2026 weekly benefit, eligibility check and total pay for paid family and medical leave.
Use the last four completed calendar quarters before your leave starts. The calculator picks your two highest quarters.
Untick if your bonding leave follows straight on from pregnancy medical leave, when no second waiting period applies.
| Part of your weekly wage | Rate | Benefit |
|---|
Estimate only, check with the Massachusetts Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML). 2026 SAWW $1,922.48 and maximum $1,230.39 from DFML; the $6,300 minimum earnings figure is the DUA amount shown on mass.gov and changes each year. Figures checked October 2026.
This Massachusetts PFML calculator estimates the weekly benefit that workers in Massachusetts will get from Paid Family and Medical Leave in 2026, using the state's own two tier formula, the 2026 state average weekly wage of $1,922.48 and the $1,230.39 weekly maximum. Enter your wages for the last four quarters and the weeks of leave you plan to take, and it shows your benefit, your eligibility and the total you can expect. Figures checked October 2026.
Quick answer: Massachusetts PFML pays 80% of your average weekly wage up to $961.24, plus 50% of anything above that, capped at $1,230.39 a week in 2026. The Massachusetts PFML calculator shows that someone averaging $1,500 a week gets $1,038.37, and the first 7 days of leave are unpaid.
In This Guide
What Is the Massachusetts PFML Weekly Benefit?
The PFML weekly benefit is the cash payment the Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML) makes while you are off work for your own serious health condition, to bond with a new child, or to care for a family member. It replaces part of your wages, not all of them, and it is paid by the state fund rather than your employer.
In plain words: add up your two highest earning quarters out of the last four completed quarters and divide by 26 to get your individual average weekly wage (IAWW). You receive 80% of the IAWW up to half the state average weekly wage, plus 50% of the IAWW above that, up to 64% of the state average. For 2026 half the state average is $961.24 and 64% is $1,230.39, so lower earners get a higher share of their pay replaced than higher earners.
How Much Will I Get on Massachusetts PFML?
Most full time workers get between 65% and 80% of their usual gross weekly pay, and nobody gets more than $1,230.39 a week in 2026. Take Dana, a dental hygienist in Worcester, whose last four quarters paid $18,500, $19,000, $20,000 and $21,000. Her two best quarters total $41,000, so her IAWW is $41,000 ÷ 26 = $1,576.92. The first $961.24 is replaced at 80%, giving $768.99, and the remaining $615.68 at 50%, giving $307.84. Her weekly benefit is $1,076.83, about 68% of her normal pay.
Dana plans 12 weeks of family leave to bond with her baby. After the 7 day waiting period she is paid for 11 weeks, so the Massachusetts PFML calculator shows a total of $11,845.13. If her employer adds a weekly top up, the two together cannot go over her $1,576.92 average weekly wage.
| Average weekly wage (IAWW) | Weekly PFML benefit 2026 | Share of pay replaced |
|---|---|---|
| $500 | $400.00 | 80.0% |
| $800 | $640.00 | 80.0% |
| $1,200 | $888.37 | 74.0% |
| $1,500 | $1,038.37 | 69.2% |
| $1,884.04 or more | $1,230.39 (maximum) | 65.3% at $1,884.04 |
| $2,500 | $1,230.39 (maximum) | 49.2% |
How to Use the Massachusetts PFML Calculator
Step 1: Enter Four Quarters of Wages
Type your gross wages for each of the last four completed calendar quarters before your leave starts. Your W-2 earnings or year to date figures on payslips at the end of March, June, September and December give you these numbers. Include wages from every Massachusetts employer, because DFML counts them all.
Step 2: Enter Your Leave Weeks
Split your leave into medical weeks and family weeks. The calculator applies the 20 week medical cap, the 12 week family cap and the 26 week combined cap. Leave the waiting period ticked unless bonding leave follows straight on from pregnancy or recovery from childbirth leave.
Step 3: Add a Top Up and Check the Limits
If your employer will pay a weekly top up from sick days or a company policy, enter it so the calculator can apply the rule that combined pay cannot exceed your IAWW. The state average weekly wage, maximum benefit and minimum earnings test are filled in for 2026 and can be changed when DFML publishes new figures.
Step 4: Read Your Benefit and Eligibility
The results show your weekly benefit, your IAWW, the share of pay replaced, the total for your paid weeks and your yearly employee contribution, and the table splits the benefit into its 80% and 50% parts. The green or red box gives the eligibility check. If you are also budgeting for the unpaid week, the emergency fund calculator shows how much cash to hold before leave starts, based on your monthly costs.
Who Is Eligible for Massachusetts PFML?
You are financially eligible if you earned at least the Department of Unemployment Assistance minimum in the last four completed quarters ($6,300 is the figure currently shown on mass.gov) and at least 30 times your weekly benefit. Dana's $78,500 is well above both tests, since 30 times $1,076.83 is $32,304.90. Most W-2 employees of Massachusetts employers are covered, while self employed people can opt in.
How Long Can You Take PFML Leave in Massachusetts?
You can take up to 20 weeks of medical leave, 12 weeks of family leave and no more than 26 weeks in total in one benefit year, which runs for 52 weeks from the Sunday before your leave begins.
| Leave type | Maximum weeks | Example reason |
|---|---|---|
| Medical leave | 20 | Your own serious health condition, including pregnancy |
| Family leave to bond | 12 | Birth, adoption or foster placement within 12 months |
| Family leave to care | 12 | A family member with a serious health condition |
| Military caregiver leave | 26 | Caring for a covered service member |
| Combined in one benefit year | 26 | Any mix of the above |
PFML runs alongside the federal Family and Medical Leave Act where both apply, so the two usually count down at the same time rather than adding together.
Is Massachusetts PFML Taxable and What Does It Cost?
Family leave benefits are taxable income for federal purposes, while medical leave benefits are taxable only on the share linked to employer contributions, under IRS Revenue Ruling 2025-4, which sets out how state paid leave payments are treated from 2025 onwards. DFML lets you choose federal withholding when you apply, so ask for it if you want to avoid a bill in April.
The 2026 contribution is 0.88% of eligible wages, and employers can deduct up to 0.46% from your pay, made up of 0.18% for family leave and 0.28% for medical leave. On Dana's $78,500 that is $361.10 a year. Contributions stop at the Social Security wage base, which the Social Security Administration set at $184,500 for 2026. Workers comparing safety nets can also use the Ohio unemployment calculator to see how a state unemployment benefit formula differs from PFML.
Massachusetts PFML Terms You Should Know
These terms explain the benefit formula and eligibility rules behind the Massachusetts PFML calculator, helping you plan leave with realistic expectations about weekly pay.
- Individual average weekly wage
- A worker's personal earnings baseline for PFML, found by adding the two highest earning quarters within the last four completed calendar quarters and dividing the total by 26. Every benefit calculation starts from this figure.
- State average weekly wage
- The average weekly pay across all Massachusetts workers, published each year and used to set the benefit thresholds. Half of it marks where the higher replacement rate stops, and a fixed percentage of it sets the weekly maximum.
- Waiting period
- The first seven calendar days of an approved leave, for which no PFML benefit is paid. A worker can use accrued sick or vacation time to cover it, and it is not repeated when bonding leave directly follows pregnancy medical leave.
- Bonding leave
- Family leave taken to spend time with a child during the first year after birth, adoption or foster care placement. It counts toward the annual family leave limit and is paid at the same weekly benefit rate as other PFML leave.
- Employer top-up
- Extra pay an employer may add on top of the state benefit, often from accrued paid time off. Combined payments are limited so that the worker never receives more than their individual average weekly wage while on leave.
- Department of Family and Medical Leave
- The Massachusetts state agency that runs the PFML program, reviews claims, pays benefits and publishes the yearly figures used in the formula. Workers apply to it directly rather than through their employer.
</>Embed this calculator on your website
Add the free Massachusetts PFML Calculator to your own site or blog. Copy the code below and paste it into an HTML block. It resizes itself and works on phones.
How we checked this tool: the Tools Veria Editorial Team built this tool by hand, checked it against the official rules or published standards where they apply, and tested it against worked examples. Results are estimates for planning, not personal financial or tax advice. Read our editorial policy and disclaimer, or report an error.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the Massachusetts PFML benefit calculated?
Take your two highest earning quarters of the last four, divide by 26, then pay 80% of that weekly wage up to $961.24 and 50% above it. The 2026 cap is $1,230.39 a week.
What is the maximum PFML benefit in Massachusetts for 2026?
The maximum weekly benefit for 2026 is $1,230.39, which is 64% of the state average weekly wage of $1,922.48. You reach it with an average weekly wage of about $1,884.04 or more.
Is the first week of PFML paid in Massachusetts?
No. There is a 7 day unpaid waiting period at the start of leave. You can use employer paid sick time or vacation during those 7 days without losing PFML benefits.
How many weeks of PFML can I take in Massachusetts?
You can take up to 20 weeks of medical leave and 12 weeks of family leave, with a combined limit of 26 weeks in one benefit year. Military caregiver leave can reach 26 weeks on its own.
How much do I need to earn to qualify for MA PFML?
You must have earned at least the DUA minimum, shown as $6,300 on mass.gov, in the last four completed quarters, and at least 30 times your weekly benefit. A $700 weekly benefit needs $21,000 of earnings.
Can my employer top up my PFML payments?
Yes, but your PFML benefit plus any employer top up cannot exceed your average weekly wage. If they would, DFML reduces the PFML payment so the total equals that wage.