Relocation Package Examples: What Companies Offer, From Interns to Executives

Ask ten HR leaders what their relocation package includes, and you will hear ten different answers. That is how it should be. A summer intern and a vice president selling a home and moving a family of four need very different kinds of support, even when they are moving to the same city.

Most guides on this topic stop at an average. An average is useful for a budget line, but it will not tell you what belongs in the offer for the person you are trying to hire or transfer.

This guide walks through six relocation package examples built around the employee populations we see most often. For each one, you will find what the package typically includes, the range employers commonly spend, and where that structure tends to break down. Each example is an illustrative profile, not a specific client file. Current benchmark data from the 2026 Atlas Corporate Relocation Survey and the latest IRS guidance is included so you can measure your program against what other employers are doing now.

Relocation Package Examples at a Glance

Ranges reflect the lump sum and cash-equivalent amounts commonly set for each tier. Managed homeowner and executive packages can exceed them once home sale costs are included.

What Employers Are Offering in 2026

Before looking at individual packages, it helps to know where the market sits. The 2026 Atlas Corporate Relocation Survey, which drew responses from 549 corporate decision-makers across more than 20 industries, reported the following for relocations completed in 2025:

• How relocations were funded: 47% fully reimbursed, 23% partially reimbursed, 19% paid as a lump sum, and 12% not reimbursed.
• The most common lump sum: $10,000 to $12,499, unchanged from the two prior years.
• What employers believe employees value most: total financial value (58%), family support services (49%), and flexibility in how relocation funds are spent (47%).
• Incentives used to secure a yes: cost-of-living salary adjustments (52%), relocation or sign-on bonuses (49%), and extended temporary housing (38%).
• Flexibility in practice: 51% of companies make exceptions to their relocation policy.

Declined offers are the other part of the story. According to Atlas, 59% of companies had at least one employee turn down a relocation in 2025. Family ties, housing or mortgage concerns at the new location, and worries about selling a home were the three most cited reasons. A well-designed package can address each of those directly.

Example 1: Intern Relocation Package

Who it fits: college students and summer or co-op interns on a short, fixed-term placement.

What it typically includes:

• A one-time stipend paid before the start date
• Coverage for a security deposit and first month of rent, or a furnished short-term unit
• Travel to the job site at the start of the internship
• Eligibility based on distance, commonly 50 miles or more

Typical range: $2,000 to $3,000, most often paid as a single lump sum. Our intern relocation benchmark review covers how employers set the amount and why the stipend model has become the norm for this group.

Where it breaks down: withholding. A $2,500 stipend taxed at 32% leaves an intern with roughly $1,700, which may not cover a deposit and first month of rent in a high-cost city. If the goal is for the intern to receive the full amount, the payment has to be grossed up.

Example 2: Entry-Level or New Graduate Hire (Renter)

Who it fits: early-career employees who rent, have limited household goods, and are often making their first work-related move.

What it typically includes:

• A lump sum or capped reimbursement for a small household goods shipment or rental truck
• One-way travel to the new location
• Lease termination costs and rental deposits
• A short temporary housing period while the employee secures an apartment

Typical range: $1,500 to $10,000, depending on distance and the destination rental market. Our guide to lump sum relocation packages explains how to model this amount from actual cost components rather than precedent.

Where it breaks down: consumer pricing. A new graduate booking movers on their own pays retail rates and has little recourse if a shipment is late or damaged. In the Atlas survey, 81% of companies said they would be more likely to recommend a household goods provider if employees relocating with a lump sum could access corporate pricing. A managed lump sum, where the employee keeps the flexibility of cash while gaining a relocation counselor and vetted suppliers, closes that gap.

Example 3: Individual Contributor Relocating a Family

Who it fits: experienced professionals who may rent or own, with a partner, children, or pets moving with them.

What it typically includes: a core-flex structure. The employer guarantees a set of core benefits and adds a flexible budget the employee directs toward what matters most to the family.

• Core benefits: full-service household goods packing and shipment, final move travel for the family, a house-hunting trip, and temporary housing
• Flexible options: extended temporary housing, school search, pet transportation, partner career assistance, or a return trip to close out the prior residence

Typical range: $10,000 to $30,000 in cash-equivalent value. That band includes the $10,000 to $12,499 range Atlas identified as the most common lump sum.

Where it breaks down: when the flexible menu is too thin to address the family’s real concern. Family support ranked second on the Atlas list of what employees value, so a package that covers the truck but ignores school timing or a partner’s job search can still lose the candidate. For guidance on setting the core and the menu, see our overview of core-flex relocation programs.

Example 4: Homeowner Manager or Senior Professional

Who it fits: managers, directors, and senior specialists who own a home at origin and plan to buy at destination.

What it typically includes: a managed package, because the largest risks in this move are tied to real estate rather than the moving truck.

• Home sale assistance, often through a Buyer Value Option (BVO) program
• Home purchase support, including reimbursement of eligible closing costs
• Full-service household goods packing, shipment, and storage in transit
• A house-hunting trip and temporary housing sized to the destination market
• Destination services such as area orientation and school search
• A tax gross-up on taxable benefits and a signed repayment agreement

Typical range: $25,000 to $60,000 when expressed as a lump sum equivalent. A managed homeowner package can exceed that once home sale costs are included, which is exactly why the home sale structure deserves more attention than any other line item.

Where it breaks down: a cash-only offer. A homeowner who has to sell on the open market, carry two housing payments, and give up a low mortgage rate will burn through a lump sum quickly. Mortgage rate lock-in is now one of the clearest barriers to moving homeowners, and it maps directly to the housing and home sale concerns Atlas found behind declined relocations.

Example 5: Executive Relocation Package

Who it fits: C-suite leaders, vice presidents, and other critical hires whose start date affects the business.

What it typically includes: everything in the homeowner package, plus a layer of personal coordination.

• Home sale support through a BVO, or a guaranteed buyout that removes market risk from the decision
• Extended temporary housing and flexible timelines driven by the business need
• Vehicle shipment, including specialty or high-value vehicles
• Partner career assistance, school search, and settling-in services for the family
• An on-site project manager at pack, load, and delivery
• Confidential management of the move and tax consultation on the full package

Typical range: $50,000 to $100,000 or more. Each component is covered in more depth in what a typical executive relocation package includes.

Where it breaks down: when an executive is left to manage vendors alone. At this level, the experience is the benefit. An executive who spends evenings chasing a moving estimate or a closing date is not focused on the role you hired them for. That is the reason C-suite and VIP relocation programs are built around a single point of coordination.

Example 6: International Assignment Package

Who it fits: employees on one- to three-year assignments abroad or permanent cross-border transfers. Atlas found that 38% of companies maintain a formal policy for international assignments of one to three years.

What it typically includes:

• Visa and immigration support for the employee and dependents
• Home and host country tax support, often including tax equalization
• Destination services, including home finding, school search, and settling in
• Cultural and language training
• Household goods by sea or air, with storage for items left behind
• Cost-of-living allowances and repatriation planning

Typical range: this is the one example where a national average does more harm than good. Destination, family size, housing, and immigration requirements vary so widely that each package should be modeled by destination. Learn more about our international relocation support.

Where it breaks down: when a domestic policy is stretched to cover a global move. Immigration timelines and host country tax rules require specialists from the start.

Four Ways Companies Structure a Relocation Package

The six relocation package examples above are built from four structures. Most employers use more than one.

• Lump sum: a fixed cash payment the employee manages. Simple to budget, but the employee carries the risk of cost overruns.
• Tiered policy: benefits scale by level, housing status, or move complexity. This is the most common way to stay competitive at the top without overspending at entry level.
• Core-flex: guaranteed core benefits plus a flexible budget the employee directs. It balances cost control with choice.
• Fully managed: a relocation management company coordinates every service and pays suppliers directly, often within a capped budget. It delivers the most control and the best outcomes for homeowners and executives.

To help decide which structure fits each population, our domestic relocation team works through the options with HR before finalizing any policy.

Are Relocation Packages Taxable in 2026?

Yes, for nearly all employees. IRS Publication 15-B (2026) confirms that P.L. 119-21, commonly known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, permanently eliminates the exclusion for qualified moving expense reimbursements. Narrow exceptions remain for active-duty Armed Forces members moving under orders and certain intelligence community employees.

Every package example in this guide is therefore taxable to the employee, whether the benefit arrives as cash, a reimbursement, or a service paid on the employee’s behalf. Three decisions follow from that:

• Decide before the offer whether the stated amount is gross or the amount the employee should keep after withholding.
• Build the gross-up cost into the relocation budget, not as a surprise at year-end.
• Structure home sales carefully. A properly executed BVO program, set up to meet IRS requirements, treats the home sale as a transaction between the relocation company and the buyer, which generally keeps home sale costs off the employee’s W-2.

Gross-up methods and what actually gets taxed are explained in our guide to relocation tax implications. Work with your payroll and tax advisers when setting methodology.

How to Choose the Right Package for Each Employee

Use this checklist before you put a number in an offer letter:

• Start with purpose. An internship, a new hire, a transfer, and an assignment are different moves with different definitions of success.
• Tier by complexity, not title alone. Homeownership, family size, and distance drive cost more than job grade.
• Settle the gross-up question in advance and explain it to the employee in writing.
• Size temporary housing to the destination market. A 30-day benefit that works in one city can fall short in another.
• Build an exception process. With 51% of companies making exceptions, define who approves them and how.
• Document repayment terms before funds are released, and confirm they comply with state rules such as California’s newer requirements.
• Benchmark regularly. Costs change every year. Policy benchmarking and a current sample relocation policy keep your tiers aligned with the market.

The Part No Relocation Package Example Can Show

Two packages can have identical line items and produce completely different moves. The difference is who answers when the moving truck is late, the closing date slips, or a family has a question at 8 p.m. the night before they fly.

At Signature Relocation, relocation done right starts with a real conversation. We are a family-owned, independent relocation management company that has managed corporate employee relocations for more than 28 years. Clients and their employees have 24/7 direct access to our leadership team, not a call queue, and every move has a single point of coordination who knows the program and the people in it.

Each client receives a custom-built microsite with destination information such as housing suggestions, utility connections, and things to do in the new community. Our Equus technology platform keeps counselor communication, document signing, and expense uploads in one place, while giving HR clear visibility into every file. It is part of why Signature Relocation is a SHRM top-rated independent relocation management company.

Every program is also backed by our Quality Assurance Guarantee, a formal commitment that each part of a relocation is executed to a defined standard, with full accountability for the outcome. That means defined performance metrics, clear escalation paths when issues come up, and transparent reporting to HR from planning through completion. A package example can list what is covered. The guarantee is what stands behind it.

We know your name. We know your situation. And when you call, you reach a real person who is personally invested in your outcome.

Frequently Asked Questions

What are examples of relocation packages?

Common relocation package examples include an intern stipend of $2,000 to $3,000, a lump sum for an entry-level renter, a core-flex package for a mid-level employee with a family, a managed homeowner package with home sale support, a fully managed executive package, and an international assignment package with immigration and tax support.

What is the average relocation package for employees?

There is no single meaningful average, because costs depend on employee level, homeownership, family size, and distance. As one benchmark, the 2026 Atlas Corporate Relocation Survey found the most common lump sum was $10,000 to $12,499. Homeowner and executive packages typically run well above that, while intern and entry-level packages run below it.

How much is relocation assistance usually?

Relocation assistance usually ranges from about $2,000 for an intern to $100,000 or more for an executive homeowner. The biggest variable is whether the employee needs to sell a home. From an employee’s perspective, see what to expect and what to ask for, including how much relocation assistance to expect from your employer.

What should a good relocation package include?

A good relocation package covers the full cost of moving household goods, travel for the employee and family, temporary housing sized to the destination market, and a clear tax gross-up decision. For homeowners, it adds home sale and purchase support. The strongest packages also include family support and a dedicated point of coordination.

Are relocation benefits taxable in 2026?

Yes. Under P.L. 119-21, the exclusion for qualified moving expense reimbursements is permanently eliminated for most employees. Exceptions apply only to qualifying active-duty military moves and certain intelligence community relocations.

What is a core-flex relocation package?

A core-flex package combines guaranteed core benefits, such as the household goods move and final travel, with a flexible budget the employee directs toward optional services like extended temporary housing, school search, or partner career support.

What is a relocation repayment agreement?

A relocation repayment agreement requires an employee to repay some or all of the relocation benefit if they leave voluntarily within a defined period, often prorated. Sign the terms before releasing any funds, and review them for state-specific requirements.

What is a relocation management company (RMC)?

A relocation management company designs and administers employee relocation programs for employers. An RMC coordinates suppliers, manages home sale programs, administers expenses and tax gross-ups, and supports employees from the first conversation through settling in.

What makes Signature Relocation different from other RMCs?

Signature Relocation is a family-owned, independent RMC with more than 28 years of experience. Clients get 24/7 direct access to leadership, a single point of coordination, custom-built client microsites, the Equus technology platform, and a Quality Assurance Guarantee that holds every move to a defined standard. It is a SHRM top-rated service model built around knowing every client by name.

Talk Through Your Relocation Packages

Whether you are building a first policy or pressure-testing tiers you have used for years, we can help you compare your packages against current market data and the employees you need to move. Call 877-373-0691 to speak with our leadership team directly, or contact us to start the conversation.

Signature Relocation | Family-Owned. Client-Focused. | Corporate Employee Relocation Since 1998

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