Short answer
Qualcomm had approximately 52,000 full-time, part-time and temporary workers at September 28, 2025, the end of its fiscal 2025, according to its Form 10-K filed November 5, 2025. The overwhelming majority are full-time employees, most in engineering or technical roles, across 38 countries. That's up from about 49,000 a year earlier. The count peaked at about 51,000 in fiscal 2022 before restructuring in fiscal 2023.
- About 52,000 workers at September 28, 2025, up about 3,000 in a year.
- The count includes part-time and temporary workers; Qualcomm says the overwhelming majority are full-time employees.
- Fiscal 2023 restructuring cost $712 million, substantially all of it severance, and headcount fell by about 1,000.
- Voluntary turnover was about 6% in fiscal 2025.
- Revenue per worker was about $852,000 in fiscal 2025 (our calculation), still below fiscal 2022.
On this page
This page is for sellers sizing Qualcomm as an account, semiconductor analysts, and anyone who needs a citable headcount. Every figure is from Qualcomm's annual reports on Form 10-K. Qualcomm's fiscal year ends on the last Sunday in September, so fiscal 2025 ended September 28, 2025, and the fiscal 2026 10-K is due in early November 2026.
Qualcomm employees by year
| Fiscal year | As of | Workforce | Change in the year (10-K) | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | September 28, 2025 | about 52,000 | up about 3,000 | 10-K filed November 5, 2025 |
| 2024 | September 29, 2024 | about 49,000 | down about 1,000 | 10-K filed November 6, 2024 |
| 2023 | September 24, 2023 | about 50,000 | down about 1,000 | 10-K filed November 1, 2023 |
| 2022 | September 25, 2022 | about 51,000 | up about 6,000 | 10-K filed November 2, 2022 |
| 2021 | September 26, 2021 | about 45,000 | up about 4,000 | 10-K filed November 3, 2021 |
| 2020 | September 27, 2020 | about 41,000 | up about 4,000 | 10-K filed November 4, 2020 |
| 2019 | September 29, 2019 | about 37,000 | up about 1,600 | 10-K filed November 6, 2019 |
| 2018 | September 30, 2018 | about 35,400 | down about 2,400 | 10-K filed November 7, 2018 |
Workforce counts full-time, part-time and temporary staff. Changes for 2019 to 2022 are as stated in each 10-K; changes for 2023 to 2025 are our subtraction of the rounded figures.
What the number includes
The fiscal 2025 10-K says: "At September 28, 2025, we had approximately 52,000 full-time, part-time and temporary workers, the overwhelming majority of which were full-time employees."
- It's broader than "employees". Part-time and temporary workers are in the count. Qualcomm doesn't say how many, only that the "overwhelming majority" are full-time employees. Since fiscal 2023 the 10-K has said "workers"; earlier filings said "employees" for the same scope.
- It's global: "over 200 locations in 38 different countries." The 10-K doesn't give a US figure.
- It's mostly engineers: "the substantial majority of our employees working in engineering or technical roles."
- It included a joint venture once. The fiscal 2018 figure included employees of RF360 Holdings, a joint venture Qualcomm consolidated in its accounts.
| Fiscal year | Voluntary turnover (10-K) |
|---|---|
| 2025 | about 6% |
| 2024 | about 5% |
| 2023 | less than 5% |
| 2022 | less than 10% |
| 2021 | less than 7% |
| 2020 | less than 5% |
What changed and why
- Fiscal 2018 and 2019: the Cost Plan. Headcount fell about 2,400 in fiscal 2018 "primarily due to actions taken under our Cost Plan," then rose about 1,600 in fiscal 2019 as engineering hiring outweighed further Cost Plan actions.
- Fiscal 2020 to 2022: engineering growth. The 10-Ks attribute each year's increase (about 4,000, 4,000 and 6,000) primarily to "increases in engineering resources", in fiscal 2022 "including those hired through acquisitions." In fiscal 2022 Qualcomm paid about $4.7 billion in the Veoneer transaction, keeping Veoneer's Arriver business.
- Fiscal 2023: cuts. Qualcomm recorded $712 million of restructuring and restructuring-related charges, "substantially all of which related to severance costs," for cost reduction actions, and started further actions in the fourth quarter with $385 million of accrued severance. Headcount fell to about 50,000.
- Fiscal 2024: smaller charges. $107 million of restructuring charges, substantially all severance. Headcount about 49,000.
- Fiscal 2025: growth again, to about 52,000, with $39 million of restructuring charges.
- Fiscal 2026 so far. Qualcomm completed its $2.3 billion acquisition of Alphawave IP Group, which "develops high-speed wired connectivity technologies", on December 18, 2025, and allocated it to its Data Center operating segment. It recorded $97 million of restructuring charges, substantially all severance, in the first nine months (10-Q for the quarter ended June 28, 2026). The fiscal 2026 10-K will be the first count to include Alphawave staff.
Revenue per employee
Qualcomm's fiscal 2025 revenue was $44,284 million. Divided by about 52,000 workers, that's about $852,000 per worker (our calculation).
| Fiscal year | Revenue | Workforce | Revenue per worker (our calculation) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $44.28 billion | about 52,000 | about $852,000 |
| 2024 | $38.96 billion | about 49,000 | about $795,000 |
| 2023 | $35.82 billion | about 50,000 | about $716,000 |
| 2022 | $44.20 billion | about 51,000 | about $867,000 |
| 2021 | $33.57 billion | about 45,000 | about $746,000 |
| 2020 | $23.53 billion | about 41,000 | about $574,000 |
Revenue per worker is still a little below its fiscal 2022 level, because revenue fell 19% in fiscal 2023 and has only just recovered.
By segment, QCT (chips) brought in $38.37 billion in fiscal 2025: handsets $27.79 billion, IoT $6.62 billion and automotive $3.96 billion. QTL (licensing) brought in $5.58 billion. The 10-K doesn't split the workforce by segment.
Selling to a company of Qualcomm's size
General guidance, not a description of Qualcomm's internal process.
- Engineering is the buyer that matters most. With most of 52,000 people in engineering or technical roles, design tools, compute, test and lab equipment, and software development tools are bought by engineering leaders in each product line, with procurement and security running the process.
- Each business line has its own agenda. Handsets, automotive, IoT and the new data center business sell to different customers on different cycles, and their budgets move with their revenue: automotive grew 36% in fiscal 2025.
- Integration creates projects. Folding Alphawave into Qualcomm means systems, security, people and facilities work through 2026.
- Cost discipline is part of the culture. Three years of restructuring charges mean buyers expect a clear cost case.
For research on accounts like this, see how to research an account, and our guide to semiconductor companies for the wider industry.
Next step: compare Qualcomm with Nvidia, Intel and other chipmakers on our list of the largest tech companies.
Sources
- QUALCOMM Incorporated Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 28, 2025, QUALCOMM Incorporated, via SEC EDGAR, 5 November 2025
- QUALCOMM Incorporated Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 29, 2024, QUALCOMM Incorporated, via SEC EDGAR, 6 November 2024
- QUALCOMM Incorporated Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 24, 2023, QUALCOMM Incorporated, via SEC EDGAR, 1 November 2023
- QUALCOMM Incorporated Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 25, 2022, QUALCOMM Incorporated, via SEC EDGAR, 2 November 2022
- QUALCOMM Incorporated Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 26, 2021, QUALCOMM Incorporated, via SEC EDGAR, 3 November 2021
- QUALCOMM Incorporated Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 27, 2020, QUALCOMM Incorporated, via SEC EDGAR, 4 November 2020
- QUALCOMM Incorporated Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 29, 2019, QUALCOMM Incorporated, via SEC EDGAR, 6 November 2019
- QUALCOMM Incorporated Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, QUALCOMM Incorporated, via SEC EDGAR, 7 November 2018
- QUALCOMM Incorporated Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 28, 2026, QUALCOMM Incorporated, via SEC EDGAR, 29 July 2026
Written by the Bebop team at Blackpearl Group. Published .
Questions people ask
How many engineers does Qualcomm have?
Qualcomm doesn't publish an engineer count. Its fiscal 2025 10-K says the substantial majority of its approximately 52,000 workers are in engineering or technical roles, and every 10-K from fiscal 2019 to 2022 attributes the year's headcount growth primarily to increases in engineering resources.
Did Qualcomm have layoffs?
Qualcomm's filings report restructuring charges, substantially all for severance, rather than layoff counts: $712 million in fiscal 2023, $107 million in fiscal 2024, $39 million in fiscal 2025 and $97 million in the first nine months of fiscal 2026. Its workforce fell from about 51,000 in fiscal 2022 to about 49,000 in fiscal 2024, then rose to about 52,000.
Does Qualcomm's employee count include contractors?
It includes part-time and temporary workers along with full-time employees, according to the fiscal 2025 10-K: approximately 52,000 full-time, part-time and temporary workers, the overwhelming majority of them full-time employees. The filing doesn't mention contractors employed through outside firms or give a separate count of them.
How many countries does Qualcomm have employees in?
38, according to Qualcomm's fiscal 2025 10-K, which says its employees work in over 200 locations in 38 countries. The filing doesn't break the workforce down by country, so there's no official figure for how many Qualcomm employees are in the US or in its San Diego headquarters.
How much revenue does Qualcomm make per employee?
About $852,000 per worker in fiscal 2025, by our calculation: revenue of $44.28 billion divided by about 52,000 workers at September 28, 2025. That's up from about $716,000 in fiscal 2023 but still below about $867,000 in fiscal 2022, when revenue was $44.20 billion and the workforce was about 51,000.