Cisco had about 82,400 employees on July 25, 2026, down from 86,200 a year earlier, while fiscal 2026 revenue reached $63.3 billion.
This guide tracks Cisco employee statistics from SEC filings and Cisco’s purpose reporting: yearly headcount, three restructuring plans, California WARN notices, demographics, pay and workplace rankings.
Cisco Employee Statistics 2026
How Many Employees Does Cisco Have in 2026?
Cisco reported about 82,400 employees at the close of fiscal 2026, according to its annual 10-K. That is 3,800 fewer than in July 2025 and 8,000 fewer than the 90,400 on the books in July 2024.
The July 2024 total followed the Splunk acquisition, which closed in the third quarter of fiscal 2024 and added Splunk staff to the payroll.
| Fiscal year | Year-end date | Employees | Change | % change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2024 | July 27, 2024 | 90,400 | — | — |
| FY2025 | July 26, 2025 | 86,200 | -4,200 | -4.65% |
| FY2026 | July 25, 2026 | 82,400 | -3,800 | -4.41% |
Source: Cisco Form 10-K filings, fiscal years ended July 2024, July 2025 and July 2026
Over two years, the workforce shrank 8.85%. Readers comparing peers can check Oracle’s fiscal 2026 headcount breakdown, also drawn from annual filings.
Sales and Marketing Headcount
Sales and marketing is the only function Cisco sizes in its 10-K. The group lost 2,600 people between fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2026, with 2,400 of that drop in fiscal 2025.
| Fiscal year end | Sales and marketing employees |
|---|---|
| FY2024 | 28,000 |
| FY2025 | 25,600 |
| FY2026 | 25,400 |
Source: Cisco Form 10-K filings, fiscal years 2024 to 2026
Layoffs at Cisco Since 2024: Three Restructuring Plans
Cisco has announced three restructuring plans since February 2024, each disclosed with quarterly earnings. The first two were sized as a share of the global workforce; the May 2026 plan came with a job count from CEO Chuck Robbins.
| Announced | Workforce impact stated | Estimated pre-tax charges |
|---|---|---|
| February 14, 2024 | About 5% of global workforce | About $800 million |
| August 14, 2024 | About 7% of global workforce | Up to $1 billion |
| May 13, 2026 | Fewer than 4,000 jobs, under 5% of employees | Up to $1 billion |
Source: Cisco Form 8-K filings, February 2024, August 2024 and May 2026; May 2026 job count from Chuck Robbins’ statement, May 13, 2026
Cisco linked the May 2026 plan to investment in silicon, optics, security and AI. It expected about $450 million of charges in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, the rest in fiscal 2027, and completion by the end of fiscal 2027.
Restructuring and other charges totaled $693 million in fiscal 2026, including $511 million in the fourth quarter, against $744 million in fiscal 2025.
Source: Cisco Q4 fiscal 2026 earnings release, August 12, 2026
For a chipmaker’s version of the same process, see Intel’s layoff and severance figures.
Where Did Cisco Cut Jobs in California?
Notices filed with the California Employment Development Department list 471 permanent layoffs at three Bay Area sites. Staff were notified on May 14, 2026, with separations effective July 13, 2026.
| California site | Positions eliminated |
|---|---|
| San Jose headquarters | 236 |
| Milpitas | 154 |
| San Francisco | 81 |
| Total | 471 |
Source: California EDD WARN filings, May 2026, as reported by KRON4 and Dataquest
Software engineers form the largest title group in the filings at 56 positions: 34 in Milpitas, 19 in San Jose and 3 in San Francisco.
29% Women: Cisco Employee Statistics by Gender and Ethnicity
Women made up 29% of Cisco’s global workforce on July 26, 2025, the date of its latest published snapshot. The data is self-reported and excludes staff from some recent acquisitions.
Women hold 45% of nontechnical roles but 18% of technical ones. On the executive leadership team they held 38.5% of seats, compared with 36% on July 27, 2024, per Cisco’s fiscal 2024 10-K.
Source: Cisco Purpose Reporting Hub, workforce data as of July 26, 2025
For another large tech employer’s gender split, see Apple’s workforce diversity figures.
US Workforce by Ethnicity
Asian employees make up 33.4% of Cisco’s US workforce and 42.9% of its US technical workforce, where they are the largest group.
| Group | US overall workforce | US technical workforce |
|---|---|---|
| White/Caucasian | 47.7% | 40.7% |
| Asian | 33.4% | 42.9% |
| Hispanic/Latinx | 6.7% | 5.5% |
| African American/Black | 5.4% | 4.0% |
| Two or More Races (Not Hispanic or Latinx) | 2.1% | 1.8% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 0.3% | 0.3% |
| Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander | 0.2% | 0.1% |
| Prefer Not to Disclose/Unknown | 4.3% | 4.8% |
Source: Cisco Purpose Reporting Hub, US workforce as of July 26, 2025 (totals may not equal 100% due to rounding)
What Does the Median Cisco Employee Earn?
Cisco’s median employee earned $177,115 in annual total compensation in fiscal 2025, per its October 2025 proxy statement. CEO Chuck Robbins received $52,838,751, a ratio of 298 to 1.
Cisco picked the median from its global workforce, ranked by target annual total cash compensation at fiscal year-end. For dated context, the fiscal 2019 proxy put the median at $142,593 and the ratio at 181 to 1.
Source: Cisco definitive proxy statements, fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2025
Every US-listed company follows the same SEC rule for this figure, so IBM’s median pay disclosure sits on a like-for-like basis.
Employee-related expenses, covering salaries and benefits, rose to $21.4 billion in fiscal 2025 from $19.2 billion in fiscal 2024. The hub’s latest figure covers fiscal 2025.
Share-based compensation expense reached $3.83 billion in fiscal 2026, up from $3.64 billion in fiscal 2025.
Source: Cisco Purpose Reporting Hub, fiscal 2021 to 2025; Cisco Q4 fiscal 2026 earnings release, August 12, 2026
Cisco Employee Statistics Against FY2026 Revenue and Spending
Revenue rose 12% to $63.3 billion in fiscal 2026 as the workforce fell to 82,400. CFO Mark Patterson said the year produced Cisco’s best productivity metrics in 30 years, measured by revenue, non-GAAP operating margin and earnings per employee.
GAAP net income grew 30% to $13.3 billion over the same year.
Research and development spending rose to $9.56 billion and sales and marketing expense to $11.56 billion. General and administrative costs fell to $2.76 billion.
Source: Cisco Q4 fiscal 2026 earnings release, fiscal years ended July 26, 2025 and July 25, 2026
Hyperscaler AI infrastructure orders reached $9.3 billion in fiscal 2026, including $4 billion in the fourth quarter. Cisco’s fiscal 2027 guidance calls for $72.2 billion to $73.4 billion in revenue, including an expected $7.5 billion from AI infrastructure.
Source: Cisco Q4 fiscal 2026 earnings release, August 12, 2026
The same headcount-versus-revenue question plays out at software peers, as Salesforce’s revenue per employee trend shows.
Is Cisco a Good Place to Work in 2026?
Cisco ranks #3 on the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2026 list in the United States. It held #2 on the 2024 list.
Great Place to Work named Cisco a top-three workplace in 24 countries in fiscal 2026, with #1 finishes in eight, including Italy, Ireland, Singapore and Taiwan. The fiscal 2025 tally was 14 countries and seven #1 finishes.
Employees submitted about 2 million Team Space Check-Ins in fiscal 2025 from about 65,700 people, against 2.3 million from 70,300 in fiscal 2024. Both counts exclude some staff who joined through Splunk.
Source: Cisco Form 10-K filings, fiscal years 2024 to 2026
The US OSHA recordable incident rate was 0.03 per 200,000 hours worked in fiscal 2025, with no work-related employee fatalities from fiscal 2021 through fiscal 2025. Employees logged 573,000 volunteer hours that year, and 81% took part in giving back.
Source: Cisco Purpose Reporting Hub, fiscal 2025
Cisco does not publish an attrition rate; national quit and layoff rates give the wider labor-market backdrop.
FAQs
How many employees does Cisco have?
Cisco had about 82,400 employees as of July 25, 2026, the end of fiscal 2026, per its 10-K. The count was 86,200 in July 2025 and 90,400 in July 2024.
How many employees did Cisco lay off in 2026?
Fewer than 4,000 jobs, under 5% of employees, under the plan announced May 13, 2026. California WARN filings list 471 of those positions across San Jose, Milpitas and San Francisco.
How much does Cisco pay its employees?
Cisco’s median employee earned $177,115 in annual total compensation in fiscal 2025, per its October 2025 proxy. CEO pay was $52,838,751, a 298-to-1 ratio.
What percentage of Cisco employees are women?
Women held 29% of Cisco’s global jobs as of July 26, 2025. Their share was 18% in technical roles, 26% among vice presidents and 38.5% on the executive leadership team.
Are the Cisco layoffs discussed on Reddit still ongoing?
Reddit threads reflect individual accounts, not company data. Cisco’s August 2026 filings say the May 2026 restructuring plan should be substantially completed by the end of fiscal 2027, with remaining charges recognized that year.
Sources
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/858877/000085887726000132/csco-20260725.htm
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/858877/000085887726000106/exhibit991pressrelease-q4f.htm
https://www.cisco.com/c/m/en_us/about/purpose/reporting-hub/governance/data-and-assurances.html
https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/858877/000085887725000150/csco-20251027.htm
