In 2025 the privately-held Valve Corporation achieved approximately USD 16.2 billion in revenue through its Steam platform while maintaining a headcount of around 350 employees. Data from Alinea Analytics shows annual payroll at roughly USD 450 million — equating to around USD 1.3 million average salary per employee — and an estimated revenue per employee approaching USD 48.6 million.
Valve Corporation, the company behind the global game-distribution service Steam, has reportedly generated about USD 16.2 billion in revenue during 2025 while employing roughly 350 people. The report, compiled by research firm Alinea Analytics, highlights how Valve’s status as a privately-held enterprise with a flat organisational structure and no shareholder pressures allows it to operate with unusually high operational efficiency. With an estimated annual wage bill of USD 450 million, the implied average compensation works out to approximately USD 1.3 million per employee. More noteworthy perhaps is the ratio of revenue to employee count: at almost USD 48.6 million per person, Valve’s productivity metric significantly outpaces many larger technology firms. While the company’s overall revenue remains lower than those of giants such as Apple or Microsoft, the case underscores how digital-distribution platforms with minimal staffing and high platform reach can deliver exceptional efficiency.
Source: @superhys
