New York Paid Family Leave in 2026: one rate, one cap
New York pays two thirds of your usual weekly wage while you bond with a new child or care for a seriously ill relative. Enter your pay to see the check and the total for 12 weeks.
New York Paid Family Leave, bonding with a new child
$966
a week · $11,596 for 12 weeks
| Weekly benefit | $966 |
| Average weekly wage used | $1,442 |
| Weeks paid (up to 12 weeks for this reason) | 12 weeks |
| Total for this leave | $11,596 |
| Federal income tax on it, about | $1,670 |
| Your take-home pay now, a week | $1,178 |
| Share of take-home pay replaced | 82 % before tax |
New York: 67% of the average weekly wage, up to 67% of the 2026 state average weekly wage of $1,833.63, so at most $1,228.53 a week. New York averages the last eight weeks worked; the engine uses your regular weekly pay.
Compiled by Radif Partners · How the estimates are built · state laws and agency pages read October 20, 2026
New York Paid Family Leave pays a single rate, 67 % of your average weekly wage, with no tiers and no bands. The ceiling follows the state economy: it is 67 % of the New York State Average Weekly Wage, which is $1,833.63 for 2026, so the largest check is $1,228.53 a week. You reach it at about $95,349 a year. Below that, $45,000 a year brings about $580 a week and $75,000 about $966. If your average weekly wage is above $100, the minimum is $100; below it, you receive your full wage. The leave lasts up to 12 weeks, which at $75,000 a year adds up to $11,596. Employees pay for the program through a deduction of 0.432 % of gross wages, at most $411.91 in the year.
Average weekly wage, the New York way
The benefit starts from the average of your most recent weeks of pay before the leave, not from a quarter of a base period as in California or Rhode Island. For most salaried workers this equals the regular weekly paycheck before tax; for people paid by the hour with uneven schedules, those last weeks decide the amount. Recent raises count right away, which is an advantage over quarter-based programs.
The calculator above divides a year of pay by 52, which matches a steady paycheck. If your recent weeks were higher or lower, enter the yearly equivalent of those weeks instead.
Two thirds of which paycheck?
New York Paid Family Leave, bonding with a new child
$773
| Weekly benefit | $773 |
| Average weekly wage used | $1,154 |
| Weeks paid (up to 12 weeks for this reason) | 12 weeks |
| Total for this leave | $9,277 |
The cap moves with wages across the state
Every year New York publishes a new statewide average weekly wage. For 2026 it is $1,833.63, and two thirds of it set the maximum at $1,228.53 (NY Paid Family Leave, 2026 updates). Anyone earning more than roughly $95,349 a year receives the same amount, so the share of pay replaced falls as salaries rise. At $75,000, the check of $966 replaces 82 % of take-home pay before tax, a high figure because the benefit is not reduced by withholding unless you ask for it.
Twelve weeks, for family reasons only
The program pays for bonding during the first year after a birth, adoption or foster placement, for caring for a family member with a serious health condition. Your own illness is not covered here: that is the role of New York disability benefits, a separate and much smaller benefit. The state presents Paid Family Leave as job protected, paid time off (NY PFL benefits).
What it costs on your paycheck
The deduction is 0.432 % of each paycheck until the yearly ceiling of $411.91. A worker earning $45,000 pays about $194 over the year, and one earning $75,000 about $324. The employer withholds it and pays it to the carrier that insures its staff.
Taxes
Under Revenue Ruling 2025-4, state family leave benefits are included in federal gross income. Nothing is withheld unless you request it, so a full leave at the cap can leave a bill in April; the paid leave tax page estimates it.
New York Paid Family Leave: the 2026 figures
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Benefit rule | 67% of the average weekly wage, up to 67% of the 2026 state average weekly wage of $1,833.63, so at most $1,228.53 a week |
| Weekly benefit, 2026 | $100 to $1,228.53 |
| Weeks: Bonding with a new child | 12 |
| Weeks: Caring for a relative | 12 |
| Employee premium, 2026 | 0.432% of wages up to $95,350 |
| Official calculator | paidfamilyleave.ny.gov |