TL;DR
- Outplacement costs the employer roughly $500 to $25,000 per person, depending on seniority and program length.
- Basic digital programs start near $500. Randstad RiseSmart publishes $499 for three months; VelvetJobs starts around $500 per person.
- Mid-tier coaching runs $2,000 to $5,000. Executive programs run $5,000 to $25,000 for six to twelve months.
- Most providers do not publish prices. LHH, INTOO, and Challenger quote privately. We mark those “not published” rather than guess.
- The employer pays, not you. So this is a budgeting guide for HR and a reality check for anyone negotiating severance.
Almost nobody publishes honest outplacement pricing, because the vendors want you on a sales call and the estimate blogs are guessing. So we did the annoying work: pulled the prices that providers actually publish, dated them, and marked everything else “not published” instead of inventing a number. This is the cost page we wanted to exist.
One framing note before the numbers: the employer pays for outplacement, so these are the figures an HR team budgets, and the figures worth knowing if you are weighing an outplacement benefit against cash in a severance negotiation. For the full explainer, start with what outplacement is.
Cost by tier
Outplacement scales with seniority and program length. Here are the per-person ranges, anchored by the prices providers actually publish.
Outplacement cost per person, by tier (2026)
| Tier | Cost per person | Program length | What it includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic / digital | $500 to $1,500 | 1 to 3 months | Self-serve platform, job-search tools, light coaching |
| Mid-tier | $2,000 to $5,000 | 3 to 6 months | Dedicated 1:1 coaching plus the platform |
| Executive | $5,000 to $25,000 | 6 to 12 months | Senior coach, search-firm access, high touch |
Source: Randstad RiseSmart and VelvetJobs published pricing; Careerminds self-reported range; industry reporting, 2026
What each provider actually publishes
The single most useful thing to know is which firms show real prices. As of July 2026, only a couple do.
Published outplacement pricing, by provider
| Provider | Published price | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Randstad RiseSmart | $499 (Spark, 3 mo), $899 (Boost), $1,899 (Ignite), $2,499 (Empower, 6 mo) | Per employee; the clearest published tiers |
| VelvetJobs | From ~$500 per person | Flat rate, no setup fee, volume discounts |
| Careerminds | ~$1,000 to $5,000 per employee (self-reported) | Guidance on its own blog, not a fixed quote |
| LHH | Not published | Custom enterprise quote |
| INTOO | Not published | Custom quote; on-demand coaching model |
| Challenger, Gray & Christmas | Not published | Custom quote; high-touch model |
Source: Each provider’s own site, July 2026
We rank these providers on more than price, scale, coaching, and fit, in best outplacement services.
What drives the price
Four things move an outplacement quote, and knowing them lets you read any proposal.
- Program length. A one-month digital package and a twelve-month executive program are different products. Length is the biggest lever.
- Coaching intensity. A self-serve platform is cheap. Dedicated one-on-one coaching with a senior coach is what you pay for at the top.
- Seniority. Executive programs cost more because the coaches are more senior and the search is relationship-heavy.
- Volume. Employers laying off hundreds get per-person discounts that an individual buyer never sees.
The “free severance add-on” reality
When a company folds outplacement into severance, it is often the cheapest tier: a digital platform and a few coaching touchpoints, in the $500-to-$1,500 range. That is genuinely useful, but set expectations accordingly. It is not the same as a $10,000 executive program with a dedicated senior coach. If your package lists outplacement, ask exactly what tier and how many months, so you know whether you are getting a platform login or a real coach. And if the value to you is low, that is a fair thing to raise when you weigh it against cash, which we cover in is outplacement worth it.
FAQ
How much do outplacement services cost per employee?
Roughly $500 to $1,500 for a basic digital program, $2,000 to $5,000 for mid-tier 1:1 coaching, and $5,000 to $25,000 for an executive program. Published entry prices are $499 at Randstad RiseSmart and about $500 at VelvetJobs; most other firms quote privately.
Why do so few outplacement companies publish prices?
Because pricing is customized by volume, program length, and seniority, and because vendors prefer a sales conversation. As of 2026, Randstad RiseSmart and VelvetJobs publish real prices and Careerminds publishes a range, while LHH, INTOO, and Challenger quote per engagement.
Does the employee pay for outplacement?
No. The employer pays. Outplacement is a benefit a company buys for departing employees, usually as part of severance. These costs are what the company budgets, not what you pay.
Is outplacement worth the cost for employers?
It depends on the goals: goodwill, brand protection, morale for the remaining team, and reduced legal and severance-dispute risk. We weigh that in outplacement for employers. For the employee, since it is free, the question is only how much value you extract from it.
What is the cheapest outplacement option?
Published entry prices start around $499 to $500 per person (Randstad RiseSmart Spark, VelvetJobs), which buy a digital platform with light coaching. For an individual with no employer-paid benefit, a light package, a single career coach, or a resume rewrite may be more cost-effective than a full program.
The bottom line
Outplacement runs the employer roughly $500 to $25,000 per person, driven mostly by program length, coaching intensity, and seniority. Only a few providers publish real prices, RiseSmart and VelvetJobs among them, and the rest quote privately, which is why the honest version of this page marks them “not published.” If outplacement is in your severance, find out the tier and the months before you judge its worth.
Whether your program is a platform login or a senior coach, a sharp resume makes it work harder. Our team will review yours for free.