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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.

IndustryLowTypicalHigh
Technology(25 companies)234
Finance & Banking(11 companies)234
Consulting & Professional Services(5 companies)234
Healthcare(6 companies)123
Manufacturing123
Nonprofit11.52
Retail(5 companies)0.512
Government112

Major Company Severance Packages

Typical severance formulas at the largest US employers, based on public layoff announcements and employee reports.

Meta (Facebook)

Generous

Company-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.

Avg salary: $185,00020,500 layoffs tracked

Google (Alphabet)

Generous

Company-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).

Avg salary: $190,00013,600 layoffs tracked

Amazon

Standard

Employee-reported (never company-confirmed): ~1 week per 6 months of service (โ‰ˆ2 wks/yr), reported floor ~4 weeks, cap ~20 weeks, paid after a ~90-day paid notice window; warehouse tiers reported lower

Avg salary: $160,00048,000 layoffs tracked

Microsoft

Generous

No 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.

Avg salary: $175,00029,800 layoffs tracked

Netflix

Generous

4-9 months of pay (one of the most generous in tech)

Avg salary: $200,000450 layoffs tracked

Salesforce

Generous

Minimum 5 months pay plus career resources

Avg salary: $170,0008,700 layoffs tracked

X (Twitter)

Minimal

3 months base pay (post-acquisition standard)

Avg salary: $160,0006,900 layoffs tracked

Coinbase

Standard

14 weeks minimum

Avg salary: $155,0002,050 layoffs tracked

Intuit

Generous

Reported 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.

Avg salary: $160,0003,000 layoffs tracked

Intel

Generous

Enhanced separation: 3-6 months + extended benefits

Avg salary: $145,00015,000 layoffs tracked

Cisco

Standard

8 weeks base + 1 week per year of service

Avg salary: $145,0009,600 layoffs tracked

Shopify

Generous

16 weeks minimum + 1 week per year of service

Avg salary: $150,0003,300 layoffs tracked

Snap Inc. (Snapchat)

Standard

4-6 months base pay

Avg salary: $150,0001,800 layoffs tracked

Goldman Sachs

Generous

Discretionary, 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.

Avg salary: $200,0007,538 layoffs tracked

Citigroup

Standard

2 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.

Avg salary: $148,00038,902 layoffs tracked

PayPal

Standard

2 months base + additional weeks per year

Avg salary: $155,0004,500 layoffs tracked

Deloitte

Standard

2 weeks per year of service (typical Big Four)

Avg salary: $140,0002,700 layoffs tracked

Accenture

Standard

Based on local labor law + additional company severance

Avg salary: $135,00019,000 layoffs tracked

Macy's

Standard

2 weeks per year for corporate; store closing packages vary

Avg salary: $60,0002,350 layoffs tracked

JPMorgan Chase

Standard

2 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)

Avg salary: $150,000500 layoffs tracked

HCA Healthcare

Minimal

Varies; typically minimal for non-executive staff

Avg salary: $80,000200 layoffs tracked

CVS Health

Standard

Grade-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

Avg salary: $95,0005,456 layoffs tracked

Walgreens Boots Alliance

Standard

Employee-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.

Avg salary: $95,0002,446 layoffs tracked

Bank of America

Standard

Employee-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.

Avg salary: $95,0005,620 layoffs tracked

Wells Fargo

Standard

Salary 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.

Avg salary: $95,0007,570 layoffs tracked

Oracle

Minimal

Multi-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).

Avg salary: $200,00064,754 layoffs tracked

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

StateState TaxTotal TaxTake-Home on $50k
New Jersey11.8%33.8%$33,100
New York11.7%33.7%$33,150
District of Columbia10.8%32.8%$33,625
Vermont8.8%30.8%$34,625
Oregon8.0%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

Technology
260,676
Finance & Banking
69,630
Consulting & Professional Services
24,500
Healthcare
9,602
Retail
3,750

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

What is the average severance pay in the US?
The typical severance package in the US ranges from 1-4 weeks of pay per year of service, depending on industry. Technology, finance, and consulting companies offer the most generous packages (2-4 weeks/year), while retail and nonprofit sectors offer less (0.5-2 weeks/year). There is no federal law requiring severance pay.
Which industry pays the most severance?
Technology, finance, and consulting tie for the most generous severance, typically offering 2-4 weeks of pay per year of service. Tech companies like Meta, Google, and Salesforce have offered packages of 16+ weeks base pay plus additional weeks for tenure during mass layoffs.
Do you have to pay taxes on severance pay?
Severance is generally taxable wage income. Federal income-tax withholding may use the optional flat supplemental-wage method or an aggregate method, FICA rules also apply, and state withholding depends on the applicable state payroll method. Withholding is not final tax liability.
Is severance pay legally required?
In most US states, no. Only New Jersey and Maine have mandatory severance laws, each with specific coverage conditions: New Jersey's applies to employers with 100+ employees carrying out a qualifying mass layoff (generally 50+ terminations), and Maine's to closings, relocations, or qualifying mass layoffs at establishments that employed 100+ people in the preceding 12 months. The federal WARN Act requires 60 days advance notice for covered mass layoffs but does not require severance pay. Most severance is provided voluntarily by employers.
How is severance pay calculated?
The most common formula is a base number of weeks plus additional weeks per year of service. For example, Meta offers 16 weeks base plus 2 weeks per year. Position level matters too: executives typically receive 2x the individual contributor rate. Use our free severance calculator for a personalized estimate.
How much severance do executives get compared to regular employees?
Executives and C-suite employees typically receive 2x the severance of individual contributors. For example, if a standard employee gets 2 weeks per year, an executive at the same company might receive 4 weeks per year. Executives also commonly receive equity acceleration, bonus payouts, and extended benefits that significantly increase the total package value.

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When a calculator estimate is not enough

Use your estimate as a starting point, not a final answer. Releases of claims, stock equity, short deadlines, and layoffs involving protected rights all need closer review.

๐Ÿ“‹ Free Severance Negotiation Checklist

A practical checklist covering review questions, counteroffer prep, and deadline reminders.

  • โœ“12-step negotiation checklist
  • โœ“Counter-offer email template
  • โœ“Deadline extension script