ROKETSAN Employees: How Many People Work There?

ROKETSAN employs approximately 5,000 people as of 2024, of whom around 2,000 work in research and development. The Turkish missile maker has an engineer-heavy, research-intensive workforce, which makes it one of the largest employers in Türkiye’s defence industry. Exact department-level breakdowns are not officially disclosed.

~5,000

Total employees (2024)

~2,000

R&D staff

~40%

Share in R&D (approx.)

1988

Founded

ROKETSAN Workforce — At a Glance
Company	ROKETSAN Roket Sanayii ve Ticaret A.Ş.
Headquarters	Ankara (Elmadağ; Lalahan, Kırıkkale)
CEO/GM	Murat İkinci
Total employees	~5,000 (2024)
R&D staff	~2,000
Dominant profile	Engineers and technical staff
Sector	Rockets, missiles, air defence, munitions
Ownership	TSKGV foundation — not publicly traded

How many people work at ROKETSAN?

ROKETSAN employed approximately 5,000 people as of 2024. That figure places the company among the largest employers in Türkiye’s defence industry. For context, ROKETSAN is smaller by headcount than TUSAŞ (Turkish Aerospace) and ASELSAN, but it remains one of the sector’s flagship firms and the country’s leading rocket and missile house.

The most striking feature of that headcount is that around 2,000 of the staff work in research and development. In other words, roughly 40% of the total payroll is directly engaged in R&D. Rocket and missile technologies demand highly qualified people in fields such as advanced materials, propulsion (rocket motors and fuels), guidance and control, aerodynamics and systems engineering. As a result, ROKETSAN’s workforce profile resembles an engineering-and-technology organisation far more than a conventional manufacturer.

The number of employees has trended upward over time. Since its founding in 1988, the company has expanded its headcount as it broadened its product families and as investment in the defence industry grew. The concentration on guided missiles, air defence and smart munitions in recent years has particularly increased demand for engineers and technical staff.

While official sources share the total headcount and the R&D share, a detailed breakdown of employees by unit, job title or location is largely not officially disclosed. The figures given here rest on the most recent verifiable data published by the company and open sources.

With about 5,000 employees as of 2024, ROKETSAN is one of Turkey's largest defence-industry employers. — With about 5,000 employees as of 2024, ROKETSAN is one of Turkey’s largest defence-industry employers.

An engineer-heavy workforce

The defining trait that separates ROKETSAN’s workforce from other industrial firms is the weight of engineers and technical staff. The systems it produces require intensive engineering at every stage, from design to serial production. A missile’s airframe, motor, guidance software, warhead and test processes force many disciplines to work together: mechanical, electrical-electronic, software, materials, chemistry, and aerospace engineering.

This structure makes ROKETSAN an attractive employer for graduates. The company hires fresh engineering graduates and experienced specialists alike, and it also employs researchers at master’s and doctoral level. R&D staff reaching roughly 2,000 people is a concrete indicator of that academic-technical intensity.

R&D staff: Around 2,000 (about 40% of total payroll).
Core disciplines: Mechanical, electronics, software, materials, chemistry, aerospace engineering.
Employment profile: A broad range from fresh graduates to senior specialists and researchers.
Orientation: A continually growing technical team focused on localisation and technology development.

This engineer-heavy structure supports ROKETSAN’s claim to be not merely a manufacturer but an organisation that develops original technology. The high share of R&D staff is directly tied to the goal of reducing dependence on imported technology and building indigenous solutions.

The table below summarises the officially verifiable indicators for ROKETSAN’s workforce. Because a detailed breakdown of employees by unit, title or province is not disclosed, the table relies on overall magnitudes and ratios.

ROKETSAN workforce indicators

Indicator	Value	Note
Total employees	~5,000	2024 figure
R&D staff	~2,000	About 40% of payroll
Dominant profile	Engineering / technical	Multi-disciplinary engineering
Founded	1988	37 years of institutional depth
Employment trend	Rising	With new plants and programmes
Unit breakdown	Not disclosed	Not officially shared

Growing headcount and new facilities

ROKETSAN’s headcount continues to rise in step with its capacity investments. In April 2026 the company brought online its Lalahan (missile integration) and Kırıkkale (fuel production) facilities, significantly expanding production capacity. The aim of this investment, which exceeds a total of one billion dollars, is to raise missile production capacity roughly fivefold. Such expansion directly creates additional employment needs.

New production and test infrastructure means new positions for production engineers, technicians, quality and test specialists, and R&D teams. The company’s growing order book and export ambitions also support workforce expansion. According to statements by CEO Murat İkinci, the company’s 2025 turnover exceeded two billion dollars, and its total business volume reached around ten billion dollars with new contracts. A workload of that scale requires maintaining and increasing the number of qualified staff.

That said, the exact figure the headcount will reach in the coming years is not officially disclosed. The company’s hiring plans will take shape depending on programme timelines and how quickly the new facilities reach full capacity. The figure of about 5,000 given here is the most recent verified data, for 2024.

Working at ROKETSAN and recruitment

ROKETSAN is one of the top choices for engineers and technical staff who want a career in the defence industry. The company generally runs its hiring through official career channels, regularly advertising openings in engineering, software, testing, production and administration. Graduate programmes and internships serve as an entry point into the sector for university students.

As a defence-industry organisation, employment at ROKETSAN involves additional conditions such as security clearance and confidentiality requirements. A significant share of employees are bound by strict confidentiality rules because of the sensitive nature of the systems they develop. This directly shapes both the hiring process and the working environment.

Details such as pay, benefits and promotion policy are not officially made public by the company; information on these matters usually remains at the level of estimates in open sources. For precise pay and career information, ROKETSAN’s official career pages should be the reference. In general, ROKETSAN is an appealing employer for qualified talent thanks to its R&D-intensive structure, technology-development opportunities and institutional stability.

In short, ROKETSAN’s workforce is a body of about 5,000 people, engineer-heavy and research-intensive. This profile underpins the company’s mission of developing original rocket and missile technology and represents a substantial part of Türkiye’s human-capital capacity in the defence industry.

ACCURACY NOTE

ROKETSAN’s figures of about 5,000 employees and roughly 2,000 R&D staff rest on official and open sources for 2024. A detailed breakdown of employees by unit, title or province, and current hiring plans, are not officially disclosed and are therefore not presented here as fact. Figures will be updated as newer official data is published.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people work at ROKETSAN?

As of 2024, ROKETSAN employs approximately 5,000 people, around 2,000 of whom work in R&D. The figure has trended upward over the years; a detailed breakdown by unit is not officially disclosed.

How many R&D staff does ROKETSAN have?

Around 2,000 of the workforce, roughly 40% of the total payroll, are R&D staff. This high share reflects the importance ROKETSAN places on developing original technology.

What professions do most ROKETSAN employees have?

The workforce is predominantly engineers and technical staff. Disciplines such as mechanical, electrical-electronic, software, materials, chemistry and aerospace engineering stand out, reflecting the multi-disciplinary nature of missile technology.

Is ROKETSAN’s headcount growing?

Yes. The company has expanded employment since its founding in 1988. Its Lalahan and Kırıkkale facilities, commissioned in April 2026, and a growing order book create additional hiring needs. The exact figure to be reached is not officially disclosed.

How do you get a job at ROKETSAN?

ROKETSAN runs hiring through official career channels, advertising openings in engineering, software, production and administration, along with graduate and internship programmes. As a defence-industry firm, employment involves security clearance and confidentiality requirements.

Is ROKETSAN Türkiye’s largest defence employer?

ROKETSAN is one of the largest defence-industry employers with around 5,000 staff, but larger organisations such as TUSAŞ and ASELSAN are ahead of it by headcount. It remains one of the sector’s flagship firms nonetheless.