Top 20 Largest Pharma and Healthcare Companies in 2025 By Number of Employees

As the global pharmaceutical industry continues to evolve, workforce size remains a powerful indicator of operational scale, global reach and breadth of services.

In 2025, the largest pharma and healthcare employers span continents and sectors — from traditional drug manufacturing and biotech innovation to retail pharmacy and clinical services.

The US dominates with nine companies in the top 20, underscoring its continued role as the pharmaceutical industry’s global nucleus. Europe (UK, Germany, France, Switzerland, Denmark, Ireland) is home to eight major players. Asia, represented by China and Japan, is experiencing an evolving eastward shift in manufacturing and market demand.

This blog examines the top 20 publicly traded pharmaceutical and healthcare companies ranked by number of employees, according to the latest data compiled by CompaniesMarketCap.

CVS Health and Walgreens lead the list, but they’re not traditional pharma companies in the R&D sense. Instead, their massive headcounts reflect expansive retail operations, pharmacy benefit management (PBM) and insurance platforms.

Companies like Johnson & Johnson (J&J), Pfizer and Roche remain industry giants not just in revenue, but in workforce size due to their extensive global manufacturing, commercial and regulatory infrastructure.

European giants like Sanofi, Novo Nordisk, Bayer and Novartis remain integral to global pharma. Their regional roots combined with aggressive international expansion — especially in emerging markets — help sustain large workforces.

Companies with headquarters in China, like Sinopharm and China Resources Pharmaceutical Group, are climbing the ranks fast, reflecting China’s major push to expand drug distribution, production and domestic vaccine development.

With demand rising for outsourced trials and testing, CROs like ICON and Labcorp employ tens of thousands globally, supporting everything from early-stage development to commercial rollout.

1. CVS Health (>300,000 employees)

CVS Health is the top employer in the pharma‑adjacent space, with more than 300,000 employees as of 2025. Beyond its well-known pharmacy chain, the company operates MinuteClinic health clinics, the Caremark PBM and the Aetna insurance division. In 2024, CVS generated , up 4.2% compared to the previous year. Its fourth quarter revenues also increased 4.2% from the year prior to $97.7 billion. CVS alone owns Aetna, making it one of the most vertically integrated healthcare companies in the US.

2. Walgreens Boots Alliance (~311,000 employees)

Walgreens Boots Alliance (WBA) employs approximately 311,000 people, serving markets across the US, UK and beyond. The company is restructuring following a $10 billion acquisition by Sycamore Partners announced in early 2025, which includes the potential divestiture of the Boots division, impacting tens of thousands of employees. The total value of the acquisition is $23.7 billion, including payouts and debts. WBA is transitioning to support digital pharmacy infrastructure and clinical services.

3. Johnson & Johnson (~138,000 employees)

J&J’s headcount stands at around 138,000 as of 2025, following a reduction from over 152,000 in 2023 due to restructuring tied to its consumer healthcare spinoff Kenvue. The company continues to invest in pharmaceuticals, particularly in oncology and immunology, and medical devices. In 2024, the company reported $88.8 billion in revenue, representing a 4.3% increase, with Q4 sales up 5.3% from the same quarter in the previous year to $22.5 billion.

4. Sinopharm (~115,959 employees)

Sinopharm, China’s state-owned pharmaceutical giant, employs roughly 120,000 people. Covering drug production, vaccine R&D, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and distribution, Sinopharm was instrumental in China’s COVID-19 response. The company continues expanding globally, especially in emerging markets. Sinopharm Holding ranked 24th on the 2022 Fortune China 500 list and held the top spot among pharmaceutical companies in China. That same year, the company’s Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) rating was upgraded to “A,” and it was recognized as one of the top 50 centrally state-controlled listed companies for ESG governance. Additionally, Sinopharm ranked 28th among the top 100 most valuable Chinese brands among publicly listed pharmaceutical firms in China.

5. AstraZeneca (~94,300 employees)

AstraZeneca grew its workforce to around 94,300 as of the end of 2024, reflecting its expansion in oncology, rare diseases and respiratory therapeutics. Strategic acquisitions — such as Alexion, Amolyt and Fusion — have expanded its research pipeline and extended its footprint in biologics. It also announced an ambitious goal of reaching $80 billion in total revenue by 2030. The company is expecting to launch 20 new drugs by 2030 to help meet this goal. It also announced major investments, including a $570 million expansion of its Canadian footprint.

6. Bayer (~94,081 employees)

With approximately 94,081 employees at the end of 2024, Bayer continues to integrate its divisions — pharmaceuticals, crop science and consumer health. The company instituted cost-cutting measures beginning in 2024, including administrative layoffs, to reduce debt from past acquisitions. The company cut 1,500 jobs early last year and aims to achieve $540 million in cost savings. Despite corporate streamlining, Bayer maintains one of the largest private-sector workforces in Germany, retaining significant global drug-manufacturing capacity.

7. Roche (>101,000 employees)

Roche has a workforce of over 101,000 and holds a leading position in oncology, diagnostics and personalized medicine. The company recently announced a $50 billion investment plan to boost US manufacturing capacity and create over 12,000 new jobs. Despite minor workforce trimming in 2024, the focus remains on long-term growth in digital diagnostics and biologics.

8. Sanofi (>83,000 employees)

Sanofi’s global workforce is over 83,000 across 70 countries, according to the company. In 2023, Sanofi announced a €2.7 billion cost-savings plan to “reinvest in the company’s growth drivers.” These include Regeneron-partnered eczema blockbuster Dupixent (dupilumab). In March, Sanofi announced it will be investing at least $20 billion in US manufacturing and R&D by 2030, reinforcing its strategic pivot toward onshoring production and expanding research capacity in alignment with US trade policy priorities.

9. Pfizer (~81,000 employees)

Pfizer employs a global staff of about 81,000 with 37 manufacturing sites worldwide. As of April 29, 2025, the pharma giant reported having three products with sales over $1 billion in 2025. The company is shifting its focus toward oncology and rare diseases while implementing a $4 billion cost-saving plan, which it achieved in 2024. Pfizer laid off around 210 employees across two sites in North Carolina this year (150 at Sanford and another 60 in Rocky Mount).

10. Novartis (~78,000 employees)

Novartis, now a pure‑play medicines company following its spin-off of Sandoz, has about 78,000 employees worldwide. The company reported double-digit growth in sales and net profit in 2024. Novartis reduced its footprint by closing down certain MorphoSys R&D sites — resulting in about 330 employee layoffs in Munich and Boston — part of a broader optimization of its research structure. Novartis had acquired MorphoSys at the beginning of 2024 in a $2.9 billion deal. In March, the company announced plans to cut 427 jobs from its US workforce. The layoffs, scheduled to occur between June 13 and October 24, will affect employees at the company’s US headquarters in East Hanover, New Jersey.

11. Novo Nordisk (>77,000 employees)

Novo Nordisk’s global workforce reached over 77,000 in 2025, up from around 63,400 in 2023, driven by exceptional growth from its GLP-1 semaglutide products, Ozempic and Wegovy. To meet the unrelenting demand for the drugs, the company is investing heavily in manufacturing infrastructure, including a $6.8 billion expansion of a US plant and R&D expansion at its sites in Denmark and India. It also announced an 8 billion DKK ($1.23 billion) investment to expand its production facilities in Montes Claros, Brazil.

12. Merck & Co/MSD (~75,000 employees)

Merck & Co. employed approximately 75,000 people as of December 31, 2024, operating across pharmaceuticals, vaccines and animal health from its New Jersey headquarters. The company has been actively strengthening its pipeline, engaging in possible acquisitions like EyeBio, Eyebiotech and talks with Swiss biotech MoonLake — seeking to compensate for anticipated declines in blockbuster products such as Keytruda (pembrolizumab) post-2028. In March this year, Merck announced the closure of its manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania, which will result in 163 job cuts.

13. China Resources Pharmaceutical Group (~72,700 employees)

China Resources Pharmaceutical Group (CR Pharma) is a major state-owned healthcare conglomerate with around 72,700 employees as of mid-2025, operating across pharmaceutical manufacturing, wholesale distribution and retail pharmacy networks in China and Hong Kong. CR Pharma ranks as China’s third-largest medical distributor by revenue. In recent developments, CR Pharma issued ¥400 million ($2.77 million) in corporate bonds (its second tranche in 2025) to repay existing debt and strengthen its financial position. Additionally, it expanded into new energy initiatives by partnering with its parent group’s power arm, CR Power, to develop photovoltaic projects aimed at powering its facilities sustainably.

14. Labcorp (~70,000 employees)

Labcorp saw its workforce grow to approximately 70,000 employees in 2024, marking a 4.5% increase from 67,000 in 2023, following a steep dip from 80,000 in 2022. With operations spanning diagnostics, central lab testing, drug development support and employer health services, Labcorp serves clients in around 100 countries and supports over 75% of new drug launches annually. Growth in employee numbers is attributed to both organic expansion and acquisitions, with staff logging over 1.1 million volunteer hours in 2024.

15. GSK (GlaxoSmithKline) (~68,600 employees)

As of the end of December 2024, GSK employed around 68,629 people globally across 75 countries, down 1,583 staff (–2.25%) from the prior year. In 2024, it posted strong sales and core profit growth, driven by specialty medicines and robust progress through its Phase III development pipeline. GSK relocated its global headquarters to London’s Knowledge Quarter last year, consolidating about 3,000 employees — including those from its HIV-focused joint venture ViiV Healthcare — to promote greater academic and research collaboration.

16. Merck KGaA (~62,600 employees)

The German Merck KGaA, often referred to as “Merck Group,” employed 62,557 people at the end of 2024, a modest decrease from 62,908 in 2023. Structured into healthcare, life sciences and electronics divisions, the company remains committed to executive and employee incentives aligned with performance. In a significant strategic move for its life sciences business, Merck KGaA is investing over €300 million ($342 million) to build a pharmaceutical plant in Daejeon, South Korea, creating 300 new jobs to support the manufacturing of biologics and advanced therapies in the Asia-Pacific region. Internally, Merck emphasized its commitment to a culture of innovation and workforce support through dedicated human capital management and sustainability initiatives.

17. AbbVie (~55,000 employees)

AbbVie remains a global biopharma leader with approximately 55,000 employees worldwide. In 2024, AbbVie conducted a double materiality assessment to shape its ESG strategy and align with stricter reporting standards. The company prioritizes employee development programs via initiatives such as “Learn. Develop. Perform.” with 25,000 internal visits to the training portal in 2024. Employee engagement is exemplified through global physical activity challenges and the AbbVie Foundation, which saw over 13,000 employees contribute nearly 50,000 volunteer hours in 2024.

18. Takeda Pharmaceutical (~49,300 employees)

In 2024, Takeda employed 49,281 people, reflecting a slight 0.38% increase from 2023’s 49,095 employees. Despite ongoing headcount reductions — including over 900 layoffs and transfers in the US and early retirement programs in Japan — the firm was still named a global Top Employer for the seventh consecutive year. As of May 2025, Takeda reaffirmed its FY2024 revenue outlook and reported strong momentum, driven by new product launches and an expansion of its core operating profit margin. The company is also bolstering workforce inclusion, as exemplified by its partnership with African Fashion Night 2024, to support diversity and connect talent.

19. Eli Lilly (~47,000 employees)

Eli Lilly employed around 47,000 people as of the end of 2024. The company has been aggressively expanding manufacturing in the US and abroad. The company announced a $9 billion investment in new Indiana facilities to increase API production for its GLP-1 blockbuster product tirzepatide, marketed as Mounjaro for diabetes and Zepbound as its obesity counterpart, and other pipeline drugs, which is expected to create over 3,000 new technical and scientific roles, plus nearly 10,000 construction jobs. Furthermore, a $3 billion expansion in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was also planned to support increased capacity.

20. ICON plc (~41,900 employees)

ICON plc, an Ireland-based clinical research organization (CRO), employs 41,900 globally, supporting pharmaceutical and biotech firms with clinical development, consulting and commercialization services. It continues to expand capabilities in data analytics, decentralized trials and precision pharmacovigilance to strengthen its service lead in a competitive CRO landscape. The company said it experienced year-on-year organic growth, bolstered through a number of strategic acquisitions, including the acquisition of PRA Health Sciences in 2021.

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