Entry-level gets $5K lump sum. Level 3+ receives full managed moves. Cartus handles logistics. One-year repayment required. Real employee data inside.
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If you're moving for a Lockheed Martin role, what you'll actually receive hinges on three things: your job level, your business area, and whether you own or rent. Entry-level hires land a flat $5,000 lump sum, while Level 3 and above step into a full managed move handled by Cartus. Before you accept any offer, run your route through our cost calculator so you know what your actual move will run.
Lockheed Martin doesn't publish a corporate relocation policy. Instead, whatever package you get shows up as an addendum to your offer letter—terms vary by level, business area (Aeronautics, Missiles and Fire Control, Rotary and Mission Systems, or Space), and whether the position was budgeted for relocation at all. Employees on Reddit and Blind report that not every program offers relocation, even at the same level.
Once relocation is approved, Lockheed hands everything to Cartus, a relocation management company. You get a CartusOnline account. Depending on your tier, a Cartus rep coordinates the lump-sum payment, movers, a realtor in their network, and temporary housing. For cash packages, CartusOnline is mainly a way to receive and manage your funds.
The single biggest lever is your level. Entry-level (E1 to E2) hires get a flat cash sum. Mid and senior levels move into managed packages—renters get full-service packing and moving, homeowners get the works: closing costs, commission coverage, house-hunting, storage, and per diem.
One key point: Multiple employees report having to ask their recruiter to send the package separately. If relocation matters to your decision, get the written terms before you say yes.
There are three tiers: a lump sum for entry level, a renter package for mid-level lessees, and a homeowner package for mid-level and senior home-owners.
New hires at Level 1 and Level 2 almost always get a flat $5,000 lump sum, even for cross-country moves. The money usually hits by direct deposit a few weeks before your start date, or as a separate payment about a month after you begin. You don't have to track expenses against it. If you move yourself for less, you keep the difference. If it costs more, you cover the overage.
Employees consistently describe the entry-level lump sum as locked down—little to no negotiation room. If you're E1 to E3, budget around $5,000.
Renters at Level 3 and higher step up from cash to a managed move. Full-service packing and moving of household goods, plus a covered house-hunting trip to the new location, all coordinated through Cartus. You don't get a check; Lockheed pays the movers directly. The value often exceeds $5,000 by a wide margin.
The homeowner tier is the most comprehensive. Level 3+ homeowners report a Cartus-coordinated package that typically includes:
One important caveat: if your house doesn't sell quickly, Lockheed's package does not include a company home buyout. In a soft market, that's a real risk to factor in.
Relocation isn't offered on every program. There's a distance requirement: employees report a minimum 50 miles between your old home and the new work location to qualify.
Lockheed doesn't publish relocation amounts. The figures below are what employees report, and your actual package depends on level, business area, homeowner status, and how urgently they need your skills.
| Level or situation | Reported amount | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Entry level (E1, cross-country) | $4,500 to $5,000 lump sum | |
| Entry level (E1 or E2) | $3,000 to $5,000 lump sum; described as strict | Blind |
| Experienced professional | $7,500 lump sum | |
| Software engineer | $10,000 sign-on; $5,000 lump sum | Blind |
| Level 2 | Lump sum negotiated to full renter package | |
| Level 3+ homeowner | Closing costs, 6% commission, house-hunting, ~$2,500 misc, ~25 days per diem, full move, storage | |
| Overseas contractor role | Up to $25,000 in actual expenses, coordinated through Cartus | U.S. OPM |
A couple patterns jump out. Entry-level lump sums cluster tightly around $5,000. The real value leap happens at Level 3, where a renter or homeowner package can be worth many multiples of the entry-level cash. Homeowner packages are most valuable because covering realtor commission and closing costs on two transactions can add up to tens of thousands in value. A competing offer almost always produces movement—either a higher lump sum or a bump from cash to a full package.
Reality check: A $5,000 lump sum doesn't stretch far on a long-distance move. Get a real quote for your route before you decide if the lump sum cuts it, and compare vetted movers before you sign.
Since the 2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, relocation benefits paid to non-military employees are ordinary taxable income. That includes lump-sum cash, managed-move costs, and temporary housing. Relocation shows up on your W-2 and gets taxed like wages.
Employees report that Lockheed grosses up the entry-level lump sum. In practice: the gross payment is larger than $5,000 so that after withholding, you net roughly $5,000 in hand. Full managed moves are "tax assisted," meaning Lockheed covers some or all of the tax liability on those move costs.
This matters for your budget and repayment exposure. Confirm gross-up and tax-assistance treatment with your recruiter or Cartus in writing. If you think you might leave within a year, talk to a tax professional—the repayment bill can exceed what hit your bank account.
Lockheed Martin requires full repayment if you leave within one year of your effective start date. Voluntary resignation or termination for misconduct triggers it. You repay the entire relocation amount, including any tax assistance Lockheed covered.
One employee quoted the agreement language directly: if you voluntarily terminate or are terminated for misconduct within one year of your effective start date, you are responsible for reimbursing the full amount of all relocation monies, including any tax assistance, and the rate of tax assistance you repay may differ from your income tax rate in the year of repayment. Lockheed deducts what it can from your final paycheck and bills you for the rest.
There's a notable California twist. Employees in California report a prorated repayment schedule instead of all-or-nothing. If you leave between three and six months, you repay 75%, with the share declining the longer you stay. Outside California, the standard full-repayment terms apply.
The clock starts at your effective start date, not when you signed the agreement. If you're moving to a new employer and still owe repayment, it's standard to ask the new company to cover it as part of your compensation package.
Room to negotiate depends almost entirely on your level and how badly Lockheed needs what you bring. Here's what the employee accounts show actually works:
Entry-level lump sums barely budge. E1 to E3, the $5,000 is described across multiple reports as close to fixed. Don't waste time trying to squeeze another $1,000 out of it.
Use a competing offer. If you have another job offer, mention it. This is your strongest lever.
Push from lump sum to package. A few Level 2 hires report negotiating off the flat cash and onto the full renter package—that's a far bigger win than asking for extra cash.
Ask if relocation was left out. Relocation terms sometimes don't make it onto the offer letter, and some roles can have relocation added even if it wasn't initially budgeted.
Get a real quote first. Use our cost calculator to price your specific route before you negotiate. Walking in with a real number from a vetted mover is far more persuasive than a generic request, and it keeps you from accepting a lump sum that won't cover the move.
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Lockheed's major sites cluster in a handful of metros. Aeronautics is centered in Fort Worth and Marietta, Georgia; Missiles and Fire Control in the Dallas-Fort Worth area (Grand Prairie) and Orlando; Space around Denver and Sunnyvale, California; Rotary and Mission Systems in the Northeast, including the Valley Forge area near Philadelphia; and corporate headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland. The relocation process is the same everywhere, but moving costs swing widely by route.
Compare movers for the most common Lockheed relocation destinations. Get real quotes for your specific route with our cost calculator.
If your move includes a vehicle you'd rather not drive cross-country, check out SafeShip Moving and other reputable car shippers—vehicle transport isn't always part of a Lockheed package.
Often, but not always. Lockheed Martin offers relocation on many positions, but it depends on job level, business area, hiring need, and whether the role was budgeted for relocation. Entry-level hires typically get a lump sum around $5,000; Level 3 and above more often receive a full managed move. If relocation isn't included, you can sometimes negotiate it, though entry-level lump sums are hard to move. Lockheed doesn't publish its policy.
Employees most commonly report $5,000 for entry-level relocations, even cross-country. Some report $3,000 to $4,500; one engineer reported $7,500 for a one-state move. Lockheed is described as strict on entry-level lump sums with little negotiation room. The lump sum is typically grossed up, so the gross payment is larger than $5,000 and you net roughly $5,000 after withholding. All amounts are employee-reported and unconfirmed by Lockheed Martin.
For Level 3 and above homeowners, employees report a comprehensive package including closing costs on the home sale and purchase, the roughly 6% real estate commission, a paid house-hunting trip with flights, lodging, meals, and rental car, a miscellaneous allowance of about $2,500, around 25 days of per diem for temporary housing, up to two return trips to the old location, full-service packing, loading, and unloading, up to three months of storage, and reimbursement for property management if you keep the old home. No guaranteed home buyout was reported. Renters at the same levels report full-service moving plus a covered house-hunting trip.
Yes. Under the 2018 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, relocation benefits paid to non-military employees are ordinary taxable income. Employees report that Lockheed grosses up the entry-level lump sum so the net lands near the stated figure, and that full managed moves are tax assisted. One employee who left within a year reported owing back about $7,600 on a $5,000 lump sum because tax assistance must be repaid along with the cash. Confirm gross-up and tax-assistance treatment with your recruiter or Cartus before your move.
Yes. Lockheed's relocation agreement requires full repayment if you voluntarily leave or are terminated for misconduct within one year of your effective start date. Repayment includes any tax assistance Lockheed paid, so the amount owed can exceed what hit your bank account. A California addendum prorates repayment by quarter—for example, 75% if you leave between three and six months. Read your relocation agreement carefully before accepting the offer.
Signing bonuses are reported as rare at Lockheed Martin and separate from relocation. Some employees report no signing bonus; others in high-demand groups report $5,000 to $10,000 sign-on, sometimes to match a competing offer. If a signing bonus matters to you, treat it as a separate negotiation from relocation, and lean on a competing offer if you have one.
Sometimes. Entry-level lump sums (E1 to E3) are hard to move off $5,000. Higher levels and hard-to-fill roles have more leverage. A few Level 2 hires report negotiating from a lump sum up to the full renter package. The amount can sometimes increase even when the terms don't, and a competing offer is the most effective lever. Any relocation not in your offer letter is worth asking your recruiter about before you accept. Walk in with a real moving quote to make your case stronger.
