Federal Severance Pay Calculator
Estimate your severance pay under OPM's official formula if you are facing a RIF or other involuntary separation: total payout, biweekly payment, and how long payments last.
Your estimate appears here once you enter your pay, service, and age.
Severance is a runway, not a safety net.
Most federal employees get months of severance, not years, and it stops the moment you take another federal job. FedUp matches your federal experience with private-sector roles so you can land before the runway ends.
How the math works
Severance pay is set by law (5 U.S.C. 5595), so every agency computes it the same way. There are two pieces, then a cap.
- 1
Weekly rate of basic pay
Your annual rate of basic pay, including locality pay, divided by 2,087 hours, rounded to the nearest cent, then multiplied by 40. This weekly rate drives every other number.
- 2
Basic severance allowance
One week of pay for each of your first 10 years of creditable civilian service, and two weeks for each year beyond 10. Each leftover full 3-month period adds a quarter of the applicable credit.
- 3
Age adjustment allowance
If you are over 40, the basic allowance grows by 2.5% for every full 3 months of age over 40, which compounds to 10% per year. At 45, that's a 50% boost; at 50, it doubles.
- 4
The 52-week cap
No matter what the formula produces, total severance cannot exceed one year (52 weeks) of pay. It's a lifetime limit: severance paid after a past involuntary separation counts against it.
- 5
Biweekly payout
Severance isn't a lump sum. It's paid every two weeks at your normal pay rate until the fund is exhausted, or until you're reemployed by the federal or DC government, which stops it.
Age adjustment factors
OPM's multiplier for the basic allowance, by age at separation. Find your full years of age, then the column for your extra months. Under 40, the factor is 1.000. Over 70, keep adding 0.100 per year.
| Age | 0–2 months | 3–5 months | 6–8 months | 9–11 months |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 40 | 1.000 | 1.025 | 1.050 | 1.075 |
| 41 | 1.100 | 1.125 | 1.150 | 1.175 |
| 42 | 1.200 | 1.225 | 1.250 | 1.275 |
| 43 | 1.300 | 1.325 | 1.350 | 1.375 |
| 44 | 1.400 | 1.425 | 1.450 | 1.475 |
| 45 | 1.500 | 1.525 | 1.550 | 1.575 |
| 46 | 1.600 | 1.625 | 1.650 | 1.675 |
| 47 | 1.700 | 1.725 | 1.750 | 1.775 |
| 48 | 1.800 | 1.825 | 1.850 | 1.875 |
| 49 | 1.900 | 1.925 | 1.950 | 1.975 |
| 50 | 2.000 | 2.025 | 2.050 | 2.075 |
| 51 | 2.100 | 2.125 | 2.150 | 2.175 |
| 52 | 2.200 | 2.225 | 2.250 | 2.275 |
| 53 | 2.300 | 2.325 | 2.350 | 2.375 |
| 54 | 2.400 | 2.425 | 2.450 | 2.475 |
| 55 | 2.500 | 2.525 | 2.550 | 2.575 |
| 56 | 2.600 | 2.625 | 2.650 | 2.675 |
| 57 | 2.700 | 2.725 | 2.750 | 2.775 |
| 58 | 2.800 | 2.825 | 2.850 | 2.875 |
| 59 | 2.900 | 2.925 | 2.950 | 2.975 |
| 60 | 3.000 | 3.025 | 3.050 | 3.075 |
| 61 | 3.100 | 3.125 | 3.150 | 3.175 |
| 62 | 3.200 | 3.225 | 3.250 | 3.275 |
| 63 | 3.300 | 3.325 | 3.350 | 3.375 |
| 64 | 3.400 | 3.425 | 3.450 | 3.475 |
| 65 | 3.500 | 3.525 | 3.550 | 3.575 |
| 66 | 3.600 | 3.625 | 3.650 | 3.675 |
| 67 | 3.700 | 3.725 | 3.750 | 3.775 |
| 68 | 3.800 | 3.825 | 3.850 | 3.875 |
| 69 | 3.900 | 3.925 | 3.950 | 3.975 |
| 70 | 4.000 | 4.025 | 4.050 | 4.075 |
Who actually gets severance
The formula only matters if you're eligible. The short version: severance exists for people pushed out of qualifying jobs through no fault of their own who can't retire yet.
Generally eligible
- You hold a qualifying appointment: career, career-conditional, or an equivalent excepted-service appointment without time limit.
- You have at least 12 months of continuous service without a break of more than 3 calendar days.
- You are being involuntarily separated by a reduction in force (RIF), abolished position, or transfer of function, not removed for performance or conduct.
- You resign after receiving a specific RIF notice or a qualifying general notice. That still counts as involuntary for severance purposes.
Generally not eligible
- You qualify for an immediate annuity from a federal retirement system, including discontinued service retirement (age 50 with 20 years, or any age with 25 years) and voluntary retirement combinations such as age 62 with 5 years.
- You decline a reasonable offer of assignment to another position.
- You are on a time-limited, term, Schedule C, or other nonqualifying appointment, or you work an intermittent schedule.
- You are receiving workers' compensation for an injury, or your pay is set at an Executive Schedule rate.
Your agency HR office makes the official eligibility call and computes the official amount. This page is an estimate based on OPM's published worksheet, not tax, legal, or financial advice.
What federal severance pay actually looks like
Estimated total severance for an employee separated at age 45, by salary and years of creditable service. Figures use OPM's formula, including the age adjustment and the 52-week cap.
| Annual salary | 5 years | 10 years | 20 years | 30 years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $7,1887 weeks | $14,37615 weeks | $43,12845 weeks | $49,83752 weeks |
| $70,000 | $10,0628 weeks | $20,12415 weeks | $60,37245 weeks | $69,76352 weeks |
| $90,000 | $12,9368 weeks | $25,87215 weeks | $77,61645 weeks | $89,69052 weeks |
| $120,000 | $17,2508 weeks | $34,50015 weeks | $103,50045 weeks | $119,60052 weeks |
Younger employees receive less (no age adjustment under 40) and older employees more (up to double at age 50+). Enter your own numbers above for a personal estimate.
Common questions
QDo federal employees get severance pay?
Yes, but only when they are involuntarily separated. Full-time and part-time federal employees on a qualifying appointment with at least 12 months of continuous service receive severance pay when they are removed through a reduction in force, an abolished position, or a transfer of function, and are not eligible for an immediate annuity. Employees who quit voluntarily or are removed for performance or misconduct do not receive it.
QWho is eligible for federal severance pay?
You generally qualify if you are a full-time or part-time federal employee under a qualifying appointment, have at least 12 months of continuous service, and are involuntarily separated for reasons other than performance or misconduct, such as a reduction in force. You are not eligible if you decline a reasonable offer of another position or if you qualify for an immediate annuity, including discontinued service retirement.
QHow is federal severance pay calculated?
Two parts. The basic allowance is one week of basic pay per year of service for your first 10 years, plus two weeks per year after 10, with quarter-year credit for full 3-month periods. If you are over 40, an age adjustment adds 2.5% of the basic allowance for every full 3 months of age over 40. The total is capped at 52 weeks of pay.
QIs severance paid as a lump sum?
No. Federal severance pay is paid in biweekly installments at your regular pay period rate (two weeks of your basic pay) until the fund runs out or you are reemployed by the federal government or the District of Columbia government.
QWhat is the maximum severance pay?
One year of pay: 52 weeks at your weekly rate of basic pay. This is a lifetime limit: severance you received after an earlier involuntary separation counts against it.
QWhat happens if I get another federal job?
Severance payments stop as soon as you are reemployed by the federal government or the DC government. Taking a private-sector, state, or local government job does not affect your payments.
QIs federal severance pay taxable?
Yes. Severance pay is taxed as regular wages, with federal income tax and Social Security/Medicare withheld. It is not subject to retirement contributions, and no TSP contributions come out of it.
Sources
- OPM Fact Sheet: Severance Pay Estimation Worksheet
The official worksheet this calculator follows step by step, including the worked example and age adjustment factors table.
- OPM Fact Sheet: Severance Pay
Eligibility rules, qualifying appointments, creditable service, and how payments end.
- 5 U.S.C. § 5595
The statute that authorizes severance pay for federal employees.
- 5 CFR part 550, subpart G
The regulations with the exact computation rules (§ 550.707–.709).