CultureMonkey People ScienceQ2 2026 Edition

Employee engagement benchmarks by industry

CultureMonkey's Q2 2026 data shows Sport is the highest-scoring industry at 8.36 on the 0-10 engagement scale, followed by Hospitality at 8.33. All 18 tracked industries are listed below.

Q2 2026 Edition
The industries ladder
Sport
8.36
Hospitality
8.33
Finance
8.27
Healthcare
8.25
Mining
8.23
Energy
8.15
Bars scaled 6.8-8.4 to show separation · engagement 0-10 · all 18 industries below
8.36
Sport, engagement (0-10)
+37
Sport eNPS (−100..+100)
18
industries tracked
Last updated August 2026 · Refreshed quarterly · Headline figures through Q2 2026
Median
8.1
engagement (0-10), all companies
Range
6.98-8.36
across industries
Median eNPS
+27
eNPS (−100..+100)
Tracked
18
industries across companies
01Where every industry stands

All 18 industries, ranked

Every industry in CultureMonkey's data, sorted by engagement score, with eNPS and movement alongside.

The spread · engagement 0-10
median 8.1
6.5
7.0
7.5
8.0
8.5
Sport 8.36
Education 6.98
Each dot is one of the 18 industries · hover a dot for its engagement and eNPS · a 1.38-point gap between top and bottom.
01SportLeader
8.36
+37-▼︎ −0.21
02Hospitality
8.33
+33▲︎ +0.18▲︎ +0.51
03Finance
8.27
+34▼︎ −0.36▼︎ −0.28
04Healthcare
8.25
+31▲︎ +0.19▲︎ +0.25
05Mining
8.23
+41▼︎ −0.29▼︎ −0.20
06Energy
8.15
+56▲︎ +0.24▼︎ −0.52
07Technology
8.05
+27▲︎ +0.24▼︎ −0.13
08Retail
8.04
+28▲︎ +0.26▼︎ −0.42
09Professional Services
7.99
+25▼︎ −0.11▼︎ −0.17
10Logistics and Transportation
7.96
+14▼︎ −0.33▲︎ +0.06
11Manufacturing
7.96
+21▲︎ +0.17▼︎ −0.08
12Food and Beverage
7.94
+170.00▲︎ +0.51
13Construction and Heavy Industry
7.90
+23▼︎ −0.18▲︎ +0.03
14Creative and Media
7.82
+27▼︎ −0.12▲︎ +0.10
15Agriculture
7.68
+5▼︎ −0.36▲︎ +0.17
16Telecommunications
7.55
+6▲︎ +1.27-
17Non Profit
7.47
+21--
18Education
6.98
−24▼︎ −0.50▼︎ −0.30
Engagement is scored 0-10 and eNPS runs from −100 to +100. YoY compares full-year 2026 with 2025; QoQ compares Q2 2026 with the previous quarter. See our methodology ↓︎
02Two measures, side by side

Engagement × eNPS

Across the 18 industries with both measures in CultureMonkey's Q2 2026 data, engagement and eNPS mostly move together, but not in lockstep: Sport leads engagement while Energy leads eNPS.

Engagement (0-10)eNPS (−100..+100)
Sport
8.36
0510
+37
−1000+100
Hospitality
8.33
0510
+33
−1000+100
Finance
8.27
0510
+34
−1000+100
Healthcare
8.25
0510
+31
−1000+100
Mining
8.23
0510
+41
−1000+100
Energy
8.15
0510
+56
−1000+100
Technology
8.05
0510
+27
−1000+100
Retail
8.04
0510
+28
−1000+100

Top 8 by engagement shown; all 18 industries are in the table above.

Q2 2026 leader
8.36
Sport
engagement score, 0-10 scale

In CultureMonkey's Q2 2026 benchmarks, Sport leads all industries with an engagement score of 8.36 on the 0-10 scale, and an eNPS of +37. Hospitality follows at 8.33.

+0.03
ahead of Hospitality
+0.26
vs. the industry median (8.1)
+37
eNPS (−100..+100), #3 of 18 industries
Healthy / Watch / At-risk · provisional
HealthyNone this quarter
WatchSport · Hospitality · Finance · Healthcare · Mining · Energy · Technology · Retail · Professional Services · Logistics and Transportation · Manufacturing · Food and Beverage · Construction and Heavy Industry · Creative and Media
At-riskAgriculture · Telecommunications · Non Profit · Education

Buckets compare each industry's mean to the top and bottom quartile of all benchmark companies.

03Five years of movement

How the leading industries have moved, year by year

Engagement scores by year (0-10 scale) for the 6 highest-scoring industries with at least three years of data, 2021 to 2026 (2026 is year-to-date through Q2 2026). Telecommunications has gained the most year over year (+1.27); Education has slipped the most (−0.50).

7.408.359.30202120222023202420252026Hospitality 8.37Finance 8.16Healthcare 8.50Technology 8.26Retail 8.44Professional Services 8.21

Hover for values · click a legend item to hide or show a line.

Data table, engagement (0-10) by year
Industry202120222023202420252026Now
Hospitality8.328.889.077.768.198.378.33
Finance8.158.268.288.198.528.168.27
Healthcare-7.628.218.068.318.508.25
Technology8.188.238.348.228.028.268.05
Retail8.377.658.417.978.188.448.04
Professional Services7.758.428.338.028.328.217.99
04What moves the number

Drivers, and where each industry scores by region

How every industry scores on each engagement driver, where each one is strongest and weakest, and a region-by-industry view of the headline score.

Every industry on every driver

Driver score (0-10) for each industry across all 22 engagement drivers, ordered by the all-company driver score. Colour is relative to the cells shown; hover a tile to compare with all companies. Rewards is the lowest-scoring driver in 13 of 18 industries.

IndustryOnboardingPurpose AlignmentSocial ConnectionManager SupportCultureJob SatisfactionMeaningful WorkAutonomyManagementInnovationWork EnvironmentEngagementInvolvementLeadershipInclusivityCommunicationDiversityGrowth & DevelopmentWellnessRecognitionWork-Life BalanceRewards
Sport
-
9.03
8.29
-
-
-
-
8.77
8.61
-
8.48
-
7.99
8.29
-
8.24
-
8.02
8.26
8.01
-
7.10
Hospitality
-
8.48
8.58
-
9.32
-
8.35
8.80
8.56
9.01
8.22
9.34
8.28
8.54
-
8.08
-
8.34
8.40
8.27
7.91
7.46
Finance
8.86
8.51
8.50
8.35
8.43
8.09
8.33
8.37
8.40
8.20
8.48
8.08
7.89
8.22
8.01
8.13
8.13
8.13
7.83
7.99
7.70
7.44
Healthcare
9.19
8.36
8.46
8.53
8.75
8.75
8.23
8.30
8.52
8.48
8.02
8.61
7.97
8.21
8.61
7.84
-
8.12
8.42
7.37
7.74
6.97
Mining
-
8.48
8.38
-
-
-
8.47
8.71
8.17
8.30
8.17
-
8.42
8.06
-
8.17
-
7.64
8.29
8.10
8.14
7.72
Energy
-
9.12
8.62
-
-
-
8.65
8.97
8.43
8.63
8.49
-
8.71
8.04
-
8.50
-
8.18
8.69
8.24
8.28
7.48
Technology
9.13
8.43
8.46
8.33
8.44
8.38
8.18
8.30
8.33
8.13
8.19
7.93
8.00
8.04
8.14
7.99
8.19
7.96
7.80
7.74
7.63
7.19
Retail
9.01
8.10
8.51
8.54
8.72
8.02
8.21
8.16
7.94
8.19
8.00
-
8.07
7.67
-
7.82
8.50
7.82
7.57
7.74
7.08
6.77
Professional Services
8.29
8.36
8.13
8.44
8.39
8.20
8.37
8.17
8.26
7.94
8.23
7.68
8.18
7.97
8.57
7.85
-
7.76
7.56
7.55
7.76
6.97
Logistics and Transportation
-
7.95
8.29
8.29
-
-
8.08
8.25
7.43
8.18
7.78
-
7.62
7.79
-
7.92
-
7.85
8.12
7.49
7.66
7.22
Manufacturing
8.91
8.42
8.34
8.26
7.88
8.19
8.11
7.96
8.19
8.22
7.93
8.11
8.06
8.03
8.02
7.83
8.50
7.63
7.93
7.40
7.76
7.01
Food and Beverage
-
8.14
8.58
-
7.37
-
8.52
8.38
7.52
7.91
8.05
-
8.00
7.61
-
7.80
-
7.97
7.41
7.60
7.57
6.47
Construction and Heavy Industry
8.80
8.33
7.78
8.06
7.56
8.08
8.54
7.83
8.18
7.77
8.22
7.36
7.90
7.97
8.23
8.03
8.50
7.50
8.09
7.23
7.87
7.00
Creative and Media
-
8.70
8.94
8.29
-
-
8.93
8.62
8.49
8.56
7.92
-
8.74
8.61
6.00
8.51
6.00
8.43
7.83
7.84
7.25
7.17
Agriculture
-
8.24
8.03
7.82
-
-
8.31
7.99
7.98
8.19
7.95
7.95
8.48
7.76
-
7.51
-
7.40
7.91
6.96
8.04
6.85
Telecommunications
-
7.78
7.50
-
-
-
7.60
7.84
7.72
6.83
7.76
-
8.18
7.55
-
7.36
-
7.27
7.39
7.23
7.78
7.52
Non Profit
-
9.50
-
-
-
-
8.80
7.95
-
9.18
10.00
-
9.40
-
-
7.19
-
-
-
8.00
8.86
-
Education
9.24
7.65
8.06
7.88
7.32
-
7.33
7.19
7.53
6.77
6.87
-
6.74
7.20
7.34
6.64
-
6.47
7.05
6.74
6.05
6.15
top quartileabove medianbelow medianbottom quartileRelative to the cells shown · hover a tile to compare with all companies

Strongest driver by industry

What each industry does best.

1Sport
Purpose Alignment
9.03
2Hospitality
Engagement
9.34
3Finance
Onboarding
8.86
4Healthcare
Onboarding
9.19
5Mining
Autonomy
8.71
6Energy
Purpose Alignment
9.12
7Technology
Onboarding
9.13
8Retail
Onboarding
9.01
9Professional Services
Inclusivity
8.57
10Logistics and Transportation
Social Connection
8.29
11Manufacturing
Onboarding
8.91
12Food and Beverage
Social Connection
8.58
13Construction and Heavy Industry
Onboarding
8.80
14Creative and Media
Social Connection
8.94
15Agriculture
Involvement
8.48
16Telecommunications
Involvement
8.18
17Non Profit
Work Environment
10.00
18Education
Onboarding
9.24

Biggest opportunity by industry

The lowest-scoring driver in each industry, the first place to look for gains.

1Sport
Rewards
7.10
2Hospitality
Rewards
7.46
3Finance
Rewards
7.44
4Healthcare
Rewards
6.97
5Mining
Growth & Development
7.64
6Energy
Rewards
7.48
7Technology
Rewards
7.19
8Retail
Rewards
6.77
9Professional Services
Rewards
6.97
10Logistics and Transportation
Rewards
7.22
11Manufacturing
Rewards
7.01
12Food and Beverage
Rewards
6.47
13Construction and Heavy Industry
Rewards
7.00
14Creative and Media
Inclusivity
6.00
15Agriculture
Rewards
6.85
16Telecommunications
Innovation
6.83
17Non Profit
Communication
7.19
18Education
Work-Life Balance
6.05
All 22 driver rankings →︎

Regions within industries

Engagement (0-10) for every region × industry pairing, coloured by quartile among the cells shown.

IndustryNorth AmericaAPACEuropeMEALATAM
Sport
8.36
8.11
-
-
-
Hospitality
7.87
8.63
-
-
-
Finance
8.24
8.31
7.70
8.06
8.78
Healthcare
8.22
8.45
7.55
8.31
8.30
Mining
-
8.23
-
-
-
Energy
8.12
8.23
-
-
-
Technology
7.85
8.21
7.80
8.23
8.28
Retail
6.99
8.10
7.69
7.90
7.65
Professional Services
7.82
8.13
7.55
8.18
8.59
Logistics and Transportation
7.83
8.02
7.54
8.31
8.03
Manufacturing
8.04
8.11
7.50
8.14
8.21
Food and Beverage
7.82
7.96
7.75
7.98
7.88
Construction and Heavy Industry
8.53
8.12
7.51
7.67
-
Creative and Media
7.43
8.06
7.25
7.97
8.04
Agriculture
7.50
7.83
7.60
8.59
7.97
Telecommunications
7.31
8.21
7.06
7.59
7.89
Non Profit
7.47
-
-
-
-
Education
6.49
7.74
7.56
-
-
top quartileabove medianbelow medianbottom quartileRelative to the cells shown · hover a tile for eNPS
05This quarter's signals

Who's rising, who's slipping

Year-over-year and quarter-over-quarter movement for every industry with both periods of data.

▲︎ +1.27
Telecommunications
biggest year-over-year rise · now 7.55
▼︎ −0.50
Education
biggest year-over-year fall · now 6.98
▲︎ +0.51
Hospitality
biggest quarter-over-quarter rise · now 8.33
IndustryYoY ↓︎QoQNow (0-10)
Telecommunications▲︎ +1.27-7.55
Retail▲︎ +0.26▼︎ −0.428.04
Energy▲︎ +0.24▼︎ −0.528.15
Technology▲︎ +0.24▼︎ −0.138.05
Healthcare▲︎ +0.19▲︎ +0.258.25
Hospitality▲︎ +0.18▲︎ +0.518.33
Manufacturing▲︎ +0.17▼︎ −0.087.96
Food and Beverage0.00▲︎ +0.517.94
Professional Services▼︎ −0.11▼︎ −0.177.99
Creative and Media▼︎ −0.12▲︎ +0.107.82
Construction and Heavy Industry▼︎ −0.18▲︎ +0.037.90
Mining▼︎ −0.29▼︎ −0.208.23
Logistics and Transportation▼︎ −0.33▲︎ +0.067.96
Finance▼︎ −0.36▼︎ −0.288.27
Agriculture▼︎ −0.36▲︎ +0.177.68
Education▼︎ −0.50▼︎ −0.306.98
Sport-▼︎ −0.218.36
Non Profit--7.47

YoY compares full-year 2026 to 2025; QoQ compares Q2 2026 to the previous quarter. Shown where both periods have data.

Methodology

Coverage. Every industry in CultureMonkey's benchmark dataset is on this page, from CultureMonkey's own aggregated survey data. Coverage grows with every quarterly refresh.
Scales. Engagement 0-10. eNPS = % Promoters (9-10) − % Detractors (0-6) on the recommend question, −100..+100. Never combined on one axis.
Source. Anonymised employee survey responses from CultureMonkey customers since 2021 Q3, aggregated to company level and refreshed quarterly; headline figures use complete data through Q2 2026.
Cite this data
CultureMonkey People Science (2026). Employee Engagement Benchmarks by Industry, Q2 2026 Edition [Data set]. https://www.culturemonkey.io/benchmarks/employee-engagement-by-industry/ (updated August 2026).
Data verified by
CultureMonkey People Science

The research team behind these benchmarks. Every published figure is re-derived from the source survey data independently of the pipeline that builds these pages, then compared value by value. Nothing ships while a check disagrees.

5,725 checks passing~11M responsesVerified August 2026
FAQ

Frequently asked questions

01
Which industry has the highest employee engagement in 2026?

Sport has the highest employee engagement score of all industries in CultureMonkey's Q2 2026 benchmarks, at 8.36 on the 0-10 scale. Hospitality follows at 8.33; Education is lowest at 6.98. Sport's eNPS is +37 on the −100..+100 scale.

02
Which industry has the lowest employee engagement score?

Education has the lowest engagement score of the 18 industries in CultureMonkey's Q2 2026 benchmarks, at 6.98 on the 0-10 scale, with an eNPS of −24. That is 1.38 points below Sport at the top. The drivers behind the gap are broken out by industry further up this page.

03
Is Education engagement declining?

Education is one of the industries in CultureMonkey's benchmark to decline year over year, at 6.98 on the 0-10 scale, −0.50 versus 2025. Quarter on quarter it moved −0.30.

04
How is the industry benchmark calculated?

Each industry's score is the mean of company-level engagement scores for CultureMonkey customers classified in that industry, computed from anonymised survey data. Engagement is reported on a 0-10 scale; eNPS = % Promoters (9-10) − % Detractors (0-6) on the recommend question, giving −100..+100. The Q2 2026 Edition draws on around 11 million responses across 18 industries and 5 regions since 2021 Q3; headline figures use complete data through Q2 2026.

By region
Employee Engagement by Region
APAC leads all 5 regions at 8.23 (0-10).
By size
Employee Engagement by Company Size
Enterprise leads engagement; Mid-Market leads eNPS.
Drivers
Driver Impact Rankings
All 22 drivers ranked by score and by how closely they move with eNPS.
Momentum
Rising & Falling
Telecommunications +1.27 · Education −0.50, year over year.
eNPS
eNPS Benchmarks
Median eNPS is +27, the good zone. By industry, region and company size.
Tool
Percentile Comparison
Enter your score, see where you rank against benchmark companies.
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