Minnesota Paid Leave Calculator
Estimate your 2026 Minnesota Paid Leave contribution split between employer and employee. Total rate is 0.88% (or reduced 0.66% for small employers), with progressive benefits and a 20-week combined maximum.
| 2026 standard total rate (30+ employees) | 0.88% of wages |
| Small employer reduced rate (< 30) | 0.66% of wages |
| Employee max share | 0.44% |
| Wage cap (Social Security base) | $184,500 |
| Benefit formula | 90% under 50% SAWW + 66% above |
| Family leave | 12 weeks |
| Medical leave | 12 weeks |
| Combined annual max | 20 weeks |
| Estimated weekly benefit | — |
Minnesota Paid Leave launches in 2026 as the state's first universal paid family and medical leave program. The total contribution rate is 0.88% of wages for employers with 30 or more employees, with a reduced 0.66% rate for smaller employers. Costs are split between employer and employee, with the employee share capped at half the total.
2026 Minnesota Paid Leave Rates
Large employers (30+ employees) pay the full 0.88% — split into 0.44% employer and 0.44% employee shares. Small employers qualify for a reduced 0.66% rate only if they pass both the headcount and average-wage tests below and may also receive grants to offset administrative costs. Contributions cap at the Social Security taxable wage base of $184,500 for 2026, making the employee maximum about $811.80 per year at the full rate.
Who Actually Qualifies for the 0.66% Small Employer Rate
The reduced rate is not granted on headcount alone — there are two tests, and an employer must pass both. First, it must employ 30 or fewer workers in each quarter. Second, its average wage must not exceed 150% of the statewide average wage, which works out to roughly $27,745.88 per quarter. A ten-person firm paying well above that average pays the full 0.88%, not 0.66%.
It also helps to know how the 0.88% is built: 0.61% funds medical leave and 0.27% funds family leave. The rate is fixed for both 2026 and 2027, so employers can budget two years ahead rather than re-forecasting each January. On the $184,500 wage cap, the most any one employee can contribute in 2026 is $811.80, matched by $811.80 from the employer — a combined ceiling of $1,623.60 per employee. Full premium rules are published by the Minnesota Paid Leave Division.
How the Weekly Benefit Is Calculated
Minnesota uses a tiered formula: 90% replacement of your average weekly wage up to 50% of the state average weekly wage (SAWW), then 66% of any wages above that threshold. This formula gives lower-wage workers a much higher replacement rate while still providing meaningful coverage for middle and higher earners. Benefits are paid weekly directly from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.
Leave Duration and Eligibility
Workers can take up to 12 weeks of family leave (bonding, caregiving, safety leave) or up to 12 weeks of medical leave, with a combined maximum of 20 weeks per benefit year. To qualify, you must have earned at least 5.3% of the state average annual wage from any Minnesota employer in the four-quarter base period. Self-employed Minnesotans can opt in voluntarily.
Last updated August 2026. Source: Minnesota Paid Leave Division.