Delaware Paid Family Leave Contribution Rates 2026
Delaware runs Delaware Paid Leave (DPL), funded by a payroll contribution of 0.8% of wages.
2026 rate card
- Total contribution rate
- 0.8%
- Employer share
- 50%
- 0.4% of wages
- Employee share
- 50%
- 0.4% of wages
- Wage cap
- $184,500
- Per employee, per year
- Maximum employee contribution
- None
- Small-employer relief
- Exempt under 10, reduced 10–24
- Reduced to 0.32%
Last verified August 18, 2026Source: Delaware Department of Labor
Next rate change: January 1, 2027
Contribution rates and benefit figures both change on 1 January.
Get notified when Delaware's PFML rate changes
We check Delaware Department of Labor on a schedule and update this page within a working day of a rate moving. Tell us where to send it.
Calculate your Delaware cost
Delaware
Enter your headcount and payroll to see the cost.
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Estimates only. Confirm current rates with your state agency before filing or budgeting.
Who must contribute
- The 0.8% total splits into three coverages: 0.32% parental, 0.40% medical, 0.08% family caregiving.
- Employers may deduct up to 50% of the total cost from employees; the employer must fund the remainder.
- Employers with 10–24 Delaware employees are only required to provide parental leave, so their rate is 0.32%.
- Employers with fewer than 10 Delaware employees are exempt from contributions entirely.
- Headcount is counted on Delaware employees only.
- Wages are capped at the federal FICA wage limit ($184,500 for 2026).
- Benefits are 80% of wages up to $900 per week.
- Approved private plans may be substituted.
How the headcount is counted: Delaware counts only your Delaware employees. Staff in other states do not count towards the threshold.
What employees receive
- Maximum weekly benefit
- $900.00
- Maximum weeks
- 12 weeks
- Per benefit year, combined where programs stack
- Wage replacement
- Up to 80% of wages
Benefit amounts are what an employee on leave receives. They are set separately from the contribution rate and are usually re-published each year against the state average weekly wage — often on a different cycle to the premium.
How much will I receive?
If you are the one taking leave rather than the one paying for it, this works out your weekly payment from your own pay. Nothing you type leaves this page.
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.
- How it is worked out
- 80% of pay
- Unpaid waiting period
- Not confirmed
- Check with Delaware Department of Labor
- Figures change
- 1 January
- Each calendar year
Questions if you are taking leave
- How much does paid family leave pay in Delaware?
- Delaware pays a flat 80% of your average weekly pay. Whatever the calculation produces, the payment is capped at $900.00 a week, and there is a floor of $100.00 a week. Above a certain salary everyone in Delaware receives the same amount.
- How long can I take paid family leave in Delaware?
- Delaware allows up to 12 weeks to bond with a new child, 6 weeks for your own serious health condition, 6 weeks to care for a family member. If you need more than one kind of leave in the same year, the total is capped at 12 weeks. Some reasons are not covered by this programme at all — that does not mean you get nothing, it means a different programme applies, so ask Delaware Department of Labor.
- When do paid family leave payments start in Delaware?
- We have not been able to confirm from Delaware Department of Labor whether Delaware applies an unpaid waiting period, so we do not state one either way. Ask Delaware Department of Labor before you budget around your first payment date.
- Is Delaware paid family leave taxed?
- Usually yes at the federal level, and how much depends on which part of the benefit you receive and on your own circumstances. Delaware Department of Labor will tell you whether it withholds tax from your payments and will issue the relevant tax form. The figures on this page are gross, before any tax. For anything specific to your situation, ask Delaware Department of Labor or a tax professional.
- Can I take Delaware paid family leave intermittently?
- In most cases yes, though the rules on minimum blocks and notice differ and can change what you are paid. Confirm with Delaware Department of Labor before planning around intermittent leave.
Private plan option
Delaware permits an employer to substitute an approved private or voluntary plan for the state plan. The plan must be at least as generous as the statutory one and must be approved by Delaware Department of Labor before it takes effect. If you run an approved private plan, the state premiums above do not apply — your carrier sets the cost instead. How to decide between the two.
Key dates
- 1 January
- New rates take effect. Update payroll before the first pay run of the year.
- Quarterly
- Wage reports and premium payments are due to Delaware Department of Labor, generally by the last day of the month following each quarter.
- Autumn
- Next year’s rate is announced. This page is re-checked against the agency in November and updated in December.
Common questions
What is the Delaware paid family leave rate for 2026?
The Delaware Delaware Paid Leave contribution is 0.8% of wages for 2026. The employer pays 50% of that and the employee pays 50%.
How much does an employer pay for paid family leave in Delaware?
The employer pays 0.4% of subject wages — 50% of the 0.8% total. On $1,000,000 of Delaware payroll, that is about $4,000 a year, before any wage cap is applied.
Is there a wage cap on Delaware paid leave contributions?
Yes. Only the first $184,500 of each employee's annual wages is subject to the premium in 2026. The cap applies per employee, so a high earner stops contributing partway through the year while everyone else keeps going.
Are small employers exempt from Delaware paid family leave?
Delaware reduces the cost below 25 employees rather than exempting you outright. Employers under that size pay 0.32% in total. Only your Delaware employees count towards the threshold. Employers with fewer than 10 Delaware employees are exempt from contributing at all.
What is the maximum Delaware paid leave benefit?
Up to $900.00 a week, for up to 12 weeks in a benefit year. Wage replacement is up to 80% of wages, so lower earners replace a larger proportion of their pay than higher earners.
Can we use a private plan instead of the Delaware state plan?
Yes. Delaware Department of Labor can approve a private or voluntary plan that is at least as generous as the state program. Once approved, you stop paying the state premium and pay your carrier instead. Approval is not automatic and it is not retroactive, so the state rate applies until the plan is in force.
Estimates only. Confirm current rates with your state agency before filing or budgeting.
Last verified August 18, 2026Source: Delaware Department of Labor
Maintained by Treesera Technologies, Payroll and compliance calculators. How these rates are sourced.
Employing in more than one state?
Delaware is one of 14 jurisdictions with a paid leave premium, and no two use the same rate, split or cap. Calculate the combined cost in one place.
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