Paid Family Leave Planner · Paid leave by state

Paid leave in California

Weeks, pay, and how to stack it - the California programs below, with the official sources and the dates the rules were checked.

State rules checked 2026-11-10 (rules file v1.0.1).

Run your numbers: the paid leave calculator, set to California, stacks these rules with your pay, due date, and employer benefits into one week-by-week plan.

The programs

State Disability Insurance (SDI)

70-90% of wages depending on income: 90% up to about $65,120/yr, a flat $1,127/week in the middle band, then 70% up to the $1,765/week max.

Covers pregnancy disability / birth recovery (this planner uses the typical 6 weeks vaginal / 8 weeks cesarean; SDI can pay up to 52 weeks).

Maximum $1,765/week. No waiting period.

Rules effective January 1, 2026. Source: CA Employment Development Department, checked 2026-11-10.

Paid Family Leave (PFL)

Same rate as SDI: 70-90% of wages depending on income, up to $1,765/week.

8 weeks of bonding in a 12-month period.

Maximum $1,765/week. No waiting period.

Rules effective January 1, 2026. Source: CA Employment Development Department, checked 2026-11-10.

How it stacks

State Disability Insurance (SDI) covers recovery first. When recovery ends, Paid Family Leave (PFL) covers bonding. The two state benefits do not pay for the same week - a leave runs in sequence: disability, then family leave.

File the SDI claim first, for the recovery weeks. When recovery ends, file the PFL claim for bonding. Both go through EDD.

Federal FMLA job protection, if you qualify, runs at the same time as the paid weeks. It does not add paid weeks after them. Employer paid leave, a short-term disability policy, and PTO can fill the unpaid gaps - the calculator stacks all of it on one timeline.

Job protection

California's pay programs (SDI and PFL) pay money only - they do not protect your job. Job protection comes from the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) and federal FMLA, if you qualify.

Federal FMLA gives up to 12 weeks of unpaid, job-protected leave if you qualify: employer with 50+ employees within 75 miles, 12+ months on the job, and 1,250+ hours worked in the last year. It pays nothing. It runs at the same time as paid leave, not after it.

Questions

How much does paid leave pay in California?: State Disability Insurance (SDI): 70-90% of wages depending on income: 90% up to about $65,120/yr, a flat $1,127/week in the middle band, then 70% up to the $1,765/week max. Paid Family Leave (PFL): Same rate as SDI: 70-90% of wages depending on income, up to $1,765/week.
How many weeks of paid leave do you get in California?: State Disability Insurance (SDI): Covers pregnancy disability / birth recovery (this planner uses the typical 6 weeks vaginal / 8 weeks cesarean; SDI can pay up to 52 weeks). Paid Family Leave (PFL): 8 weeks of bonding in a 12-month period.
When do these rates apply from?: State Disability Insurance (SDI) rates apply from January 1, 2026; Paid Family Leave (PFL) rates apply from January 1, 2026. Figures checked 2026-11-10.
Does California paid leave protect your job?: California's pay programs (SDI and PFL) pay money only - they do not protect your job. Job protection comes from the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) and federal FMLA, if you qualify.
How do you file, and in what order?: File the SDI claim first, for the recovery weeks. When recovery ends, file the PFL claim for bonding. Both go through EDD.

See your own plan: the paid leave calculator, set to California, stacks these rules with your pay, due date, and employer benefits into one week-by-week plan.