Maternity Leave Pay Calculator

Paid maternity and parental leave in the United States varies by employer policy, short-term disability insurance, and state programs — there is no single national paid-leave standard. This calculator estimates total gross pay during paid weeks: weekly paid amount = weekly gross × (pay percent ÷ 100), then multiplied by paid weeks. It does not model job protection rules, tax withholding, or benefit continuation during unpaid gaps.

The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) provides up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave for qualifying employees at covered employers — but FMLA does not require paid leave. Paid time off during maternity depends on employer PTO banks, short-term disability (STD) policies that cover childbirth recovery, and state paid family leave programs in California, New York, New Jersey, and several other states with their own formulas and wage caps.

Employer policies often split into phases. A company might pay 100% salary for 6 weeks, then 60% for another 6 through STD, then nothing for any remaining FMLA weeks. Run this calculator twice — once per phase with the appropriate pay percent and weeks — and add the totals for a full picture. Parental bonding leave for non-birth parents may follow different pay percentages than medical recovery leave for the birth parent.

State paid family leave programs calculate benefits from a percentage of average weekly wages up to a state maximum. California SDI, New York PFL, and similar programs may pay concurrently or sequentially with employer benefits depending on rules. Check your state labor department for official benefit calculators — this tool uses simplified percent-of-pay inputs you control. Wage caps mean high earners receive a lower effective replacement rate than the headline percentage.

Health insurance premiums often continue during leave but may shift from employer-paid to employee-paid depending on policy. COBRA may apply if employment ends. None of that appears in gross paid-leave math — budget separately for medical premium changes during unpaid weeks. FMLA generally requires employers to maintain group health coverage on the same terms as if you were working, but employee share of premiums may still be deducted.

Short-term disability insurance may cover only the medical recovery period (often six to eight weeks for vaginal delivery, longer for cesarean) while bonding leave runs under separate employer or state programs. STD claims require medical certification and may have elimination periods where no benefits pay for the first several days. Read your policy summary before relying on a single pay-percent input for the entire leave span.

Worked example with defaults: $1,200 weekly gross, 8 paid weeks at 60% pay. Weekly paid = $1,200 × 0.60 = $720. Total gross paid leave = $720 × 8 = $5,760 before taxes. Actual deposits will be lower after withholding; unpaid weeks after paid weeks run out are not included. If your employer pays 100% for four weeks then 60% for four, run two calculations and sum the results.

Paid-leave figures here are planning estimates, not medical, legal, or tax advice. Eligibility, job protection, disability certification, and coordination with HR require direct confirmation. Refer to the U.S. Department of Labor FMLA resources and your state labor agency for authoritative benefit information. Tax treatment of disability benefits may differ from regular wages depending on who paid the premiums.