Maryland Paid Family Leave Contribution Rates 2026
Maryland runs Family and Medical Leave Insurance (MD FAMLI). Payroll contributions begin January 1, 2027.
2026 rate cardFrom 2027
- Total contribution rate
- 0.9%
- Employer share
- 50%
- 0.45% of wages
- Employee share
- 50%
- 0.45% of wages
- Wage cap
- $184,500
- Per employee, per year
- Maximum employee contribution
- None
- Small-employer relief
- Under 15
- Reduced to 0.45%
Last verified August 18, 2026Source: Maryland Department of Labor
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Maryland
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Estimates only. Confirm current rates with your state agency before filing or budgeting.
Who must contribute
- No premiums are collected during 2026. Payroll contributions begin 1 January 2027.
- Maryland is excluded from 2026 cost totals in this calculator for that reason.
- MD Labor reaffirmed a 0.90% rate in April 2026, split evenly — 0.45% employer, 0.45% employee — for wages paid 1 January to 31 December 2027.
- Employers with fewer than 15 employees remit only the employee half; they owe no employer share.
- The first payment, covering January–March 2027 wages, is due 30 April 2027.
- Wages are capped at the Social Security contribution base.
How the headcount is counted: Maryland counts your employees nationwide, not just those working in Maryland. A company with 8 people in Maryland and 60 elsewhere is not a small employer here.
What employees receive
- Maximum weekly benefit
- —
- Benefits are not payable until the program is running
- Maximum weeks
- 12 weeks
- Per benefit year, combined where programs stack
- Wage replacement
- Up to 90% 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.
Private plan option
Maryland 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 Maryland 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 Maryland 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.
- January 1, 2027
- Payroll contributions begin. Until then there is no 2026 cost.
Common questions
What is the Maryland paid family leave rate for 2026?
Maryland is not collecting premiums in 2026. Contributions begin January 1, 2027 at 0.9% of wages, split 50% employer and 50% employee.
How much does an employer pay for paid family leave in Maryland?
The employer pays 0.45% of subject wages — 50% of the 0.9% total. On $1,000,000 of Maryland payroll, that is about $4,500 a year, before any wage cap is applied.
Is there a wage cap on Maryland 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 Maryland paid family leave?
Maryland reduces the cost below 15 employees rather than exempting you outright. Employers under that size pay 0.45% in total, all of which can be withheld from employees — the employer share falls to zero. The headcount is counted nationwide, not just in Maryland.
What is the maximum Maryland paid leave benefit?
Maryland sets its maximum weekly benefit against the state average weekly wage and republishes it each year, payable for up to 12 weeks. The current figure was not confirmed against the agency in the last verification pass, so it is shown as unverified rather than estimated — check Maryland Department of Labor directly.
Can we use a private plan instead of the Maryland state plan?
Yes. Maryland 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: Maryland Department of Labor
Maintained by Treesera Technologies, Payroll and compliance calculators. How these rates are sourced.
Employing in more than one state?
Maryland 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.
Calculate the combined cost