Minnesota Paid Leave in its first year, 2026
Minnesota began paying family and medical leave on January 1, 2026. It is the only program with three replacement tiers, which keeps a high share of pay for lower and middle earners.
Minnesota Paid Leave, bonding with a new child
$1,258
a week · $15,097 for 12 weeks
| Weekly benefit | $1,258 |
| Average weekly wage used | $1,692 |
| Weeks paid (up to 12 weeks for this reason) | 12 weeks |
| Total for this leave | $15,097 |
| Federal income tax on it, about | $3,321 |
| Your take-home pay now, a week | $1,353 |
| Share of take-home pay replaced | 93 % before tax |
Minnesota: 90% of the first $711.50 of weekly wage, 66% of the next $711.50 and 55% above, up to $1,423 a week, since January 1, 2026. The engine divides your highest quarter by 13.
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the estimates are built · state laws and agency pages read October 20, 2026
Minnesota Paid Leave has paid benefits since January 1, 2026. The weekly amount is built from three slices of your average weekly wage: 90 % of the first $711.50, 66 % of the next $711.50, and 55 % of anything above $1,423. The maximum equals the state average weekly wage, $1,423 for 2026. A weekly wage of $600 brings $540, $1,200 brings $963, and $2,000 brings $1,423. Over a year, $42,000 of pay gives about $704 a week and $88,000 about $1,258. Medical leave and family leave are each limited to 12 weeks a benefit year, and to 20 when added together. Employers owe a premium of 0.88 % on wages up to $184,500; they bear at least half and may deduct up to 0.44 % from employees.
Three slices instead of two
Most paid leave programs use two tiers. Minnesota's statute uses three: 90 % of the wage that does not exceed half of the state average weekly wage, 66 % of the wage between half and the full average, and 55 % of the wage above it (Minn. Stat. § 268B.04). Minnesota Management and Budget translated this into dollars for 2026: the first $711.50, the next $711.50, then the rest, with payments capped at $1,423 (MMB benefit tiers for 2026).
| Average weekly wage | Weekly benefit | Share of wage |
|---|---|---|
| $600 | $540 | 90 % |
| $1,000 | $831 | 83 % |
| $1,400 | $1,095 | 78 % |
| $2,000 | $1,423 | 71 % |
| $2,600 | $1,423 | 55 % |
The middle tier is the distinctive part. Workers with weekly wages between $712 and $1,423 keep 66 % of each additional dollar, more than the 50 % that Washington or Colorado would give at that level.
Minnesota Paid Leave at your pay
Minnesota Paid Leave, bonding with a new child
$1,258
| Weekly benefit | $1,258 |
| Average weekly wage used | $1,692 |
| Weeks paid (up to 12 weeks for this reason) | 12 weeks |
| Total for this leave | $15,097 |
12 plus 8: the combined limit
A worker can take up to 12 weeks for a serious health condition and up to 12 weeks for family reasons in a benefit year, but the statute reduces one by the other so the two together stop at 20 weeks. The employer poster puts it simply: you may qualify for up to 20 weeks in total (DEED Paid Leave poster). For a birth parent, that leaves room for medical leave around the delivery and a full 12 weeks of bonding. Bonding alone at $88,000 a year pays about $15,097.
The premium
The statute set the premium at 0.7 % for 2026, and the commissioner raised it to 0.88 % of wages up to the Social Security limit (DEED 2026 premium rate). Employers pay at least half and can deduct up to 0.44 % from workers; small employers that qualify pay a lower rate of 0.66 %. At $42,000 the most a worker would pay is about $185 a year.
Weekly amount and the calculator
The calculator divides your best quarter by thirteen to estimate the average weekly wage. Enter that quarter under More options if your pay was uneven, for example after a raise, a seasonal peak or a period of overtime. A program this new has few published examples, so compare the result with the decision letter the state sends once you apply. Family benefits are federal taxable income under Revenue Ruling 2025-4; see the paid leave tax page.
Minnesota Paid Leave: the 2026 figures
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Benefit rule | 90% of the first $711.50 of weekly wage, 66% of the next $711.50 and 55% above, up to $1,423 a week, since January 1, 2026 |
| Weekly benefit, 2026 | up to $1,423 |
| Weeks: Own health or pregnancy | 12 |
| Weeks: Bonding with a new child | 12 |
| Weeks: Caring for a relative | 12 |
| Weeks: All reasons together | 20 |
| Employee premium, 2026 | 0.44% of wages up to $184,500 |