Unemployment Benefit Estimator

Enter your highest-quarter wages, your state's maximum weekly benefit, and the number of weeks — get a rough weekly and total benefit estimate instantly, right in your browser.

📖 How it works & FAQ

Highest-quarter wages ($)

State max weekly benefit ($)

Weeks of benefits

Very rough estimate — every state uses its own formula, minimums, and maximums. Check your state unemployment office for real numbers.

How this unemployment estimate works

Most U.S. states base your weekly unemployment benefit on recent earnings, and one of the most common formulas is the high-quarter method: the state looks at your base period (usually the first four of the last five completed calendar quarters), finds the quarter where you earned the most, and divides those wages by 26. That works out to roughly half of your average weekly pay during your best quarter. Every state then caps the result at a maximum weekly benefit amount, which ranges from around $235 to over $1,000 depending on where you live. This tool applies exactly that formula: highest-quarter wages divided by 26, capped at the state max you enter, then multiplied by the number of weeks you expect to collect.

These are rough estimates only, not professional, financial, tax, or legal advice — real formulas, minimum amounts, dependents' allowances, and eligibility rules vary widely by state, so always confirm your actual benefit with your state's unemployment office before making plans around it.

How to use it

Add up your gross wages for your single highest-earning calendar quarter (a quarter is three months: January–March, April–June, July–September, or October–December).
Enter that amount in the highest-quarter wages box.
Look up your state's maximum weekly benefit and enter it, or start with the default and adjust.
Set the number of weeks you expect benefits to last — 26 is the most common maximum, but several states pay fewer weeks.
Read the weekly and total estimates; they update live as you type, and nothing you enter ever leaves your browser.

FAQ

Why divide by 26?: A calendar quarter is about 13 weeks, so dividing high-quarter wages by 26 gives roughly 50% of your average weekly wage in that quarter — the replacement rate many states target.
What if my estimate is above the state cap?: The tool automatically limits the weekly figure to the state max you entered and shows what the uncapped amount would have been, so you can see how much the cap costs you.
Is unemployment income taxable?: Yes. Unemployment benefits count as taxable income on your federal return, and many states tax them as well. You can usually request 10% federal withholding when you file your claim.
Does every state use this exact formula?: No. Some states average your two highest quarters, use annual wages, or apply a different fraction, and weekly maximums change every year. Treat this as a ballpark and verify with your state agency.