Enter your base period wages to estimate your TWC weekly benefit and total.
Base period: the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before you claim.
| Part time earnings | Benefit paid | Total that week |
|---|
Estimate only, using TWC rules for claims from 5 October 2025 ($75 to $605 a week). The Texas Workforce Commission makes the official decision.
This Texas unemployment calculator estimates the weekly unemployment benefit, maximum total and part time pay for people filing a claim with the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) in 2026, using the official divide by 25 formula and the $75 to $605 weekly limits that apply to claims from 5 October 2025. It also checks the two wage tests TWC uses and shows what is left after federal tax on unemployment is withheld, so you can plan before your first payment arrives. Figures checked October 2026.
Quick answer: Texas pays a weekly benefit equal to your highest base period quarter of wages divided by 25, rounded to the nearest dollar, between $75 and $605. A $13,000 quarter gives $520 a week. The Texas unemployment calculator also applies the 26 week limit and the 27% of base wages cap.
In This Guide
What Is a Texas Unemployment Calculator?
A Texas unemployment calculator is a tool that estimates the unemployment insurance you could receive from TWC based on the wages your employers reported in your base period. Your base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before the date your claim starts.
The formula in plain words: take the quarter in your base period with the highest gross wages, divide it by 25 and round to the nearest dollar. That is your weekly benefit amount (WBA), with a minimum of $75 and a maximum of $605. Your maximum benefit amount (MBA) is the lower of 26 times the WBA or 27% of all your base period wages. Dividing the MBA by the WBA tells you how many weeks of full payments you can draw.
How to Use the Texas Unemployment Calculator
Step 1: Enter Your Quarterly Wages
Type your gross wages, before tax, for each of the four base period quarters. If you claim in October 2026, the base period runs from July 2025 to June 2026. Your pay stubs or W-2 give the figures, and if you are paid hourly the hourly to annual salary calculator converts your rate into a yearly total you can split by quarter.
Step 2: Add Any Part Time Earnings
If you work some hours while you claim, enter your gross earnings for that week. TWC lets you earn up to 25% of your WBA with no reduction. Above that, your benefit drops dollar for dollar, and no benefit is paid once earnings reach 125% of the WBA.
Step 3: Choose Tax Withholding
Tick the box to see figures after 10% federal income tax is withheld. Texas has no state income tax, but benefits count as taxable income for federal purposes, and you can ask TWC to withhold 10% by filing Form W-4V.
Step 4: Read Your Result
The headline is your estimated WBA. Below it you see your maximum benefit amount, the number of weeks of full payments, the base period wages you need to qualify and what you would be paid in a week with your part time earnings. The table shows how pay and benefit combine at five earnings levels.
How Much Unemployment Will I Get in Texas?
You will get your highest base period quarter divided by 25 each week, between $75 and $605, for up to 26 weeks or until 27% of your base period wages has been paid, whichever comes first. The maximum anyone can receive on a regular claim is $15,730, which is 26 weeks at $605.
Worked example: Marisol is a dental receptionist in San Antonio who was laid off in September 2026. Her base period quarters were $11,500, $13,000, $12,500 and $12,000, a total of $49,000. Her highest quarter is $13,000, and $13,000 divided by 25 is $520 a week. Twenty six weeks at $520 would be $13,520, but 27% of $49,000 is $13,230, so her maximum benefit amount is $13,230, about 25.4 weeks of full payments. She needs base wages of at least $19,240 (37 x $520), and she has $49,000, so she qualifies on wages. With 10% withheld, each payment is $468.
| Highest quarter wages | Weekly benefit | 26 weeks at that rate | Base wages needed (37 x WBA) |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1,875 | $75 (minimum) | $1,950 | $2,775 |
| $5,000 | $200 | $5,200 | $7,400 |
| $10,000 | $400 | $10,400 | $14,800 |
| $13,000 | $520 | $13,520 | $19,240 |
| $15,125 or more | $605 (maximum) | $15,730 | $22,385 |
The 26 week column assumes the 27% cap does not bite. It bites when your earnings are concentrated in one quarter, or when you earned little in the other quarters, so always enter all four.
Who Qualifies for Unemployment in Texas?
You qualify on wages if you were paid in at least two base period quarters and your total base period wages are at least 37 times your WBA. If you had a claim before, you also need new wages of at least six times your new WBA. Beyond wages, TWC checks why you lost your job: you must be out of work through no fault of your own, able and available to work, registered with WorkInTexas.com and actively looking for work each week.
How Does Part Time Work Affect Texas Unemployment?
Part time work reduces your benefit only when your weekly earnings go above 25% of your WBA, and you get nothing that week once earnings reach 125% of the WBA. To log the hours for a temporary job accurately, the time card calculator totals shifts in 12 or 24 hour time before you report them to TWC. Put simply, benefit plus earnings can add up to 125% of your WBA. With a $520 WBA, Marisol can earn $130 with no cut. If she earns $260 in a week, she receives $390, so her total that week is $650. Always report gross earnings for the week you did the work, not the week you were paid.
When Will I Get My First Texas Unemployment Payment?
TWC says that if you are eligible, your first payment usually arrives about four weeks after you apply, and you request payment every two weeks. Benefits count as taxable income, so consider Form W-4V voluntary withholding when you file, or set money aside for April. Texas law also makes the first payable week a waiting week: TWC holds that payment until you have been paid twice your WBA, then releases it when you return to full time work or use up your benefits.
How Do I Apply for Unemployment in Texas?
You apply to the Texas Workforce Commission online through its Unemployment Benefits Services site, or by phone through the TWC Tele-Center, as soon as your hours stop or are cut. Have your Social Security number, the name and address of every employer in your base period, your last day of work and the reason you left. TWC then sends a monetary determination listing the wages it holds for each quarter. Compare those figures with what you entered in the Texas unemployment calculator: if a quarter is missing or too low, you can contact TWC to correct it with pay stubs or a W-2, which may raise your weekly benefit.
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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 Texas unemployment calculated?
TWC divides the wages in your highest base period quarter by 25 and rounds to the nearest dollar. The result is your weekly benefit, between $75 and $605. For example, a $10,000 highest quarter gives $400 a week before any tax is withheld.
What is the maximum unemployment benefit in Texas in 2026?
The maximum weekly benefit is $605 for claims from 5 October 2025, and the minimum is $75. Over a full 26 week claim the most you can receive is $15,730, unless 27% of your base period wages is lower.
How many weeks of unemployment can you get in Texas?
You can get up to 26 weeks of full payments in a benefit year. If 27% of your base period wages is less than 26 times your weekly benefit, the total is capped at that 27% figure, so you get fewer weeks.
How much can I earn while on unemployment in Texas?
You can earn up to 25% of your weekly benefit amount with no reduction. Above that, each extra dollar reduces your benefit by a dollar, and no benefit is paid once your earnings reach 125% of your weekly benefit amount.
Do you pay taxes on Texas unemployment?
Texas has no state income tax, but unemployment benefits are taxable income on your federal return. You can ask for 10% federal withholding from each payment by giving TWC Form W-4V, which turns a $520 payment into $468.
What is the base period for Texas unemployment?
The base period is the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters before your claim starts. For a claim filed in October 2026, the base period runs from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026.