How Much Does Unemployment Pay? Weekly Benefit Estimator

Published maximum weekly unemployment figures range from $235 in Mississippi to $1,208 in Washington — a 5.1× spread — with a median of $649. Finite capped dependency allowances are included where DOL publishes an upper range; Massachusetts has no aggregate allowance cap, so its row shows the $1,154 base cap before dependents (benefit years beginning on or after October 4, 2026).

39 states — Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming — use source-backed 2026 weekly-benefit-amount and duration formulas, verified against the U.S. Department of Labor's "Significant Provisions of State Unemployment Insurance Laws" and, where needed, primary state statute text.

The other 11 states use a disclosed, simplified nationwide estimate (roughly 50% of prior weekly wage, capped at the state maximum) rather than that state's exact statutory formula.

Every estimate on this site — treated or simplified — is for planning only and does not establish eligibility. Only your state unemployment agency can determine whether you qualify and your exact benefit amount.