Unemployment benefits by state: what the safety net actually pays
Unemployment insurance is described as a national program, but the check is written by your state, and the states do not agree. The maximum weekly benefit runs from $235 in Mississippi to $1,208 in Washington. Losing the same job with the same salary can be worth 5.1 times more on one side of a state line than the other. Here is every state, with the weekly range it pays and how long it pays for.
What the full picture shows
- The same job loss is worth 5.1 times more in Washington than Mississippi. Washington tops out at $1,208 a week ($62,816 a year if it lasted a full year), Mississippi at $235 ($12,220). Nothing about the worker differs: the benefit formula does.
- Most people never see the maximum. States generally replace about half of prior average weekly wages up to the cap, so the headline figure is reached only by higher earners. The median state maximum is $611, and the floor matters too: minimum weekly payments start as low as $5.
- 26 weeks is no longer the standard. Maximum duration now runs from 12 to 30 weeks, and 14 states cap below 26. A more generous weekly amount in a short-duration state can still total less than a modest amount paid for longer, so weekly rate and duration have to be read together.
- 11 states pay more if you have dependants. Those allowances lift the true ceiling above the standard maximum shown in the chart, which is one reason two people in the same state with the same wages can receive different amounts.
The weekly benefit range in every state
Each line runs from the state's minimum weekly benefit to its standard maximum, sorted by maximum. The length of the line is the state's own spread: how much the amount varies with your prior earnings before the cap bites.
View as a table
| Row | Max weeks | Minimum weekly | Where | Maximum weekly | Where |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | 26 | $383 | minimum | $1,208 | maximum |
| Massachusetts | 30 | $60 | minimum | $1,105 | maximum |
| New Jersey | 26 | $186 | minimum | $905 | maximum |
| Oregon | 26 | $211 | minimum | $902 | maximum |
| New York | 26 | $140 | minimum | $869 | maximum |
| Hawaii | 26 | $5 | minimum | $868 | maximum |
| Utah | 26 | $47 | minimum | $806 | maximum |
| North Dakota | 26 | $43 | minimum | $800 | maximum |
| Rhode Island | 26 | $82 | minimum | $777 | maximum |
| Colorado | 26 | $25 | minimum | $767 | maximum |
| Montana | 24 | $227 | minimum | $767 | maximum |
| Vermont | 26 | $94 | minimum | $757 | maximum |
| Connecticut | 26 | $44 | minimum | $721 | maximum |
| Kentucky | 24 | $39 | minimum | $720 | maximum |
| Wyoming | 26 | $48 | minimum | $671 | maximum |
| West Virginia | 26 | $24 | minimum | $662 | maximum |
| Oklahoma | 16 | $16 | minimum | $649 | maximum |
| Iowa | 16 | $96 | minimum | $644 | maximum |
| Kansas | 16 | $159 | minimum | $637 | maximum |
| Nevada | 26 | $16 | minimum | $631 | maximum |
| Illinois | 26 | $51 | minimum | $628 | maximum |
| Idaho | 26 | $72 | minimum | $624 | maximum |
| New Mexico | 26 | $116 | minimum | $624 | maximum |
| Ohio | 26 | $176 | minimum | $624 | maximum |
| Maine | 26 | $108 | minimum | $623 | maximum |
| Minnesota | 26 | $37 | minimum | $611 | maximum |
| Pennsylvania | 26 | $68 | minimum | $605 | maximum |
| Texas | 26 | $75 | minimum | $605 | maximum |
| Nebraska | 26 | $70 | minimum | $582 | maximum |
| South Dakota | 26 | $28 | minimum | $575 | maximum |
| Michigan | 26 | $218 | minimum | $530 | maximum |
| Virginia | 26 | $160 | minimum | $478 | maximum |
| Arkansas | 12 | $81 | minimum | $451 | maximum |
| California | 26 | $40 | minimum | $450 | maximum |
| Delaware | 26 | $20 | minimum | $450 | maximum |
| District of Columbia | 26 | $50 | minimum | $444 | maximum |
| Maryland | 26 | $50 | minimum | $430 | maximum |
| New Hampshire | 26 | $32 | minimum | $427 | maximum |
| Indiana | 26 | $37 | minimum | $390 | maximum |
| Alaska | 26 | $56 | minimum | $370 | maximum |
| Wisconsin | 26 | $54 | minimum | $370 | maximum |
| Georgia | 26 | $55 | minimum | $365 | maximum |
| North Carolina | 20 | $15 | minimum | $350 | maximum |
| South Carolina | 20 | $42 | minimum | $350 | maximum |
| Tennessee | 20 | $55 | minimum | $325 | maximum |
| Arizona | 24 | $229 | minimum | $320 | maximum |
| Missouri | 20 | $35 | minimum | $320 | maximum |
| Louisiana | 20 | $35 | minimum | $282 | maximum |
| Alabama | 20 | $45 | minimum | $275 | maximum |
| Florida | 12 | $32 | minimum | $275 | maximum |
| Mississippi | 26 | $30 | minimum | $235 | maximum |
Method, and what these figures do not tell you
Figures are the 2026 statutory weekly benefit amounts and maximum durations published by the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment Insurance, the same dataset behind our per-state unemployment calculators.
- Maximums are ceilings, not entitlements. Your benefit is calculated from your base-period earnings under the state's own formula. Only earners above a threshold reach the maximum.
- Dependant allowances sit on top. The chart shows the standard maximum. 11 states pay a higher ceiling with dependants.
- Duration can be conditional. Several states index maximum weeks to the state unemployment rate, so a cap shown here can change between years.
- Eligibility is separate from amount. Qualifying at all depends on earnings history and the reason the job ended, which this page does not model.
Sources and reuse
- Weekly benefit amounts and durations: U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Unemployment Insurance, 2026, verified 2026-07-15.
- Per-state detail and an estimate against your own earnings: our US calculators, one for each state.
The underlying figures are published by the US Department of Labor. Our compilation and analysis may be quoted freely with credit to CalculatorHub and a link to this page. Reviewed by the CalculatorHub team, edited by James Graham, 9 August 2026. See our methodology. General information, not legal or financial advice.
Frequently asked questions
Which state pays the most unemployment?
Washington has the highest maximum weekly benefit at $1,208, followed by Massachusetts at $1,105. The lowest is Mississippi at $235. That is a 5.1 times difference for the same federal program, because each state sets its own benefit formula, maximum and duration.
How much unemployment will I actually get?
Most states pay roughly half your prior average weekly wage, up to the state maximum, so only higher earners reach the maximum figures on this page. The median state maximum is $611 a week. Your own amount depends on your earnings in the base period, and 11 states pay more if you have dependants. Use your state's calculator for an estimate against its own formula.
How long do unemployment benefits last?
Most states cap regular benefits at 26 weeks, but that is no longer universal: maximum duration across the states runs from 12 to 30 weeks, and 14 states cap below 26 weeks. Some states tie duration to the state unemployment rate, so the cap can move between years.
Why do benefits vary so much between states?
Unemployment insurance is a federal-state program: federal law sets the framework, but each state runs its own trust fund and writes its own benefit formula, maximum weekly amount and duration. States also fund benefits through their own employer payroll tax, so benefit generosity and employer tax rates tend to move together.
Is unemployment pay taxable?
Yes. Unemployment compensation is taxable income for federal purposes and must be reported. You can ask the state to withhold federal tax from payments, usually at 10 percent, or pay estimated tax instead. Some states also tax it; others exempt it.