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Layoff Calculator

Severance in Media & Entertainment

Media & Entertainment severance benchmarks

Severance is set by industry custom as much as by company size or tenure. Here’s how packages typically scale in media & entertainment.

Estimate my media & entertainment severance
Low end
1 wk / year

Smaller employers, performance-related separations, or distressed companies.

Typical
2 wk / year

The midpoint we see in publicly reported offers across this industry.

High end
3 wk / year

Larger employers, senior roles, or layoffs as part of a structured RIF.

Floor

2 weeks minimum

Even very short-tenure employees in media & entertainment typically see at least this floor when severance is offered. It is not a statutory guarantee — check your offer letter or employee handbook for the contractual minimum.

A note on Media & Entertainment: Heavy use of contract / freelance roles often means no statutory severance at all.

Benchmarks compiled from public SEC filings of large employers in this industry, federal regulations (e.g., 5 CFR § 550.706 for the federal RIF schedule), state mandatory-severance statutes where applicable, and BLS layoff studies. Specific companies and citations surface on the calculator results page when you submit your inputs.

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Step 1 of 3

Tell us about your income.

We use this to estimate your severance and what taxes will take.

Which one am I?
W-2 employee
You receive a W-2 from your employer at year-end. Taxes are withheld from your paycheck. You’re an “employee” under federal and state employment law — protected by FLSA, FMLA, Title VII, your state’s WARN if applicable. Severance, when offered, works the way this calculator measures it.
Independent contractor (1099) / freelancer
You receive a 1099-NEC at year-end (or self-report income). You pay your own taxes (estimated quarterly). You’re NOT an “employee” under employment law — your rights live in your contract, not in statute. There is generally no severance entitlement for 1099 contractors; this calculator’s framework doesn’t apply to you. We’ll redirect you to resources that do.

Your gross pre-tax salary, not including bonus or equity.

$/ year

Time at your current employer. Decimals OK (e.g. 4.5).

Estimates based on public data and industry benchmarks. Not legal advice.