Maryland Unemployment Calculator
Figure basis: Official U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment InsuranceThis calculator estimates your Maryland unemployment insurance (UI) weekly benefit for 2026. Enter your usual gross weekly pay to see an estimated weekly benefit, alongside the official Maryland minimum ($50) and maximum ($430) weekly benefit amounts and the 26 weeks of benefits payable. The weekly amount is an estimate: it uses about 50% wage replacement (which matches the common "one twenty-sixth of high-quarter wages" rule) and is capped at the state minimum and maximum. Your state agency sets the exact figure from your base-period wage history, and eligibility rules apply. The minimum, maximum, and number of weeks are the official 2026 figures, sourced from U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment Insurance.
In Maryland, the weekly unemployment benefit ranges from $50 to $430, payable for 26 weeks (up to $11,180 in total). On $1,000 a week, the estimated benefit is about $430.00 per week.
How Maryland unemployment benefits work
Maryland pays a weekly benefit amount (WBA) based on your earnings during the base period (usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters). The WBA is subject to a state minimum of $50 and a maximum of $430, and is payable for 26 weeks.
estimated weekly benefit = min(max(weekly wage x 50%, $50), $430)
estimated maximum total = estimated weekly benefit x 26 weeks
The 50% figure is an approximation of the common state formula; your state agency sets the exact WBA from your wage records.
Maryland unemployment figures (2026)
| Figure | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum weekly benefit | $50 | U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment Insurance |
| Maximum weekly benefit | $430 | U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment Insurance |
| Weeks payable | 26 weeks | U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment Insurance |
A flat 26 weeks and a long-frozen cap
Maryland keeps its unemployment program simple on duration and modest on dollars. It pays a uniform 26 weeks for everyone, which groups it with Illinois and Indiana rather than with the sliding-scale programs in Kansas, Kentucky and Louisiana. The complexity here is all in the weekly amount, not the calendar.
That weekly amount tops out at $430, a ceiling that has stayed flat for many years even as wages in the Baltimore and Washington suburbs have risen sharply. Maryland sets the benefit at one twenty-fourth of your highest base-period quarter, which lands close to the 50% estimate this tool uses for a typical earner, but the low cap means anyone who earned much above about $1,000 a week is held to the same $430. The state does add a small dependents' allowance of $8 per dependent for up to five dependents, though it cannot push your total past the $430 maximum, so it mainly helps claimants whose base benefit sits below the cap.
The $50 minimum is a true floor for very low base-period earnings. Over a full 26-week claim, the $430 maximum is worth up to $11,180, comfortably above Indiana's total but well short of what Massachusetts or Illinois pay. As always, the figure on this page is an estimate: Maryland's Division of Unemployment Insurance sets your exact weekly benefit from your reported quarterly wages, so confirm it there before planning around a total.
Maryland unemployment: frequently asked questions
What is the maximum unemployment benefit in Maryland for 2026?
The maximum weekly benefit amount in Maryland is $430 for 2026. The minimum is $50. Over the maximum 26 weeks, that is up to $11,180 in total benefits.
How many weeks of unemployment can I get in Maryland?
Maryland pays benefits for a uniform 26 weeks.
How much unemployment will I get in Maryland?
Your weekly benefit is roughly half your usual gross weekly pay, subject to the Maryland minimum of $50 and maximum of $430. For example, on $1,000 a week the estimate is about $430.00. This is an estimate; Maryland sets your exact amount from your base-period wage history.
Is this the exact unemployment amount I will receive?
No. The minimum, maximum, and weeks shown are the official 2026 figures, but the weekly amount here is an estimate (about 50% wage replacement, which matches the common "one twenty-sixth of high-quarter wages" rule). Your state agency computes the exact figure from your reported wages, and eligibility rules apply.
Official sources
- Maryland unemployment weekly benefit and duration (tax year 2026): U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment Insurance, as at Jul 15, 2026.
Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 15 July 2026. See our methodology. General information, not legal or financial advice; file your claim with your state agency.