Count by Department (2026)
Sonoco's employee groups are Finance and Operations (43.0%), Engineering (32.3%), and Sales and Marketing (24.7%).
Sonoco employees by department
| Department | Employees | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Finance and Operations | 6,759 | 43.0% |
| Engineering | 5,082 | 32.3% |
| Sales and Marketing | 3,888 | 24.7% |
Compare Sonoco's department mix to industry peers.
See Full DataSonoco Employee Salary by Region (2026)
Sonoco's average employee salary is $60,323 globally. Employees in Western Europe receive the highest compensation. Pay is lowest in South America, at a median of $9,000.
Sonoco median employee salary by region (USD)
| Region | Median Salary |
|---|---|
| Pacific Islands | $80,000 |
| Western Europe | $65,000 |
| North America | $64,000 |
| Northern Europe | $62,000 |
| East Asia | $54,000 |
| Southern Europe | $38,000 |
| Arab States | $34,000 |
| Central and Western Asia | $28,000 |
| Eastern Europe | $28,000 |
| Central America and the Caribbean | $23,000 |
| Southeast Asia | $21,000 |
| South Asia | $11,000 |
| North Africa | $10,000 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | $10,000 |
| South America | $9,000 |
Unlock salary by role, level, and city — and compare to Sonoco's industry peers.
Unlock Salary DataSonoco Job Openings and Hiring Trends (2023-2026)
- Sonoco had 142 active job postings in 2026, a 6.8% decline (+18) from 2025.
- Sonoco had 124 active job postings in 2025, a 61.1% increase (+58) from 2024.
- Sonoco had 66 active job postings in 2024, a 93.5% decline (-116) from 2023.
- Sonoco had 182 active job postings in 2023, a 46.1% decline from 2022.
- Hiring velocity in 2026: 55 new roles/month, down from 71 in 2025 and 84 in 2024.
Sonoco's hiring is slowing: active job postings fell 6.8% in 2026 to 142, with new postings per month cooling from 132 in 2023 to 55 in 2026.
Track new postings per month, role-level demand, and hiring velocity vs. peers.
Unlock Hiring DataSonoco Employee Sentiment (2026)
Revelio Labs tracks employee sentiment across Sonoco's workforce based on public professional data. Overall sentiment is neutral and has declined year over year in 2026.
Overall
Unlock the full sentiment breakdown by department, tenure, and trend over time.
Unlock SentimentSimilar Companies
Frequently Asked Questions About Sonoco
- How fast is Sonoco growing?
- In 2026, Sonoco's headcount shrank 1.9% to 15,853 employees, down from 15,911 in 2025.
- See the full headcount history
- Where are Sonoco employees located?
- Most Sonoco employees are based in North America (47.9% of headcount), followed by Western Europe and Southern Europe.
- Explore where the workforce is based
- What is the average salary at Sonoco?
- The average employee salary at Sonoco is approximately $60.3k per year.
- Analyze the salary distribution
- How many new job postings does Sonoco open per year?
- In Q1 2026, Sonoco opened 164 new job postings. In 2025, Sonoco opened 856 new job postings — about 71 per month.
- Track hiring trends by role
- When was Sonoco founded and where is it headquartered?
- Sonoco was founded in 1904 and is headquartered in Whitworth, United Kingdom.
- Compare Sonoco to industry peers
Speak with a workforce expert about Sonoco.
Book a DemoSee something that doesn't look right? Reach out and our team will review it.