“Struggling Financially?”: Salary Details for Severed Employees at Lumon in Severance

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Severance Season 2, Episode 1.

Severance has yet to disclose the salaries of Lumon’s Macrodata Refinement (MDR) employees, prompting speculation about the financial compensation allocated to severed workers. Season 2 kicks off with Mark returning to the Lumon office, and while he is initially disheartened to encounter a new team, he swiftly petitions the board to reinstate his former colleagues. Unexpectedly, the board agrees, reuniting Mark with Dylan, Irving, and Helly.

As the newly reunited group settles back into office life, Irving quickly exhibits signs of distress from his “outie experience.”Concerned, Dylan humorously questions whether Irving must contend with financial struggles outside the office. Despite the comedic tone, this remark ignites curiosity about the actual pay scale for severed employees at Lumon.

Insights from Severance’s Lexington Letter: A Six-Figure Salary for Severed Employees

Salary Insights from the Show’s Pilot Script

The Lexington Letter, a supplementary book enriching the Severance narrative, recounts the experiences of a former employee named Peg Kincaid. On page 9, Peg discloses that she transitioned from being a truck driver to a position at Lumon, where she was offered a salary four times her previous income. Although exact figures remain undisclosed, this implies that her compensation is comfortably within the six-figure range.

In fact, an office manager earns as much as half a million dollars annually…

While little is explicitly known about Mark’s previous employment, even his outside persona seems to indicate a comfortable lifestyle, hinting at Lumon’s lucrative pay structure. Interestingly, the pilot script provides further information, revealing that an office manager can earn up to $500,000 a year. This substantial salary showcases Lumon’s competitive compensation strategy, likely intended to attract and retain severed employees.

Why Does Lumon Offer Higher Salaries for Severed Employees?

Attracting Talent in a Controversial Work Environment

Severance Season 2 Ep 1-28 — Image via Apple TV+

Given Lumon’s notorious reputation for its questionable ethical practices and the controversial Severance procedure, attracting potential employees willing to undergo such drastic measures poses a challenge. For some, like Mark and Peg, the prospect of separating work identity from real life might be appealing, offering a sense of reprieve from their true selves. In contrast, many others may prefer to retain memories of their workplace experiences.

Lumon understands that the contentious nature of the Severance process could deter many potential candidates. To counteract this, the company offers significant monetary rewards for severed employees, anticipating that such compensation will effectively mitigate any moral concerns. The compensation disparity between severed and non-severed employees raises profound questions about workplace ethics, the nature of labor, and the dynamics between the “innies”and their “outies”in the Severance universe.

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