Paid family leave benefit calculator
How much will you actually get paid while you are off? Enter your pay and the state you work in. 2026 figures, taken straight from each state agency.
The state you work in, which may not be the state you live in.
Your gross pay — before tax and deductions come out.
How long you can take depends on the reason.
Choose your state and enter your pay to see an estimate. Everything is worked out in your browser — nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Estimates only. Confirm current rates with your state agency before filing or budgeting.
Everything is calculated in your browser. No sign-in, no email, and none of your payroll data leaves this page.
How your payment is worked out
It is not a flat percentage
Almost every state pays a high rate on the first part of your wages and a lower rate on the rest. In Massachusetts the first $961 a week is replaced at 80% and everything above it at 50%. Minnesota has three steps. A single percentage would be wrong for nearly everyone.
There is a ceiling
Every state caps the weekly payment, from $900 in Delaware to $1,765.00 in California. Above a certain salary, everyone in a state receives the same amount.
The reason changes the length
How long you can take depends on why. Your own health condition often allows more weeks than bonding with a new child, and in New York it is a different programme altogether. Choosing the right reason matters.
What each state pays
| State | Most it pays a week | Bonding | Own health | How it is worked out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | $1,765.00 | 8 wks | 52 wks | 90% or 70% of pay, depending on what you earn |
| Colorado | $1,448.02 | 12 wks | 12 wks | 90%, then 50% as your pay rises |
| Connecticut | $1,016.40 | 12 wks | 12 wks | 95%, then 60% as your pay rises |
| Delaware | $900.00 | 12 wks | 6 wks | A flat 80% of your pay |
| District of Columbia | $1,190.00 | 12 wks | 12 wks | 90%, then 50% as your pay rises |
| Maine | — | 12 wks | 12 wks | 90%, then 66% as your pay rises |
| Maryland | $1,000.00 | 12 wks | 12 wks | 90%, then 50% as your pay rises |
| Massachusetts | $1,230.39 | 12 wks | 20 wks | 80%, then 50% as your pay rises |
| Minnesota | $1,423.00 | 12 wks | 12 wks | 90%, then 66%, then 55% as your pay rises |
| New Jersey | $1,119.00 | 12 wks | 26 wks | A flat 85% of your pay |
| New York | $1,228.53 | 12 wks | n/a | A flat 67% of your pay |
| Oregon | $1,692.16 | 12 wks | 12 wks | 100%, then 50% as your pay rises |
| Rhode Island | $1,150.00 | 8 wks | 30 wks | A percentage of your highest-earning quarter |
| Washington | $1,647.00 | 12 wks | 12 wks | 90%, then 50% as your pay rises |
“n/a” means the state’s paid family leave programme does not cover that reason — not that it pays nothing. New York, for example, covers your own health condition through a separate disability programme.
Common questions
- How much does paid family leave pay?
- It depends on the state and on what you earn. Most states replace a high share of the first slice of your wages — often 80% to 90% — and a lower share above that, so lower earners get back a larger proportion of their pay than higher earners. Every state also sets a weekly ceiling, ranging from $900 in Delaware to $1,765 in California. Oregon replaces 100% of wages for anyone earning at or below 65% of the state average.
- How long can I take?
- Usually up to 12 weeks in a year, but it varies by state and by why you are taking leave. Massachusetts allows 20 weeks for your own health condition and 12 for family leave, capped at 26 combined. California pays 8 weeks of family leave but up to 52 weeks for your own illness or injury. Minnesota allows 12 weeks of each but no more than 20 in total.
- When do payments start?
- Several states pay from the first week. Massachusetts and Washington have a one-week unpaid waiting period, so your first payment covers the second week onwards. California pays family leave from day one but has a seven-day wait for its disability programme. Processing time is separate from the waiting period — most agencies take a couple of weeks to approve a claim.
- Is paid family leave taxed?
- Usually yes at the federal level, and the treatment differs by state and by which part of the benefit you are receiving. Your state agency will tell you whether it withholds tax and will issue the relevant tax form. Ask them, or ask a tax professional — this calculator estimates the gross payment, before any tax.
- Can I take the time intermittently?
- In most states yes, though the rules differ. New Jersey pays 12 consecutive weeks of family leave but only 8 weeks when taken intermittently. Some states require intermittent leave to be taken in minimum blocks. Check with your state agency before you plan around it.
- Does this tell me whether I am eligible?
- No. Eligibility depends on an earnings test over a base period, and on your employment situation, neither of which this calculator models. It estimates what the payment would be if you qualify. Only your state agency can decide whether you qualify.