| | 12/31/2017 | | 12/31/2016 | | ||||||||
Employees | | SQM S.A | | Other subsidiaries | | Total | | SQM S.A. | | Other subsidiaries | | Total | |
Executives | | 43 | | 77 | | 120 | | 31 | | 72 | | 103 | |
Professionals | | 143 | | 942 | | 1,085 | | 119 | | 919 | | 1,038 | |
Technicians and operators | | 248 | | 3,177 | | 3,425 | | 262 | | 3,076 | | 3,338 | |
Foreign employees | | 19 | | 272 | | 291 | | 8 | | 264 | | 272 | |
Overall total | | 453 | | 4,468 | | 4,921 | | 420 | | 4,331 | | 4,751 | |