Unemployment Benefits Calculator

Estimate your weekly unemployment benefit, how many weeks you can collect, and your total potential payout — using your state's actual 2026 formula and cap. Every state calculates it differently, so pick yours below.

⚠ An estimate, not a determination.

Your state agency makes the official decision from your full wage record and the reason your job ended. Use this to understand the ballpark, then file your claim with the state.

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How unemployment benefits are calculated

Your weekly benefit amount is a share of what you used to earn, based on your wages in the base period, usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. Most states pay roughly 50% of your average weekly wage, up to a state maximum that ranges from $235 in Mississippi to $1,208 in Washington in 2026.

Some states add an allowance for dependents, and the number of weeks you can collect ranges from 12 to 30 depending on the state (Massachusetts: up to 30, or 26 when its low-unemployment trigger applies). Pick your state above for its exact formula, cap, and duration.

Four ways states turn wages into a weekly benefit

  • High-quarter divisor (25 states). Your best quarter of the base period is divided by a set number. California, for example, pays roughly one twenty-sixth of your highest quarter; Texas divides by 25.
  • Average of two or more quarters (17). The state averages your top quarters. Washington pays 3.85% of the average of your two highest quarters.
  • Share of annual wages (6). The benefit is a percentage of total base-period wages.
  • Average weekly wage (3). The state works out your average weekly pay and pays a percentage of it; New Jersey pays 60%.

Whatever the method, the result is then held between the state's minimum and maximum weekly benefit. The calculator for each state uses its own method and shows every step.

Dependents, waiting weeks and total caps

13 jurisdictions adjust the benefit for dependents: Alaska, Connecticut, Illinois, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Rhode Island. Most add a flat amount per dependent; New Jersey adds a percentage of your own benefit, and Ohio raises the maximum instead.

In 41 jurisdictions the first eligible week is an unpaid waiting week. Missouri and Tennessee also have a waiting week but may pay it later, under conditions. And many states cap total benefits at a share of your base-period wages, not just a number of weeks: Texas at 27% of base-period wages, Washington and Mississippi at one-third. A lower earner can therefore run out of benefits before reaching the maximum number of weeks.

A worked example

This example is illustrative and uses invented numbers, run through the same calculation as the Texas calculator. Suppose your best quarter of the base period paid $11,000 and you earned $44,000 across the whole base period.

Texas divides the high quarter by 25, so the weekly benefit is $440. That is under the Texas maximum of $605 (in our state data, last verified August 21, 2026; Texas resets it each October) and above the minimum of $75, so it stands. Over the full 26 weeks that would be $11,440.

Texas also caps the total at 27% of base-period wages, which here is $11,880. Because that is higher than $11,440, you could draw the full 26 weeks. With lower base-period wages, the 27% cap would bind first and the benefits would run out sooner.

Who is eligible

Two tests decide eligibility. First, the money test: you must have earned enough in the base period, and each state sets its own threshold. Florida, for example, looks for wages in at least two quarters, total wages of at least 1.5 times your best quarter, and at least $3,400.

Second, the reason you are out of work. The US Department of Labor describes unemployment insurance as paying eligible workers who are unemployed through no fault of their own, as determined under state law. Quitting without a reason your state accepts, or being fired for misconduct, can disqualify you, and staying eligible also depends on your ongoing work search.

If you are unsure, apply anyway and let the state agency decide. For the rules behind a firing or resignation, read about at-will employment and whistleblower protections.

What the estimate leaves out

  • It uses the wages you enter, not the state's own wage record, which is what the agency pays from.
  • It does not decide whether the reason your job ended disqualifies you.
  • It does not ask about part-time work, severance, or pension income. Report any of them to the agency when you file, because they can change what you receive.
  • It does not calculate taxes. The IRS says unemployment compensation generally must be included in income, and you can choose to have federal tax withheld.
  • It does not include any federal extension program, only the regular state benefit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much will I get from unemployment?

Usually about half of your former weekly wage, up to your state’s cap. The 2026 maximum weekly benefit in our state data runs from $235 in Mississippi to $1,208 in Washington. If you earned more than the cap assumes, you receive the maximum, so higher earners replace a smaller share of their pay.

How long can I collect unemployment?

Up to 26 weeks in 34 of the 51 jurisdictions we cover. Shorter maximums apply in Alabama (14 at present, up to 20 at high unemployment), Arizona (24, or 26 when unemployment is 5% or higher), Arkansas (12), Florida (12), Georgia (14), Idaho (up to 21 at present, 26 at high unemployment), Iowa (16), Kansas (16), Kentucky (16), Louisiana (20), Missouri (20), Montana (24), North Carolina (12), Oklahoma (16), South Carolina (20), and Tennessee (12). Massachusetts (up to 30, or 26 when its low-unemployment trigger applies) allows more. Many states also cap your total benefits at a share of your base-period wages, so lower earners can run out before the maximum number of weeks.

What is a base period?

The window of past wages the state uses to decide whether you are eligible and how much you receive. In most states it is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. Many states offer an alternate base period, usually the last four completed quarters, if you are not eligible under the standard one.

Is there a waiting week?

In 41 of the 51 jurisdictions we cover, the first eligible week is an unpaid waiting week. The state calculator page tells you whether yours has one.

Can I get unemployment if I quit or was fired?

Unemployment is designed for people out of work through no fault of their own, as the US Department of Labor puts it, with fault determined under state law. Quitting without a reason your state accepts, or being fired for misconduct, can disqualify you. The rules vary by state, so if you are unsure, file anyway and let the agency decide.

Is unemployment taxable?

Yes, for federal income tax. The IRS says you generally must include all unemployment compensation you receive in income. You can choose to have federal tax withheld, and you should receive a Form 1099-G showing what you were paid. State income tax treatment varies.

Is anything I type stored?

No. The calculators run in your browser and nothing you enter is sent to or stored on our server.