The United States doesn’t have any federal mandate on providing paid maternity leave. Different states have varying laws, with only a handful mandating paid maternity leave. Currently, 13 states and the District of Columbia (Washington D.C.) offer mandatory paid maternity leave to their workforce. Let’s explore these states.
California
Under the California Paid Family Leave program, individuals can get up to 8 weeks of paid leave to bond with their newly born child. Leaves can also be availed to bond with a child you’ve adopted or fostered. However, this claim is only available to employees who have worked for a minimum of 5-18 months before filing any claim. Upon claim approval, you can receive a benefit of up to 60%-70% of your weekly wage.
Connecticut
Workers in Connecticut receive up to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave, subject to certain conditions. You can claim paid maternity leaves in Connecticut if you’re a non-government employee with at least $2,325 income in the highest-earning quarter of the first four of the five recently finished quarters. Alternatively, you must have been employed for at least 12 months before filing for paid maternity leave.
Colorado
Colorado workers get up to 12 weeks of paid leave to take care or bond with their newly born/adopted/fostered child. The benefits are granted on a sliding scale based on the employee’s average weekly wage in the past five quarters. However, you can expect benefits ranging from 50%-90% of your salary, with a maximum limit of $1,100/week.
District of Columbia
Employed or self-employed individuals in D.C. covered under the paid family leave program are entitled to receive up to 14 weeks of maternity leave. The maternity benefits are decided based on the individual’s weekly wages, subject to a maximum of $1,118/week.
Massachusetts
Massachusetts provides up to 26 weeks of combined paid medical and family leave. You can claim this benefit if your employer has participated in the Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program. Self-employed individuals who joined this program with a qualifying leave reason can also avail the benefit.
New Jersey
Most New Jersey workers can get 12 weeks of family disability leave, except government workers, contractors, out-of-state workers, and faith-based organizations. The benefits can be claimed if employees earn at least $283/week and work for at least 20 weeks. Employees with a minimum combined total earning of $14,200 in the previous four quarters are also eligible.
Rhode Island
Workers in Rhode Island get up to 30 weeks of combined caregiver and disability leave. Rhode Island workers can benefit if they’ve paid into the TCI/TDI fund and earned a minimum of $11,520 in either alternate base period or base period. The benefits are paid at 60% wage replacement, with a weekly maximum benefit limit of $795 and a minimum $84 rate.
Washington
Almost every employee who has worked for at least 16 hours a week in Washington and at least 820 hours in a year can claim up to 16 weeks of combined family and medical leave. They can get up to 90% of their weekly pay, with a maximum limit of $1,456.
New York
Employees working for private employers get up to 26 weeks of combined disability and family leave. The benefit is available to employees who have worked for at least 20 hours/week after 26 weeks of employment. Employees with less than 20 hours/week records can claim paid maternity benefits after 175 days of employment. Individuals can get up to 67% of their average weekly wage, with a maximum limit of $1,151.16/week.
Delaware
Starting in 2026, employees who have worked for at least 12 months and finished 1,250 hours with a single employer can receive up to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave. The benefits are limited to 80% of the employee’s wages, with a maximum of $900/week.
Maine
The workforce in Maine can get up to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave starting in 2026. The benefits amount is undecided as this program’s rulemaking began in 2024. You can claim this benefit if you’ve become a new parent, adopted a child, or fostering one.
Maryland
Maryland will offer up to 12 weeks of paid maternity leave from 2026. Employees who have worked for a Maryland employer for at least a year, with a minimum of 680 work hours, are eligible for this benefit. They can receive a maximum benefit amount of up to $1,000/week.
Minnesota
Employees with a minimum earning of $3,500 in wages within Minnesota in the year leading up to their leave can avail of up to 20 weeks of combined paid medical and family leave. The benefits can be availed to bond with a newborn/fostering/adopted child, ongoing military duty, or care for the individual’s health conditions or their family member.
Oregon
All Oregon workers can claim up to 12 weeks of paid leave per year. This benefit is available if you’ve worked for any Oregon employer and earned a minimum of $1,000 the year before applying for paid maternity benefits. Self-employed and government workers don’t automatically qualify for this benefit, whereas private sector employees can claim it for any qualifying life event. Eligible individuals get a minimum weekly benefit of $63 and a maximum of $1,524.
