Valve, the company behind Steam and the Steam Deck, is known for its small but highly effective workforce.
Despite employing just around 400 people, Valve generates more revenue per employee than some of the worldโs largest tech giants, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Netflix.
The Numbers Behind Valveโs Success
According to a recent analysis, Valveโs per-employee income far exceeds that of major companies like Facebook, Apple, and Google.
A chart from 2018 revealed that Valveโs per-employee income outstripped that of companies such as Facebook ($780,400 per employee), Apple, and Microsoft. In contrast, Amazon, with over 1.5 million employees, earned only $15,892 per employee.
Valve’s workforce of just 336 employees in 2021 was smaller than the development team for Baldurโs Gate 3, yet the company oversees Steam, which boasts nearly 40 million daily users and dominates the PC gaming market. Despite its small size, Valveโs influence in the gaming industry is massive.
The Steam Effect
Steam, Valveโs digital distribution platform, is a key driver of its success. While the companyโs workforce is tiny compared to tech giants, Steamโs reach and market share in PC gaming are unparalleled.
In 2021, Valveโs small team managed to oversee a platform that generated billions in revenue from game sales and services, all while maintaining a relatively low headcount.
The Impact of the Steam Deck
The Steam Deck, Valveโs handheld gaming PC, launched in 2022, has further expanded the companyโs reach.
Although itโs unclear how much Valveโs workforce grew for the deviceโs development, the company likely kept its team small compared to other tech giants, which typically hire thousands for similar projects.
Looking Ahead
Despite the tech sector’s recent trends, including layoffs and the rise of AI, Valve is likely to remain at the top of the per-employee income ranking.
The companyโs unique approach to business and its dominance in the gaming industry allow it to outperform larger competitors with much bigger workforces.
With Nvidiaโs recent rise in profits due to the AI boom, it will be interesting to see if it enters the per-employee income rankings in the future.
