Short answer
IBM had approximately 264,300 employees in IBM and its wholly owned subsidiaries on December 31, 2025, according to the annual report filed with its 2025 Form 10-K on February 24, 2026. That is its latest reported headcount. Counting 8,700 people at less-than-wholly owned subsidiaries brings the total to 273,000, and IBM reports a further 13,800 full-time equivalents of temporary and limited-term complementary workers.
- Latest figure: about 264,300 employees at IBM and wholly owned subsidiaries on December 31, 2025.
- IBM reports three lines: wholly owned (264,300), less-than-wholly owned subsidiaries (8,700) and a complementary workforce (13,800 FTEs).
- The 2021 spin-off of Kyndryl took about 90,000 employees with it, which is why headcount fell from 345,900 to 282,100 that year.
- Headcount has fallen in four of the last five years even as revenue rose 7.6% in 2025.
- Revenue per employee was about $255,500 in 2025 (our calculation from the annual report).
On this page
This page is for sellers, analysts and candidates who need an IBM headcount they can cite and explain. IBM doesn't put its headcount in the body of its 10-K. It's in the Human Capital section of the annual report, which IBM files with the 10-K (as Exhibit 13 through 2022, and as a second document in the same filing since 2023), in a table titled "Employees and Related Workforce". Every figure below comes from those tables, with the date it applies to.
IBM employees by year
All figures are at December 31, in thousands as IBM reports them, converted to full numbers.
| Year end | IBM and wholly owned subsidiaries | Change on prior year | Less-than-wholly owned subsidiaries | Complementary workforce (FTEs) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 264,300 | -6,000 (-2.2%) | 8,700 | 13,800 | 2025 annual report, filed February 24, 2026 |
| 2024 | 270,300 | -11,900 (-4.2%) | 8,900 | 14,200 | 2024 annual report, filed February 25, 2025 |
| 2023 | 282,200 | -6,100 (-2.1%) | 8,700 | 14,400 | 2023 annual report, filed February 26, 2024 |
| 2022 | 288,300 | +6,200 (+2.2%) | 8,200 | 14,800 | 2022 annual report, filed February 28, 2023 |
| 2021 | 282,100 | -63,800 (-18.4%) | 9,800 | 15,700 | 2021 annual report, filed February 22, 2022 |
| 2020 | 345,900 | -6,700 (-1.9%) | 10,500 | 18,900 | 2020 annual report, filed February 23, 2021 |
| 2019 | 352,600 | 9,600 | 21,600 | 2019 annual report, filed February 25, 2020 |
The changes are our arithmetic. IBM rounds to the nearest hundred.
Which IBM number to use
IBM's table has three lines, and each answers a different question.
- IBM and wholly owned subsidiaries (264,300 in 2025). IBM's own employees and those of the companies it fully owns. This is the figure most sources quote as "IBM's headcount", and the one to use for comparisons with other companies.
- Less-than-wholly owned subsidiaries (8,700). Employees of companies IBM controls but doesn't fully own. Add them if you want everyone on a payroll IBM consolidates: 273,000 in 2025.
- Complementary workforce (13,800). IBM defines this as "an approximation of equivalent full-time employees hired under temporary, part-time and limited-term employment arrangements to meet specific business needs in a flexible and cost-effective manner." It's an FTE estimate, not a count of people, so don't simply add it to the other two. If you do, label the 286,800 as a mix of people and FTEs.
The table has no country or business-unit split. The annual report says IBM "operates in more than 175 countries," but it doesn't say how many employees work in the United States, India or anywhere else.
What changed and why
2021: the Kyndryl spin-off
The 2021 annual report says that in November 2021 IBM "completed the separation of our managed infrastructure services business to Kyndryl, comprising approximately 90,000 employees." Headcount fell by only 63,800 that year, so by our arithmetic IBM added about 26,000 people elsewhere while 90,000 left with Kyndryl. Year-on-year comparisons across 2021 mix two different companies; compare 2021 onward with each other, and treat 2019 and 2020 as pre-separation figures.
2023 to 2025: a smaller company, rebalanced
Since 2022 the count has fallen by 24,000, from 288,300 to 264,300. IBM records "workforce rebalancing charges" each year, its term for severance and related costs: $670 million in selling, general and administrative expense in 2025 against $696 million in 2024. California's WARN reports show IBM notices for 100 employees in April 2023, 112 in September 2024 and 75 at its San Jose site in November 2025; they cover only California layoffs above the law's thresholds.
2026: acquisitions add people
IBM completed ten acquisitions in 2025, including HashiCorp in the first quarter. On March 17, 2026 it completed the acquisition of Confluent, which reported 3,241 employees at December 31, 2025 in its own last 10-K. Those employees will be in IBM's 2026 year-end count, so the next figure may stop the decline even if rebalancing continues.
Revenue per employee
IBM's 2025 revenue was $67.5 billion, up 7.6% on 2024. $67,535 million ÷ 264,300 = about $255,500 per employee (our calculation, using the wholly owned count). Using the 273,000 that includes less-than-wholly owned subsidiaries gives about $247,400. For 2024 the first measure was about $232,200, so revenue per employee rose about 10% in a year.
| 2025 segment | Revenue | Share of total |
|---|---|---|
| Software | $30.0 billion | 44.4% |
| Consulting | $21.1 billion | 31.2% |
| Infrastructure | $15.7 billion | 23.3% |
| Financing | $0.7 billion | 1.1% |
IBM doesn't report employees by segment. Consulting sells people's time and Software sells licenses and subscriptions, so output per employee likely differs between them, but the filings don't let you calculate it.
Selling to a company this size
General guidance on how organizations of about 270,000 people buy, not a description of IBM's internal processes.
- Know which IBM you're talking to. A company with software, consulting and infrastructure businesses is often a buyer, a partner and a competitor at the same time. Be clear whether you want IBM to use your product, resell it or integrate with it.
- Find the budget owner in the segment. Purchases of tools for consultants, engineers or sales teams usually sit with leaders in that segment, with central procurement running the process.
- Expect formal sourcing. At this size, first contracts typically go through supplier registration, security review and sometimes a competitive bid. A mutual action plan keeps both sides on the same timeline.
- Use the rebalancing story. A company cutting headcount while growing revenue is asking each team to produce more. Productivity and automation pitches fit that brief.
Researching which segment and team to approach is where most of the time goes. Bebop researches each account and suggests who to talk to; check what it finds against IBM's own reports.
How to check IBM's headcount yourself
- Open IBM's 10-K filings on SEC EDGAR and open the latest filing's document list.
- Open the annual report document (the larger of the two main documents; Exhibit 13 in older filings), not the 10-K itself.
- Search for "Employees and Related Workforce" or "Human Capital". The table is in the Management Discussion section.
- State which line you're quoting and its date.
Next step: see the largest tech companies for how IBM's size compares with its peers.
Sources
- IBM 2025 Annual Report (filed with Form 10-K for 2025), International Business Machines Corporation, via SEC EDGAR, 24 February 2026
- IBM Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, International Business Machines Corporation, via SEC EDGAR, 24 February 2026
- IBM 2024 Annual Report (filed with Form 10-K for 2024), International Business Machines Corporation, via SEC EDGAR, 25 February 2025
- IBM 2023 Annual Report (filed with Form 10-K for 2023), International Business Machines Corporation, via SEC EDGAR, 26 February 2024
- IBM 2022 Annual Report (Exhibit 13 to Form 10-K), International Business Machines Corporation, via SEC EDGAR, 28 February 2023
- IBM 2021 Annual Report (Exhibit 13 to Form 10-K), International Business Machines Corporation, via SEC EDGAR, 22 February 2022
- IBM 2020 Annual Report (Exhibit 13 to Form 10-K), International Business Machines Corporation, via SEC EDGAR, 23 February 2021
- IBM 2019 Annual Report (Exhibit 13 to Form 10-K), International Business Machines Corporation, via SEC EDGAR, 25 February 2020
- IBM Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2026, International Business Machines Corporation, via SEC EDGAR, 22 October 2026
- Confluent, Inc. Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, Confluent, Inc., via SEC EDGAR, 11 February 2026
- WARN reports, July 2022 to June 2026, California Employment Development Department, accessed 30 October 2026
Written by the Bebop team at Blackpearl Group. Published .
Questions people ask
How many employees does IBM have in 2026?
IBM's latest reported figure is approximately 264,300 employees at IBM and its wholly owned subsidiaries on December 31, 2025, from the annual report filed with its 2025 10-K. IBM doesn't report headcount quarterly. Its count for December 31, 2026 will include employees of Confluent, which IBM acquired on March 17, 2026 and which reported 3,241 employees at the end of 2025.
How many employees did IBM lose to Kyndryl?
About 90,000. IBM's 2021 annual report says the managed infrastructure services business it separated into Kyndryl in November 2021 comprised approximately 90,000 employees. IBM's wholly owned headcount fell from 345,900 at the end of 2020 to 282,100 at the end of 2021, a drop of 63,800, so IBM added staff elsewhere in the business during the same year.
What is IBM's complementary workforce?
IBM's term for people hired under temporary, part-time and limited-term arrangements. Its annual report gives the figure as an approximation of equivalent full-time employees: 13,800 at the end of 2025, down from 21,600 in 2019. Because it's a full-time-equivalent estimate rather than a headcount, it shouldn't be added straight to IBM's employee count without saying so.
Is IBM laying off employees?
IBM's headcount has fallen in four of the last five years, from 288,300 at the end of 2022 to 264,300 at the end of 2025. IBM records workforce rebalancing charges for severance each year: $670 million in selling, general and administrative expense in 2025 and $696 million in 2024. California WARN reports show a notice for 75 employees in San Jose in November 2025.
What is IBM's revenue per employee?
About $255,500 in 2025, by our calculation: $67,535 million of revenue divided by about 264,300 employees at IBM and its wholly owned subsidiaries, both from the 2025 annual report. Including the 8,700 employees of less-than-wholly owned subsidiaries gives about $247,400. In 2024 the first measure was about $232,200, so output per employee rose as headcount fell and revenue grew.