Employee benefits
Meta (Facebook) employee benefits: parental leave, 401(k), RSUs and more
Meta's benefits are best known for two things: a parental leave policy that was ahead of the industry when it launched and a 401(k) match that became one of the most generous in tech in 2022. Behind those headlines is a package whose biggest dollars sit in quarterly RSU vests, an after-tax 401(k) feature and an HSA that most people under-use. This page walks through each part, flags which figures Meta publishes and which are only reported, and uses the 2026 IRS limits throughout. Meta was Facebook until 2021, and many people still search for "Facebook maternity leave," so both names appear here.
Cash compensation: salary and bonus
Base salary is set by level (E3 and upward for engineers, with parallel ladders for other functions) and location. An annual cash bonus is paid early in the year as a target percentage of base, scaled by level and by the performance rating; Meta does not publish the percentages, so any figures you see are employee-reported. Self-reported medians on Levels.fyi as of November 2026 put US software engineer total compensation at roughly $302,000 at E4, $450,000 at E5 and $736,000 at E6, with stock a large and rising share of the total at higher levels.
The bonus is supplemental wages for withholding purposes. IRS Publication 15 (2026) sets a flat 22% federal default, with 37% applying only above $1 million of supplemental wages in the year. That is below the bracket most Meta employees are in once equity is counted, so the bonus and every RSU vest are under-withheld. Plan for the difference.
Equity: RSUs that vest every quarter
Meta pays equity as restricted stock units in Class A shares, now granted under the 2025 Equity Incentive Plan that its 2025 Form 10-K describes as the successor to the 2012 plan. The 10-K says that "in general, our RSUs vest over a service period of four years," and the 2026 proxy statement describes RSU awards that "vest quarterly over four years." Insider filings show the mechanics: one-sixteenth of a grant each quarter, on vest dates falling on the 15th of February, May, August and November. Meta also runs what the proxy calls a "company-wide equity refresher program," so after a couple of years you are vesting from several grants at once, every quarter.
Each vest is wages at the vest-date value, and Meta withholds by keeping back shares rather than selling them. The schedule, the dates, the taxes and the hold-or-sell question are covered in detail in our Meta RSU vesting schedule guide; the general rules are in the RSU taxes guide.
Is there a Meta employee stock purchase plan?
No. Meta does not operate an ESPP. Its 2025 Form 10-K states that "share-based compensation expense consists of our restricted stock units (RSUs) expense," and the only equity plans it describes are the 2012 and 2025 Equity Incentive Plans, which grant RSUs and similar awards. Neither the 10-K nor the 2026 proxy mentions a stock purchase plan. Employees who want a discounted-purchase benefit like the ones at Apple or Microsoft will not find one here; Meta's equity story is the RSU grants and the refreshers.
401(k): the match and the after-tax feature
The match
Meta's careers site lists "competitive occupational retirement and pension plans" among its financial benefits without a formula. The formula is reported. Until 2021 Meta matched 50% of contributions up to 7% of pay. From January 1, 2022, as reported by the Wall Street Journal and summarised by Money, it moved to a dollar-for-dollar match up to $10,250, which was half the IRS deferral limit that year. Advisor write-ups since then describe the same rule, 100% of contributions up to 50% of the IRS limit, including on catch-up contributions, with immediate vesting (for example Avier, 2024 and Coldstream, 2026). With the 2026 deferral limit at $24,500, that implies a maximum match of $12,250 for an employee who contributes the full amount. Confirm the current formula in the summary plan description on the recordkeeper's site (reported to be Fidelity).
Because the match follows your contributions dollar for dollar, you capture all of it by contributing at least $12,250 a year; contributing the full $24,500 does not earn more match, but it does fill your own tax-advantaged space. Check whether the plan matches per paycheck or trues up, so that front-loading contributions does not leave match on the table.
After-tax contributions and the mega backdoor Roth
The $24,500 deferral limit (plus $8,000 catch-up at 50 and over, or $11,250 at ages 60 to 63) is not the ceiling on the account. The IRS 415(c) limit on total contributions from all sources is $72,000 for 2026. Meta's plan is reported to allow after-tax contributions up to that limit and to offer in-plan Roth conversion, including an automatic option, which is the mega backdoor Roth.
| 2026 component | Amount |
|---|---|
| Employee deferral (pre-tax or Roth) | $24,500 |
| Maximum Meta match (reported formula) | $12,250 |
| Room left under the $72,000 total limit for after-tax | About $35,250 |
That is roughly $35,000 a year of additional Roth money for anyone whose cash flow allows it, and quarterly RSU vests are the natural source. The mega backdoor Roth calculator computes your own number.
Health, HSA and fertility benefits
Meta's careers site lists medical, dental and vision coverage for employees and eligible dependents, medical advocacy and concierge support, mental health programs for the employee and family, and medical second opinions. Plan choices include a high-deductible option paired with a health savings account; advisor write-ups report that Meta contributes to the HSA, around $750 for individual and $1,500 for family coverage, which you should confirm at enrollment. The IRS limits for 2026, from Revenue Procedure 2025-19, are $4,400 for self-only and $8,750 for family coverage, inclusive of employer contributions. Funding the HSA fully, paying current medical costs from cash flow and investing the balance is the highest-value way to use it.
Family-building support is a core part of the package. The careers site lists "family planning support, including fertility, adoption and surrogacy assistance." Employee reports describe fertility coverage administered through a specialist provider covering IVF and egg freezing; the specifics and limits are in the plan documents and change over time, so check before relying on them.
Parental leave, Baby Cash and time off
Parental leave
Meta's public benefits page says simply "paid leave for new parents, including adoptive parents." The length is not stated there, but it has been consistently reported as four months of fully paid leave for every new parent, regardless of gender or whether they are the primary caregiver. The policy was extended to all full-time employees worldwide effective January 1, 2016, as reported at the time by VentureBeat and Time, and it can be taken in one block or in parts within the first year after birth or adoption. Advisor guides and employee-reported benefit summaries in 2025 and 2026 still describe it as four months. Birth parents may have additional medical leave on top.
Baby Cash
Meta pays a lump sum to new parents, known internally as Baby Cash. It was reported at $4,000 per child when the leave policy was expanded in 2015, including for adoptions. Some employee-reported summaries list a different amount, so treat the figure as reported and check the current one in the benefits portal. It is taxable income.
Vacation, Choice Days and Recharge
These figures Meta does publish. The careers site states paid time off "equivalent to a minimum of 4 of your normal working weeks per year, plus public holidays," two paid Choice Days, and "a 30-day paid break every five years, based on performance," commonly called Recharge. Before booking Recharge or any long leave, ask HR how it interacts with RSU vesting, the bonus calculation and the refresher cycle for that year.
Wellness reimbursement and other perks
- Wellness reimbursement. The careers site lists a "reimbursement program for eligible expenses that support physical, mental, financial well-being and family care." The annual amount is reported at around $2,000 and the eligible categories are broad, from gym memberships to childcare and tax preparation. Reimbursement allowances typically do not roll over, so claim it every year.
- Life insurance and survivor support. Listed on the careers site; group term life is reported at three times base salary. For an equity-heavy household that is unlikely to be enough on its own.
- Financial coaching and tax education and a legal support program covering the employee and, in some cases, their parents.
- Caregiving support for children and elders, plus US dependent-care FSAs.
- Campus perks such as meals and transport vary by site and by in-office policy.
Common mistakes
- Contributing less than $12,250 to the 401(k). Every dollar below the match ceiling is a dollar of free money declined.
- Never enabling after-tax contributions. Roughly $35,000 a year of Roth space sits unused by most employees.
- Relying on the 22% withholding. Bonus and RSU vests under-withhold for most Meta employees. Set aside the gap each quarter.
- Letting the wellness reimbursement lapse. It typically does not roll over.
- Treating the HSA as a spending account. Invest it if you can afford to pay medical bills from cash flow.
- Holding every quarterly vest. Four vests a year make concentration creep up quietly. Decide on purpose; our guide for high earners explains how.
Bottom line. Meta's biggest-dollar benefits are the quarterly RSUs, a 401(k) match worth up to $12,250 in 2026 under the reported dollar-for-dollar formula, and the after-tax 401(k) feature that adds about $35,000 of Roth space. Four months of paid parental leave and Baby Cash are the headline family benefits; the 30-day Recharge, the wellness reimbursement and the HSA contribution round it out. There is no ESPP.
Meta revises its programs regularly, and several of the figures above are reported rather than published by the company. The official benefits portal, the 401(k) summary plan description and your grant documents define your actual terms; the 2026 limits come from IRS Publication 15, Notice 2025-67 and Revenue Procedure 2025-19. Verify there before acting.