Severance Pay Statistics 2026
Comprehensive data on severance packages across industries, companies, and all 50 US states
Last updated: February 2026 ยท How to cite this page
2-4 wks/yr
Typical severance in tech
52
Companies tracked
368,158
Workers affected by tracked layoffs
11.8%
Highest state tax on severance
2 of 50
States require severance
60 days
Federal WARN notice required
Severance Pay by Industry
Weeks of pay per year of service. Executives typically receive 2x the individual contributor rate.
| Industry | Low | Typical | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technology(25 companies) | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Finance & Banking(11 companies) | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Consulting & Professional Services(5 companies) | 2 | 3 | 4 |
| Healthcare(6 companies) | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Manufacturing | 1 | 2 | 3 |
| Nonprofit | 1 | 1.5 | 2 |
| Retail(5 companies) | 0.5 | 1 | 2 |
| Government | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Major Company Severance Packages
Typical severance formulas at the largest US employers, based on public layoff announcements and employee reports.
Meta (Facebook)
GenerousCompany-confirmed (Zuckerberg's Nov 2022 letter): 16 weeks base + 2 weeks/year of service (no cap), 6 months healthcare, RSU vesting to the next vest date, PTO payout. The May 2026 ~8,000-role round is reported to follow the same 16+2 structure (with ~18 months COBRA). That round is mainstream-reported, not company-restated.
Google (Alphabet)
GenerousCompany-confirmed only for the Jan 2023 layoff: 16 weeks base + 2 weeks/year of service, >=16 weeks accelerated GSU vesting, 6 months healthcare, 60-day paid notice. The 2025-26 voluntary buyouts have no Google-published figure (the reported ~14 wks + 1 wk/yr is from a leaked memo, not confirmed).
Amazon
StandardEmployee-reported (never company-confirmed): ~1 week per 6 months of service (โ2 wks/yr), reported floor ~4 weeks, cap ~20 weeks, paid after a ~90-day paid notice window; warehouse tiers reported lower
Microsoft
GenerousNo company-published formula. Employee-reported/leaked: up to ~39 weeks base (levels <=64: 1 week per 6 months of service; 65-67: 2 weeks per 6 months), 60-day minimum notice, ~6 months healthcare + 12 months COBRA. A separate April 2026 voluntary programme was reported at ~12 weeks + 2 weeks/year (cap 52). All reported, not confirmed.
Netflix
Generous4-9 months of pay (one of the most generous in tech)
Salesforce
GenerousMinimum 5 months pay plus career resources
X (Twitter)
Minimal3 months base pay (post-acquisition standard)
Coinbase
Standard14 weeks minimum
Intuit
GenerousReported from Intuit's May 2026 restructuring announcement: US staff stay on payroll through 31 Jul 2026, then 16 weeks base + 2 weeks/year of service, plus extended healthcare and career-transition services.
Intel
GenerousEnhanced separation: 3-6 months + extended benefits
Cisco
Standard8 weeks base + 1 week per year of service
Shopify
Generous16 weeks minimum + 1 week per year of service
Snap Inc. (Snapchat)
Standard4-6 months base pay
Goldman Sachs
GenerousDiscretionary, not formulaic: Goldman has no SEC-filed severance plan (unlike CVS or Citi's CAP plan). NY norm: ~60 days continued 'active employment' at full base + benefits, then ~5 weeks base-pay severance + tenure-based extension. By level (employee-reported via Fortune, eFinancialCareers, SimpleSeverance): Analyst/Associate 4-8 weeks, VP 3-6 months, Director/MD 6-12+ months, Partner discretionary (typically 12+ months with deferred-comp negotiation). Bonuses EXCLUDED by default.
Citigroup
Standard2 weeks of base pay per full 12 months of service, capped at 52 weeks (1 year). The 10+ year tenure supplement was eliminated in December 2008; even 30-year veterans cap at 52 weeks.
PayPal
Standard2 months base + additional weeks per year
Deloitte
Standard2 weeks per year of service (typical Big Four)
Accenture
StandardBased on local labor law + additional company severance
Macy's
Standard2 weeks per year for corporate; store closing packages vary
JPMorgan Chase
Standard2 weeks base + 2 weeks per year of service, minimum 4 weeks, capped at the lesser of 52 weeks or $400,000 (per the JPMorgan Chase U.S. Severance Pay Plan summary plan description and consistent employee reports; not company-confirmed for every grade)
HCA Healthcare
MinimalVaries; typically minimal for non-executive staff
CVS Health
StandardGrade-tier plan (per CVS SEC Q3 2023 Ex. 10.1): non-exempt 2 wks base + 2 wks/year, capped at 13 wks; exempt analyst tier 4 wks base + 2 wks/year, capped at 20 wks; senior manager/director tier floor 13 wks, capped at 44 wks
Walgreens Boots Alliance
StandardEmployee-reported (TheLayoff forum, Student Doctor Network): 4 weeks for <3 years tenure, then 2 weeks per year of service capped at ~32 weeks. Not publicly confirmed by Walgreens. WARN-mandated 60-day paid notice period is the verified floor for affected groups.
Bank of America
StandardEmployee-reported (SimpleSeverance, HelpFromHR, TheLayoff forum, Glassdoor): 2 weeks per year of service, minimum 4 weeks, capped at 52 weeks (1 year). Long-tenured (20+ years) reportedly receive 3 weeks per year capped at 78 weeks. BofA does NOT publish a public SEC-filed severance plan exhibit (unlike CVS). Treat these figures as employee-reported consensus, not company-confirmed.
Wells Fargo
StandardSalary Continuation Pay Plan (employee-reported via fired.fyi + TheLayoff forum): 8 weeks minimum (under 3 years tenure), then 2 weeks per year of service, capped at 52 weeks. Includes a 60-day paid garden-leave period during which the employee is on payroll with active benefits and 401(k) match continues. Lump-sum or installments at employee election.
Oracle
MinimalMulti-source confirmed (TechCrunch, TIME, IndexBox): 4 weeks of base pay for the first year of service + 1 week per additional year, capped at 26 weeks total. 1-month COBRA subsidy. Release of claims required. NO RSU acceleration: unvested RSUs forfeit at termination (the most controversial element of the March 2026 cuts; documented $1M individual forfeitures in published reports).
How State Taxes Affect Your Severance
Severance is taxed at 22% federal (supplemental wage rate) plus your state income tax. Here's the impact on a $50,000 severance package.
9 States With No Income Tax on Severance
After-tax on $50k: $39,000 (22% federal only)
Highest vs Lowest Tax States
| State | State Tax | Total Tax | Take-Home on $50k |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Jersey | 11.8% | 33.8% | $33,100 |
| New York | 11.7% | 33.7% | $33,150 |
| District of Columbia | 10.8% | 32.8% | $33,625 |
| Vermont | 8.8% | 30.8% | $34,625 |
| Oregon | 8.0% | 30.0% | $35,000 |
| No-tax states (TX, FL, etc.) | 0% | 22.0% | $39,000 |
Difference between highest-tax and no-tax state: $5,900 on a $50,000 package.
Mass Layoff Tracker
368,158 workers affected across 123 layoff events tracked from 51 companies.
Largest Layoffs by Company
Layoffs by Industry
View real-time WARN Act notices on our WARN Act Tracker.
Severance Pay Legal Framework
Federal WARN Act
Requires 60 days advance notice for mass layoffs affecting 50+ employees at companies with 100+ employees. Does not require severance pay, but employers who fail to give notice may owe 60 days of back pay.
Enhanced WARN States
These states require more notice than the federal 60 days:
Mandatory Severance States
Only 2 of 50 states require severance pay by law:
- Maine requires 1 week per year for mass layoffs
- New Jersey requires 1 week per year for mass layoffs
OWBPA (Age 40+)
The Older Workers Benefit Protection Act gives workers 40 and older 21 days to review a severance agreement (45 days for group layoffs) and 7 days to revoke after signing. Employers cannot waive age discrimination claims without meeting these requirements.
Methodology & How to Cite
Data Sources
- Company severance data: Public layoff announcements, SEC filings, employee reports via Blind and Glassdoor, layoffs.fyi
- Industry multipliers: Bureau of Labor Statistics, market research, employer surveys
- State tax & legal data: IRS, state revenue departments, US Department of Labor
- Crowdsourced reports: Anonymous employee-submitted severance data
How to Cite This Data
According to <a href="https://severancecalc.com/severance-pay-statistics">Severance Pay Statistics 2026 | SeveranceCalc</a>, the typical severance package ranges from 1-4 weeks of pay per year of service.
This data is free to use with attribution. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Frequently Asked Questions
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When a calculator estimate is not enough
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A practical checklist covering review questions, counteroffer prep, and deadline reminders.
- โ12-step negotiation checklist
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