Starbucks, the global coffeehouse and roastery brand, employs roughly 44,960 people in corporate, technology, and support functions in addition to its extensive retail staff. Current staffing data shows 1,217 recent hires balanced against 2,722 departures, reflecting ongoing workforce optimisation as the company scales operations. Nearly one-half of all corporate headcount sits in business management and strategic roles, underscoring the importance Starbucks places on brand stewardship, supply-chain oversight, and store support. The organisation’s size and steady hiring indicate a continual need for talent in both customer-facing and back-office disciplines.
Business Management is Starbucks’ largest department at 19,697 employees, accounting for about 44% of the reported workforce. Operations (8,800) and Sales & Support (8,011) together contribute another 28%, mirroring the company’s focus on store execution and customer engagement. Technical and product innovation is supported by Marketing & Product (2,563) and Engineering (1,755), while Human Resources (1,456) and Finance & Administration (1,231) provide the infrastructure required for a large, distributed enterprise. Smaller but vital groups such as Information Technology, Program & Project Management, and an ‘Other’ category collectively total just over 1,400 positions, illustrating Starbucks’ need for specialised expertise across diverse disciplines.
Seattle, the company’s hometown, hosts approximately 4,157 employees—around 9% of total headcount—serving as a central hub for corporate leadership and product development. Major metropolitan areas such as New York (1,297), Los Angeles (1,136), and Chicago (883) also feature sizeable teams that support regional operations and marketing initiatives. San Francisco, Dallas, Denver, Atlanta, and Houston each house several hundred employees, while an additional 3,640 staff are distributed across other U.S. locations. This geographic spread highlights Starbucks’ strategy of positioning talent close to key markets and supply-chain nodes while maintaining a strong presence at headquarters for core strategic functions.