Tell us about your move and we'll connect you with vetted, top-rated moving companies.
title: "Chevron Relocation Package: What Employees Actually Get" description: "Chevron's fully managed relocation program covers movers, home-sale assistance, and tax gross-up. MEA ranges from $300 (interns) to $15,000 (experienced hires)." author: Sam Price keywords:
If you're joining Chevron, you won't get a check to move yourself. The company runs a fully managed relocation program where BGRS/Sirva coordinates your move, pays movers directly, and handles home-finding and temporary housing. The benefit you actually receive depends on which program tier applies—from a $300 allowance for interns to up to $15,000 in miscellaneous expenses plus comprehensive home-sale assistance for experienced hires. The real advantage is the tax gross-up: Chevron covers the federal and state taxes on most benefits, so you keep more of what's offered.
Chevron's program is managed, not a stipend. Once you accept your offer and HR approves your relocation, a BGRS/Sirva consultant reaches out—usually within 24 hours—to coordinate movers, temporary housing, and home-finding. Your consultant owns the logistics. You don't book movers yourself; Chevron assigns them and pays the invoices directly.
Don't call a real estate agent before your consultant contacts you. Chevron's guides hammer this point because certain benefits, especially home-sale assistance, can be forfeited if you engage an agent on your own first. Wait for your consultant's green light.
The company has no self-move option tied to job offers. If Chevron determines your role qualifies for relocation, you're covered under the managed program, period. Self-moves and moves through outside movers don't get reimbursed. This is a meaningful difference from tech employers that hand you cash and let you hire who you want.
Final benefit decisions rest with Chevron Global Relocation—the program guide is not a contract. That's legal language, but practically it means edge cases get escalated to Chevron's team.
Chevron offers a consistent core of benefits, though the dollar amounts swing based on which tier you're in:
Miscellaneous Expense Allowance (MEA). One-time, receipt-free cash payment for incidentals like driver's license fees, utility hookups, extra pet transport, or storage. No receipts needed. Ranges from $300 for interns to 1.5 months' salary (capped at $15,000) for experienced hires.
Relocation allowance. Covers home-finding trips, temporary housing, and final move travel. Paid without receipts, based on your departure city, destination, and family size. For moves under 400 miles, it's based on mileage; 400 miles or more, airfare.
Full-service household goods move. Chevron pays for packing, shipping, and unpacking through the assigned mover. Coverage goes up to $120,000 in replacement value across most programs.
Temporary housing. Typically 30 days of furnished corporate housing plus a $500 set-up allowance.
Spouse/partner employment and family assistance. Up to $2,500 toward a spouse's or registered domestic partner's job search. Most programs also include family settling-in and school-finding help.
Pet transport. Up to $350 to move up to two household pets (vet and boarding costs aren't covered).
Important: Chevron does not pay out cash for unused benefits. If you don't use the full allowance, you don't pocket the difference.
Chevron publishes separate guides for different situations. Here's what each covers:
| Program | Who it applies to | Key features |
|---|---|---|
| Intern | U.S. interns | $300 MEA, mileage reimbursement, furnished housing arranged and direct-billed by Chevron |
| New hire, <3 years | Early-career exempt new hires | Two-weeks'-salary MEA, relocation allowance, full household goods move, $2,500 spouse/family assistance, renter benefits |
| New hire, 3+ years | Experienced exempt new hires | Highest tier: MEA up to 1.5 months' salary (max $15,000), full home-sale program, equity/bridge loans, multi-year cost-of-living allowance (RAA), duplicate housing assistance |
| O&M new hire | Operations and maintenance new hires | Core benefits with O&M-specific MEA structure and full household goods coverage |
| Surplus employee | Severance-eligible relocations | Managed move and home-sale-cost reimbursement, but no tax assistance (taxed as income) |
If you're an experienced new hire moving to a higher-cost-of-living area, Chevron may pay a Relocation Adjustment Allowance over three years. It's calculated from third-party cost data and tapers down:
This isn't negotiable once determined, but it's substantial and easy to overlook. Ask your consultant whether your destination qualifies.
If you own your home and are moving under the experienced new-hire or surplus-employee programs, Chevron's home-sale program is where the package gets valuable. You have three options:
Buyer Value Option (BVO). Chevron buys your home based on an offer you secure through a listing agent, then sells it to that buyer.
Guaranteed Buyout Offer (GBO). If you can't sell your home, Chevron may offer to purchase it based on the average of two relocation appraisals.
Amended Value. If a buyer's offer comes in after your guaranteed offer, Chevron can amend the buyout to match.
When the program procedures are followed correctly, qualified home-sale closing costs are excluded from your taxable income—a significant tax advantage. Chevron also offers equity advances and a bridge loan (through Chevron Federal Credit Union) if you need your current home's equity to close on a new one.
Read your specific program guide carefully. Home eligibility rules are detailed and procedure-sensitive. Missteps can cost you thousands.
Relocation benefits are taxable income added to your W-2. The key distinction: Chevron provides tax assistance (a gross-up) on most benefits, meaning the company pays the federal and destination-state taxes on your behalf. Without a gross-up, you can lose a substantial portion of benefits to taxes.
Exception: The surplus employee (severance) program receives no tax assistance. If you're relocating under severance, plan for the full benefit to be taxed as ordinary income.
Chevron also runs a year-end tax true-up in November to reconcile the assistance you received against actual liability, and provides one hour of professional tax consultation in the year following your move.
You must sign a repayment agreement before benefits are released. Here's the structure:
| Timing | Repayment |
|---|---|
| Leave in Year 1 | 100% of all benefits |
| Leave in Year 2 | 50% of all benefits |
| After Year 2 | $0 |
If you receive benefits but don't actually move, you repay 100% regardless.
Ask your recruiter or BGRS/Sirva consultant which guide covers your situation, and read it end-to-end. Differences between tiers are substantial.
This is the most repeated caveat in Chevron's guides. Contacting an agent first can forfeit home-sale benefits worth far more than any head start. Let your consultant initiate the process.
Your Miscellaneous Expense Allowance is receipt-free and yours to direct. Beyond what the managed move covers, use it for utility setup, extra pet transport, or storage extensions. It can also absorb any tax-assistance shortfall at year-end.
If you're an experienced hire moving to a pricier location, confirm whether you qualify for the Relocation Adjustment Allowance. It's not negotiable once set, but many employees don't know to ask.
Renters and short-distance moves get a lighter package with no home-sale benefits. Knowing what your move actually costs helps you gauge whether your allowance covers it. Use our moving cost calculator to benchmark your route.
Chevron requires relocation completion within one year of your hire or transfer date. In some cases, internal deadlines are sooner. Don't let benefits expire.
Strengths:
Drawbacks:
Yes. Chevron offers comprehensive U.S. relocation programs for eligible new hires, transfers, interns, and certain other employees. The program is managed through BGRS/Sirva, which coordinates movers, home-finding, and temporary housing directly. Specific benefits depend on which program tier applies to you.
No. Chevron uses a managed relocation model, not a lump-sum cash stipend. The company coordinates your move through BGRS/Sirva and pays vendors directly. You do get flexible, receipt-free allowances—the Miscellaneous Expense Allowance and relocation allowance for travel and home-finding—but the core move is managed and paid by Chevron, not you.
No. Chevron assigns your mover and won't reimburse costs if you use a different company or move yourself. Self-moves tied to job offers aren't covered. This differs from employers offering lump-sum packages, where you select and book your own mover.
Yes, relocation benefits are taxable income added to your W-2 wages. For most Chevron programs, the company provides a tax gross-up, paying federal and destination-state taxes on the majority of benefits on your behalf. The surplus employee (severance) program is the major exception—no tax assistance is provided.
Yes. You sign a two-year repayment agreement before receiving benefits. If you leave within year one, you repay 100% of all benefits. If you leave in year two, you repay 50%. If you receive benefits but don't move, you repay 100% regardless.
For Chevron roles, the relocation program applies regardless of destination. However, some benefits—like the Relocation Adjustment Allowance—depend on cost-of-living differences. Confirm your destination's benefit level with your BGRS/Sirva consultant.
