Maryland Unemployment Calculator
Your base period is determined by the date your claim begins.
Your Estimated Benefits
What Is the Maryland Unemployment Calculator?
It’s a web-based tool designed to estimate how much money you could receive if you file for unemployment insurance in Maryland. It uses your base period wages (more on that shortly) and number of dependents to estimate:
- Your Base Weekly Benefit Amount (WBA)
- Dependent Allowance
- Total Weekly Payment
- Maximum Benefit Amount
- Benefit Duration
Important: This is just an estimate. Actual benefits are determined by the Maryland Department of Labor (DOL) after you file your claim.
How the Calculator Works (Step-by-Step)
1. Enter Your Claim Start Date
Your claim date helps determine your base period—a span of four calendar quarters (12 months) used to assess your past earnings.
For example:
- If your claim starts in October 2025, the base period is July 2024 to June 2025.
2. Input Your Wages for Each Quarter
You’ll be asked to enter earnings for four quarters. These values help determine:
- If you’re eligible
- Your highest-earning quarter
- Your total base period wages
Each quarter is automatically labeled based on your claim date, so you know which months to reference from your pay stubs or tax records.
3. Select Number of Dependents (Up to 5)
Maryland provides a $10 weekly allowance per dependent, up to five dependents. This can increase your total weekly payment.
What Happens Behind the Scenes?
The calculator checks your inputs against Maryland’s eligibility rules:Eligibility Criteria:
- Wages in at least 2 quarters
- Highest quarter earnings of at least $1,350.01
- Total base period wages ≥ 1.5 × high-quarter wages
If you don’t qualify under the Standard Base Period, it may ask for an additional quarter’s wages to test Alternate Base Period eligibility.
How Your Benefits Are Calculated
Here’s the formula simplified:
| Component | Calculation |
|---|---|
| Base Weekly Benefit (WBA) | Highest quarter wages ÷ 21 (capped at $430) |
| Dependent Allowance | $10 × Number of dependents (max 5) |
| Total Weekly Payment | WBA + Dependents (max $430 cap) |
| Maximum Benefit Amount (MBA) | Lesser of (WBA × 26) or (1/3 of total wages) |
| Benefit Duration | MBA ÷ WBA (in weeks) |
Example: How Much Could You Get?
Let’s say you made the following:
- Q1: $5,000
- Q2: $5,500
- Q3: $5,200
- Q4: $5,800
- Dependents: 2
Estimate:
- High Quarter = $5,800
- WBA = $5,800 ÷ 21 = $276 (rounded down)
- Dependency Allowance = $10 × 2 = $20
- Total Weekly Payment = $276 + $20 = $296
If your total wages = $21,500:
- MBA = Min($276 × 26 = $7,176, $21,500 ÷ 3 = $7,166)
- So, MBA = $7,166
- Duration = $7,166 ÷ $276 ≈ 25 weeks
Why Use This Calculator?
- Instant Estimate – No need to guess
- Know Before You File – Helps with planning
- User-Friendly Interface – Mobile-friendly and intuitive
- Visual Breakdown – Shows eligibility, allowance, and duration clearly
Whether you’re recently unemployed or just planning ahead, this tool can give you peace of mind and direction.
What the Calculator Won’t Do
This tool doesn’t file your claim, and it doesn’t pull live data from your employer. You still need to file a formal claim with the Maryland Department of Labor. This is just for guidance.
Disclaimer (Straight from the Tool)
This is an estimate. Your actual benefits are determined by the Maryland Department of Labor after you file a claim. Benefit amounts are subject to annual changes.
Where to Find the Calculator
You can access the Maryland Unemployment Calculator directly on [your unemployment resources website] or wherever it’s embedded. It works on desktop and mobile browsers.
