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Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)

Financial & Retirement Updated August 17, 2026

An Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) lets you buy your employer’s stock at a discount through payroll deductions — up to 15% off under an IRS-qualified Section 423 plan, capped at $25,000 of stock value per calendar year. Apple offers 15% off with a 6-month lookback, Microsoft offers 10% off, and Adobe and eBay pair 15% with a 24-month lookback, while Google, Meta, and Amazon offer no ESPP at all and compensate with RSUs instead. A 15% discount is a built-in 17.6% pre-tax return on each purchase if you sell immediately.

ESPP key facts

  • Maximum qualified (Section 423) discount: 15% — the cap set by the tax code, and what Apple, Tesla, Salesforce, and Adobe offer
  • IRS purchase cap: $25,000 of stock (at fair market value) per calendar year
  • Typical contribution cap: 10–15% of base salary, per the company plans below
  • Lookback: the discount applies to the lower of the offering-start or purchase-date price — Apple uses 6 months; Adobe and eBay use 24 months
  • No ESPP: Google, Meta, and Amazon — their equity compensation is RSU grants instead

At the US software-engineer median base salary of $165,000, a 15%-of-pay contribution cap more than covers the $25,000 annual purchase limit. Maxing a 15%-discount plan means buying $25,000 of stock for $21,250 — a $3,750 pre-tax gain per year before any lookback upside, on top of salary and equity.

Salary figures: Levels.fyi verified submissions, US software engineers, trailing 12 months. IRS limits: 2026 tax year. Company formulas reflect employee-reported data on Levels.fyi and may change — see each company’s page for the latest.

Companies that provide Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)

Frequently asked questions

Does Google have an ESPP?

No. Google does not offer an employee stock purchase plan, and neither do Meta or Amazon — all three compensate employees with RSU grants instead. Apple is the FAANG company that does offer one: 15% off with a 6-month lookback. See Google’s benefits and Google salaries for how its equity comp works.

What is a typical ESPP discount?

15% is the most common discount among the tech plans on this page (Apple, Tesla, Salesforce, Adobe, Uber, eBay) and the legal maximum for a qualified Section 423 plan. Microsoft and LinkedIn offer 10%; Oracle offers 5%.

What is an ESPP lookback period?

A lookback applies your discount to the lower of the stock price at the start of the offering period or at purchase. Example: stock at $100 at the start of a 6-month period and $130 at purchase — with a 15% discount and lookback you pay $85 for a $130 share. Apple’s plan uses a 6-month lookback; Adobe’s and eBay’s use 24 months.

How much can I contribute to an ESPP?

Two caps apply: your plan’s payroll cap — typically 10–15% of base salary per the companies below — and the IRS’s $25,000-per-calendar-year cap on the fair market value of stock purchased under a qualified Section 423 plan.

Is an ESPP worth it?

Usually, yes — a 15% discount is a 17.6% pre-tax return on each purchase ($85 in becomes $100 of stock) even if you sell immediately, and a lookback can push the return far higher in a rising market. The main risks are holding the stock past purchase (concentration in your employer) and the tax treatment of early sales (disqualifying dispositions are taxed as ordinary income).

Which companies have the best ESPP?

Look for the trifecta: 15% discount, long lookback, high contribution cap. On employee-reported data here, Adobe (15%, 24-month lookback, up to 25% of salary) and eBay (15%, 24-month lookback) stand out; Apple offers 15% with a 6-month lookback, and Nvidia’s plan is reported at 15% with a lookback over a roughly 24-month offering.

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