JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

CSS

.career-count{
    display:inline-block;
    background-color:yellow;
    margin:10px;
    font-size:4em;
    position:relative;
}

.childClass{
    width:100%;
    height:100%;
    background-size:50px;
    z-index:1;
    position:absolute;
    left:0px;
    top:0px;
}

JavaScript

var careerstage_td = d3.select("body").append("div");

careerstage_td.selectAll('div')
    .data([2,6, 26, 16, 8, 3])
    .enter().append('div')
    .attr("class", "career-count")
    .text(function(d){return d;})
    .style("color", function(d){return 'gray';})
    .append('div')
    .attr("class", "childClass")
    .style("background-image", function(d){return "url('http://www.alesiom.ch/person.png')";})
    .style("background-repeat", "no-repeat")
    .style("background-position", "center center");