CPA Australia's $4.9 million termination payout for its former chief executive Alex Malley has stunned experts in the field, who have labelled it as "extremely unusual" and more than three times the normal package.

Employment barrister Stuart Wood said the payout, which was 3.6 times Mr Malley's $1.37 million base salary, was unheard of for departing senior managers, who usually received no more than a year's salary if terminated before their contract ends.