Federal severance pay calculator
OPM severance formula with the age adjustment over 40 and the 52-week lifetime limit.
- ๐บ๐ธ US federal & state rules
- OPM severance pay fact sheet
- See sources
Total severance pay
$77,020.43
47.275 weeks of pay at $1,629.20 a week, paid $3,258.40 each pay period for about 24 pay periods.
- Basic allowance
- $49,690.60
- Age adjustment
- $27,329.83
- Weeks of pay
- 47.275
- Weekly basic pay
- $1,629.20
This is an example. Enter your numbers above and press the button to see your own result.
- An estimate from the OPM severance pay formula. Your agency's HR office makes the official computation.
- Severance pay is for employees separated involuntarily for reasons other than inefficiency (unacceptable performance or conduct), with at least 12 months of continuous service, who are not eligible for an immediate annuity.
- Payments stop if you accept a federal or DC government job. Only full 3-month periods of service and age count.
Show the math
| Weekly pay | $85,000.00 รท 2,087 hours ร 40 = $1,629.20 |
|---|---|
| First 10 years | 10 weeks |
| Years after 10 | 10 ร 2 = 20 weeks |
| Extra full quarters | 1 ร 25% ร 2 = 0.5 weeks |
| Basic allowance | 30.5 weeks |
| Age adjustment | 22 quarters over 40 ร 2.5% = 55% of basic = 16.775 weeks |
What to do next
How it works
The weekly rate is your yearly basic pay divided by 2,087 hours, rounded to the cent, times 40 hours. Basic pay includes locality pay but not overtime or bonuses.
The basic allowance is one week of pay for each full year of service up to 10 and two weeks for each full year beyond 10. Each full 3 months past the last full year adds a quarter of a year's credit. The age adjustment adds 2.5% of the basic allowance for each full 3 months you are over 40.
OPM's own example: $1,500 a week, 20 years 4 months of service and age 45 years 8 months gives 30.5 weeks of basic allowance plus a 55% age adjustment, 47.275 weeks or $70,912.50.
Things to keep in mind
If you take a nonqualifying time-limited federal appointment, severance is suspended for the life of that appointment and then resumes without being recomputed. A permanent federal or DC government job ends it.
Service and age count only in full 3-month periods. Four months adds one quarter, and eight months adds two.
Sources
Rules applied as of 2026-10-19. See the sources below for details.
- OPM fact sheet, Severance payChecked 2026-10-19
- 5 U.S.C. 5504, Biweekly pay periods and computation of pay (Cornell LII)Checked 2026-10-19
Frequently asked questions
How is federal severance pay calculated?
One week of basic pay for each year of service up to 10, two weeks for each year after 10, and 25% of that for each extra full 3 months. Then add 2.5% of that total for each full 3 months of age over 40.
What is the maximum federal severance pay?
52 weeks of pay over your whole career. If you received severance before, those weeks count against the same limit.
Can I get severance if I can retire?
No. If you are eligible for an immediate annuity when you separate, from a federal civilian retirement system or the uniformed services, you cannot receive severance pay.
How is severance paid?
In regular installments on the same pay period schedule as your salary, not as one lump sum. It stops if you accept another federal or DC government job.