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title: "Marathon Petroleum Relocation Package: What Employees Actually Get" description: "Marathon's relocation covers up to $50,000 for exempt transfers, full home sale help, and tax gross-ups. Here's what each hire level receives." author: Sam Price keywords:
If you're relocating for a Marathon Petroleum job, you're looking at one of the more generous relocation packages in energy and industrial sectors. The company runs the program through TRC Global Mobility and doesn't skimp on the details—but the actual payout depends heavily on whether you're a transferred executive, a new experienced hire, or an early-career employee. Let me walk you through what each group really gets.
Marathon hands off the entire relocation process to TRC Global Mobility, Inc., a third-party administrator. Your local HR or Talent Acquisition team initiates the file, then TRC contacts you directly. They calculate your lump sum, walk you through the logistics, and manage the timeline. Household goods and vehicle shipments go through Walker Transfer-Powell (an Atlas Van Lines agent), while spousal job-search help comes from IMPACT Group. Marathon's Employee Relocation Office in Findlay, Ohio sits at the center coordinating everything.
The eligibility bar is straightforward for most employees: your new work location must be at least 50 miles farther from your old home than your previous job was. If you're remote or unemployed when the offer lands, it just needs to be 50 miles from your current address. New college professionals skip this rule entirely—they can qualify regardless of distance. The clock also matters: you've got 12 months from your effective date to incur relocation expenses and 30 days after incurring them to submit receipts to TRC.
The foundation of every package is a non-accountable Relocation Allowance—that's money you keep if you don't spend it. The amount and structure depend on your hire level.
Marathon runs four distinct relocation tracks. Here's the breakdown:
| Benefit | Transferred exempt | New experienced | New professional/transferred hourly | College, co-op, intern |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Who qualifies | Current employee moving into grade 7+ exempt | New hire into grade 10+ exempt | Grade 7–9 exempt new hire, or transferred hourly/non-exempt | New grads, co-ops, interns |
| Relocation Allowance | Tiered lump sum + 2x monthly salary, up to $50,000 | Lump sum up to $15,000 + 1.5x monthly salary up to $15,000 | $7,500 ($10,000 high-cost states) | $5,500 college/$4,500 co-op and intern |
| Household goods move | Full pack, move, storage up to 365 days | Full pack, move, storage up to 365 days | Full pack and move | Not covered |
| Vehicle shipment | 0–2 vehicles by distance | 0–2 vehicles by distance | 0–2 vehicles by distance | Not covered |
| Home sale assistance | Yes, full program | Yes, full program | No | No |
| Home purchase assistance | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| High-cost area benefits | HSP, RSP, location premium | HSP, RSP, location premium | No | California housing subsidy only |
| Spousal employment help | Up to $1,500 | Up to $1,500 | No | No |
| Repayment clause | Yes, prorated 12 months | Yes, prorated 12 months | Yes, prorated 12 months | Yes, prorated 12 months |
Current Marathon employees stepping into a grade 7 or above exempt role get the most complete package. This is where the real money is.
You receive two components that stack together. The first is a lump sum calculated by TRC based on family size, origin, and destination. The second is two times your monthly base salary (new salary ÷ 12 × 2). Both components are capped by a three-tier system tied to your new work location:
| Tier | States | Lump sum cap | 2x monthly salary cap | Total maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tier One | California, Washington | $25,000 | $25,000 | $50,000 |
| Tier Two | Alaska, Colorado, Utah | $20,000 | $20,000 | $40,000 |
| Tier Three | All other states | $15,000 | $15,000 | $30,000 |
This is non-accountable money. You don't submit receipts. It's meant to cover house-hunting trips, temporary living, travel, return visits, childcare costs while you're relocating, and miscellaneous expenses. Spend $35,000 of a $50,000 allowance? You pocket the $15,000 difference. Go over? That's on you.
Marathon covers packing, moving, unpacking, and storing your belongings for up to 365 days from your start date. If you need a second move from temporary to permanent housing within 12 months, that's covered too. Vehicle shipment is distance-based:
Marathon also pays to transport up to two household pets (dogs, cats, etc.) if it's not practical for them to ride with you—though vet costs and crates are on you. The optional Discard and Donate program pairs you with a professional organizer to purge before the movers arrive, which shrinks your shipment volume and cost.
Marathon contracts with IMPACT Group to give your accompanying spouse or domestic partner job-search coaching and tools at the new location. The benefit is worth up to $1,500 in services. Your partner needs to contact the firm within 12 months of your effective date to use it.
New hires entering a grade 10 or above exempt position receive nearly identical support to transferred exempt employees, with lower allowance caps and slightly reduced home-purchase limits.
You get a lump sum up to $15,000 (calculated by TRC) plus 1.5 times your monthly salary, capped at $15,000, for a maximum of $30,000. Same non-accountable structure—keep what you don't spend.
New experienced hires receive the same household goods move, 365-day storage, distance-based vehicle shipment, pet transport, Discard and Donate option, and IMPACT Group spousal assistance as transferred exempt employees. The key differences:
Tip: Have your household size and destination locked in before TRC's first call. The lump sum gets calculated then, so delays in providing those details slow everything down.
Two groups get a simpler, flatter structure with no home sale or high-cost area benefits attached.
New professional employees are new hires entering a grade 7, 8, or 9 exempt role who meet the 50-mile rule. Transferred hourly and non-exempt employees are current staff moving into hourly or non-exempt positions, also subject to the 50-mile rule. (Collective bargaining agreement employees are excluded unless their contract specifically negotiates relocation.)
Both groups receive $7,500, rising to $10,000 for moves to Alaska, California, Colorado, Utah, or Washington. On top of that, Marathon covers packing, moving, and unpacking household goods, the Discard and Donate program, distance-based vehicle shipment, and recreational vehicle towing within limits. If your primary residence is a mobile home, Marathon reimburses up to $1,500 to decommission and move it in place of a standard pack-and-move.
Early-career employees get cash-only packages with no household goods move bundled in.
Recent graduates hired into a grade 7+ exempt role, or grade 7–9 exempt hires who don't meet the 50-mile rule, receive $5,500, or $6,500 for Alaska, California, Colorado, Utah, or Washington. This allowance is not grossed up for taxes—meaning you'll owe income tax on the full amount.
One big advantage: new college professionals can qualify regardless of distance, so if you're relocating just 30 miles for the job, you're still eligible.
Co-ops and interns receive $4,500 ($5,500 in the five high-cost states). You qualify by actually relocating for the assignment—if you stay in your existing lease, keep your dorm, or have back-to-back sessions in the same city, you don't get a second payment. Submit the Co-op and Intern Relocation Form no more than 30 days before your start date and no later than 60 days after.
Co-ops and interns placed in California who can't secure company housing get a housing subsidy of up to $2,000 per month after the employee pays the first $1,000. The subsidy adjusts based on market conditions. No tax assistance is provided.
Tip: Since early-career moves don't include a company-paid household goods shipment, a moving container or small-load specialist is usually the cheapest route. Compare options before you book.
For transferred exempt and new experienced employees, this is often the most valuable part of the relocation package. It's administered through TRC's Home Marketing Assistance Program (HMAP), and it protects you if your home doesn't sell quickly.
You pick two brokers from a TRC-provided list. Each gives you a Broker Market Analysis, and you list with one at no more than 105% of the average projected sales price. If your home hasn't sold after 60 days on market, TRC offers to buy it at the Most Probable Sales Price (the average of two independent appraisals). You then have 30 days to accept or reject that offer while you keep marketing. If you find a buyer later, TRC amends its offer to match the buyer's price—called an Amended Value Sale.
Generate your own buyer and you get a 3% home sale incentive, capped at $20,000. Sell for less than you paid? Loss-on-sale assistance covers the gap between your documented purchase price and sale price, up to $200,000 for transferred exempt employees and $50,000 for new experienced employees.
Buy within 12 months and Marathon reimburses customary closing costs—inspection, attorney fees, title, appraisal, recording fees. The loan origination fee reimbursement is capped at $500 for transferred exempt and $250 for new experienced. If you're a renter buying for the first time, you get up to $1,000 in purchase cost reimbursement.
Depending on prevailing 30-year mortgage rates, Marathon may also cover one or two discount points and offer a mortgage interest rate subsidy. There's an equity advance to help you make a down payment before your old home's proceeds arrive, plus reimbursement of up to two months' rent if you need to break a lease at your old location.
Critical tip: Don't accept any money or sign anything on a buyer's offer before TRC reviews it. Doing so voids the Guaranteed Offer protection.
Move to one of Marathon's designated high-cost states and transferred exempt or new experienced employees get extra help on top of the allowance. (These benefits don't apply if you relocate within the same state.)
The Housing Supplement Payment (HSP) helps homeowners buying in Alaska, California, Colorado, Utah, or Washington. The Rental Supplement Payment (RSP) helps renters in those same states. Both are calculated from a third-party housing cost index and your specific situation, and both are paid bi-weekly for up to four years on a declining scale of 25% per year.
The location premium is a one-time payment available only for two states:
Marathon also offers a mortgage interest rate subsidy when your new rate is at least 2 percentage points higher than your old one, paid as a lump sum capped at $25,000.
Yes. Under the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, employer-paid relocation benefits are taxable income. Marathon helps by providing tax allowances (called "gross-ups") on most benefits to offset federal, FICA, and applicable state income tax.
Here's the catch: the allowances cover income tax only. Marathon explicitly does not cover local income taxes or other state-local taxes. Several benefits are also not grossed up at all:
If taxable relocation income pushes you into losing tax credits or into Alternative Minimum Tax territory, Marathon will review your federal return and reimburse the difference—though state and local taxes are not covered.
Every relocating employee signs an Employee Reimbursement Agreement before benefits are paid. If you leave voluntarily or are terminated for cause within 12 months of your effective date, you repay relocation benefits and tax reimbursements at a rate of 8.33% for each calendar month of service you did not complete during those 12 months.
The structure is prorated. The 12-month clock starts on the first of the month of your effective date, and your obligation shrinks each month you stay. Leave at six months and you owe roughly half. This is friendlier than all-or-nothing clauses some competitors use.
One crucial detail: if you accept benefits but never actually relocate, you repay everything with no proration.
Before accepting the offer, map your own timeline against the repayment exposure. For more on how these clauses work and what's negotiable, see our guide to negotiating a relocation package.
Spend less than your allowance and pocket the difference. The Relocation Allowance is non-accountable, so every dollar unspent is yours. A budget-conscious move with a vetted long-distance mover or a container can leave thousands in your pocket, especially if Marathon is also paying for a separate household goods shipment. Use the calculator to price your route first.
Use the Discard and Donate program before pack day. A smaller shipment is cheaper and faster. The professional organizer Marathon provides can help you cut clutter, which matters most if you're near a storage or weight limit.
Time your home sale around the 60-day and 30-day windows. If your home is slow to move, the Guaranteed Offer kicks in at 60 days and you have 30 days to decide. Don't drop your listing price below the Guaranteed Offer, or TRC can reduce its offer to match. Keep TRC in the loop on every buyer offer before you respond.
Budget for taxes on non-grossed-up benefits. The home sale incentive, HSP, RSP, location premium, and mortgage subsidy are taxable with no allowance. Calculate the after-tax value of those payments so a surprise tax bill doesn't derail your budget.
Activate spousal employment help early. The up-to-$1,500 IMPACT Group benefit is easy to forget, and your partner must start within 12 months. If your spouse is job hunting, set it up as soon as the move is confirmed.
Marathon operates 13 refineries and renewable fuels sites nationwide, so relocation destinations vary widely. If you're heading to one of these major Marathon hubs:
Pros:
Cons:
Yes. Marathon offers relocation benefits to eligible new hires and transfers who generally move at least 50 miles. Every eligible employee receives a Relocation Allowance—a one-time payment you can spend however you like. Experienced and transferred exempt employees also get full home sale and purchase assistance. Interns and co-ops receive a smaller lump sum with no household goods move included.
The amount depends on your hire type and location. Transferred exempt employees get a tiered lump sum plus two times their monthly salary, up to $50,000 in California and Washington, $40,000 in Alaska, Colorado, and Utah, and $30,000 in all other states. New experienced employees receive a lump sum up to $15,000 plus 1.5 times monthly salary up to $15,000, totaling a maximum of $30,000. New professional and transferred hourly employees get a flat $7,500 ($10,000 in Alaska, California, Colorado, Utah, or Washington). New college professionals get $5,500 ($6,500 in those states), and co-ops and interns get $4,500 ($5,500 in those states). Confirm current amounts with your relocation contact since these figures come from the policy effective January 1, 2025.
TRC Global Mobility, Inc. (TRC) runs the relocation program, including lump sum calculation and home sale assistance. Walker Transfer-Powell (an Atlas Van Lines agent) handles household goods and vehicle shipments. IMPACT Group provides spousal job-search support. Marathon's Employee Relocation Office in Findlay, Ohio coordinates everything. TRC contacts you after your local HR or Talent Acquisition office initiates your file.
Yes. You sign an Employee Reimbursement Agreement as a condition of receiving benefits. If you leave voluntarily or are terminated for cause within 12 months of your effective date, you repay relocation benefits and tax reimbursements at 8.33% for each calendar month of service you didn't complete. The repayment is prorated, so your obligation shrinks each month you stay. If you accept benefits but never relocate, you repay everything with no proration.
Yes. Relocation reimbursements and payments are treated as taxable income under federal law. Marathon provides tax allowances that gross up most benefits to help cover federal, FICA, and applicable state income tax. Several items are not grossed up: the home sale incentive, housing and rental supplement payments, location premium, mortgage interest rate subsidy, and lump sums for new college professionals, co-ops, and interns. Tax allowances cover income tax only and do not include local income taxes or other state-local taxes.
For transferred exempt and new experienced employees, yes. The Home Marketing Assistance Program through TRC includes a Guaranteed Offer if your home doesn't sell within 60 days, a home sale incentive of 3% of the sales price up to $20,000, loss-on-sale assistance up to $200,000 for transferred exempt and $50,000 for new experienced, and reimbursement of customary home purchase costs when you buy within 12 months. New professional, transferred hourly, new college professional, co-op, and intern employees do not receive home sale assistance.
Yes, based on distance. Through Walker Transfer-Powell, Marathon ships vehicles via open carrier as follows: no vehicles for moves up to 400 miles, one vehicle for 400–799 miles, and two vehicles for 800+ miles. Enclosed carrier or additional vehicle shipment is allowed at your own expense. Marathon also covers transporting up to two household pets (dogs, cats, etc.) when it's not practical for them to travel in your vehicle.
For most hire types, your new work location must be at least 50 miles farther from your former home than your old work location was, measured one way. If you work from home or are unemployed when the offer is extended, the new work location must be at least 50 miles from your former residence. New college professionals are an exception and can qualify regardless of distance. Co-ops and interns qualify based on securing new housing for the assignment rather than the 50-mile test.
