Maryland Unemployment Calculator
As of October 19, 2026, regular Maryland unemployment pays $50 to $430 a week for up to 26 weeks. Enter your wages for the four quarters of your base period to estimate your weekly benefit, your maximum total benefit and which rule capped it.
Maintained by Archie Chang · Formulas and sources checked October 19, 2026 · Methodology & sources
Weekly benefit range (October 19, 2026)
$50 to $430
Current figures
Maximum weeks
26
Regular state benefits only
State income tax on benefits
Taxable
Federal income tax applies in every state
Maryland unemployment benefit calculator
Which months are my four quarters?
The standard base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you file. The quarter you file in, and the one just before it, are left out. Enter the quarters in order, oldest first. Each quarter is three calendar months: January to March, April to June, July to September, October to December.
| If you file in | Your base period is |
|---|---|
| January to March 2026 | October 2024 to September 2025 |
| April to June 2026 | January to December 2025 |
| July to September 2026 | April 2025 to March 2026 |
| October to December 2026 | July 2025 to June 2026 |
Use gross wages (before taxes) from every covered job, in the quarter they were earned. If your wages are too low under this period, many states test an alternate base period made of the last four completed quarters.
Enter your wages above to see your Maryland estimate.
How much does unemployment pay in Maryland?
Maryland uses a schedule in the statute, not a percentage. It finds the line for your highest base period quarter: $1,176.01 to $1,200.00 pays $50 a week, and each next $24 of high-quarter wages adds $1, up to $430 for a high quarter over $10,296.
Maryland adds $8 a week for each child under 16 you support, up to five children, as long as the weekly benefit plus the allowance stays at or below $430.
Maryland uses the first four of the last five completed quarters. The DOL comparison says it also allows an alternate base period of the last four completed quarters. Enter whichever four quarters apply.
Maryland unemployment eligibility: the wage tests
These are the monetary tests only. Maryland also decides whether you lost your job through no fault of your own and whether you are able and available to work.
- More than $1,176 in your highest quarter, and
- wages in at least two quarters, totaling at least 1.5 times the top of your line's wage band (36 times your weekly amount). If you fall short but qualify for one of the next six lower lines, Maryland pays that lower line.
Maximum weeks and maximum benefit amount
Maryland pays a total of 26 times your weekly benefit amount, so claims run up to 26 weeks. Dependents allowances are paid on top of that total each week and are not taken from it.
Working part time while collecting
Maryland adds any dependents allowance to your weekly benefit amount and subtracts wages above $50 for the week, rounding down to the dollar. For example, a $300 benefit with no allowance and $120 of wages pays $230. This calculator does not estimate partial weeks, because its partial-week box cannot include the allowance.
Are Maryland unemployment benefits taxable?
Unemployment benefits are taxable income on your federal return in every state. Maryland taxes unemployment benefits. The Maryland Department of Labor says benefits are subject to federal and state income taxes and reports them on Form 1099-G.
How to apply in Maryland
File online through the BEACON portal, then request benefits every week.
Maryland Department of Labor: file for unemployment
When this changes: Maryland changes the schedule only by act of the General Assembly; recheck after each legislative session. Maryland sets the schedule of benefits in statute (8-803); check the General Assembly session laws each July 1 and October 1 for changes.
Frequently asked questions
How much does unemployment pay in Maryland?
Regular Maryland unemployment pays between $50 and $430 a week as of October 19, 2026. Your amount depends on the wages you were paid in your base period. Maryland uses a schedule in the statute, not a percentage. It finds the line for your highest base period quarter: $1,176.01 to $1,200.00 pays $50 a week, and each next $24 of high-quarter wages adds $1, up to $430 for a high quarter over $10,296.
How is the Maryland weekly benefit amount calculated?
Maryland uses a schedule in the statute, not a percentage. It finds the line for your highest base period quarter: $1,176.01 to $1,200.00 pays $50 a week, and each next $24 of high-quarter wages adds $1, up to $430 for a high quarter over $10,296. Maryland adds $8 a week for each child under 16 you support, up to five children, as long as the weekly benefit plus the allowance stays at or below $430.
How long can I collect unemployment in Maryland?
Maryland pays a total of 26 times your weekly benefit amount, so claims run up to 26 weeks. Dependents allowances are paid on top of that total each week and are not taken from it.
Are unemployment benefits taxable in Maryland?
Maryland taxes unemployment benefits. The Maryland Department of Labor says benefits are subject to federal and state income taxes and reports them on Form 1099-G.
Can I work part time and still get Maryland unemployment?
Maryland adds any dependents allowance to your weekly benefit amount and subtracts wages above $50 for the week, rounding down to the dollar. For example, a $300 benefit with no allowance and $120 of wages pays $230. This calculator does not estimate partial weeks, because its partial-week box cannot include the allowance.
Does Maryland pay extra for dependents?
Yes. Maryland adds $8 a week for each child under 16 you support, up to five children. It does not pay an allowance for a spouse. The weekly benefit plus the allowance cannot exceed $430, and the allowance is fixed on the first day of your benefit year.
Sources for Maryland
- Md. Code, Labor and Employment 8-803, Schedule of benefitsAll 381 lines (every line checked in our tests), lower-line rule, partial-week rule
- Md. Code, Labor and Employment 8-802, Eligibility$1,176.01 and 1.5 times tests
- Md. Code, Labor and Employment 8-804, Dependents$8 per child under 16, five-child and $430 limits
- Md. Code, Labor and Employment 8-808, Payment26 times the weekly benefit amount
- Maryland Department of Labor: Claimant Information HandbookAlternate base period, $50 to $430, $8 per child, 26 weeks
- Maryland Department of Labor: 1099-G tax formState and federal tax treatment
- U.S. DOL, Significant Provisions of State UI Laws (July 2026)Cross-check of $50 to $90, $430, 26 weeks
Sources checked October 19, 2026.
Verification note: The statute and schedule were read directly on mgaleg.maryland.gov. The Maryland Department of Labor claimant handbook (uiclmtpamphlet.pdf) confirms the alternate base period, the $50 to $430 range, the $8 per child allowance and 26 weeks; the tax statement comes from a search excerpt of its 1099-G page. Our tests check the weekly amount and minimum qualifying wages on every one of the 381 schedule lines.