Maryland Employer Cost Calculator
Every US employer pays the same federal payroll taxes. What changes in Maryland is the state unemployment charge, whether there is a paid leave contribution and the wage floor. The figures below are for the 2026 tax year and were checked against Maryland Department of Labor on 2026-09-05.
Maryland at a glance
- Unemployment wage base
- $8,500
- New-employer rate
- 1.0% to 2.6% depending on the table in force
- Employer paid leave
- FAMLI contributions start on 1 January 2027, so nothing is due during 2026
- Minimum wage
- $15.00
Work out the employer cost of a Maryland salary
Statutory employer taxes only. Provider fees, benefits, workers compensation and any bonus sit on top. The page opens on a $100,000 worked example; change the salary to price your own role.
Gross base pay before tax. Change it to price your own role.
Amount in USD- Federal taxes
- $7,692
- Maryland charges
- $0
- Federal + verified state costs
- $7,692
- Salary plus known employer costs
- $107,692 a year, 7.7% on top of salary
| Charge | Basis | Per year |
|---|---|---|
| Social SecurityFederal | 6.2% of the first $184,500 | $6,200 |
| MedicareFederal | 1.45% of all pay, with no ceiling | $1,450 |
| Federal unemployment taxFederal | 0.6% of the first $7,000 after the full state credit | $42 |
| Federal + verified state costs | $7,692 | |
Unemployment rate used: Maryland does not publish one starter rate that fits every employer, so no unemployment figure is included. New employers are assigned a rate between 1.0% and 2.6%; table A is in force for 2026 and Maryland publishes no single starter figure. Your own rate is set by the state once the account has a claims history, so ask your provider which rate it has been assigned.
Not included in the total
- • State unemployment insurance: New employers are assigned a rate between 1.0% and 2.6%; table A is in force for 2026 and Maryland publishes no single starter figure. Ask your provider for the rate its account is assigned.
Workers' compensation depends on the occupation class code, the payroll and the insurer or state fund, so it is a conditional, occupation-dependent cost and is not included in this estimate. Local employer taxes may apply depending on the work location.
What changes in Maryland?
Social Security, Medicare and federal unemployment tax are identical in every state and come to $4,632 on the $100,000 example. What Maryland adds on top is $0, made up of the lines below.
- Maryland publishes no single employer rate we can apply to every employer, so the total above is the federal floor only.
- Minimum wage: $15.00. This does not change the employer tax, but it sets the floor for the salary you can enter above.
Maryland does not publish one starter unemployment rate that applies to every employer, so unemployment tax is not included in the figures above. New employers are assigned a rate between 1.0% and 2.6%; table A is in force for 2026 and Maryland publishes no single starter figure. The rate that applies to you depends on the industry or category the state assigns your account, so ask your provider which rate its entity carries in Maryland.
Federal floor and Maryland charges, separated
Open a line to see what makes it up and the source behind it, on the $60,000 salary above.
The same employee at other salaries
| Salary | Federal | Maryland | Federal + verified state costs | Share of salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $2,337 | $0 | $2,337 | 7.8% |
| $60,000 | $4,632 | $0 | $4,632 | 7.7% |
| $100,000 | $7,692 | $0 | $7,692 | 7.7% |
| $150,000 | $11,517 | $0 | $11,517 | 7.7% |
| $250,000 | $15,106 | $0 | $15,106 | 6.0% |
The share of salary falls as pay rises because unemployment tax stops once the wage base is reached, while Medicare keeps running on every dollar.
The federal floor, identical in every state
- Social security
- 6.2% on the first $184,500 of pay
- Medicare
- 1.45% with no cap (a further 0.9% is employee-paid above $200,000)
- Federal unemployment
- 6.0% gross, 0.6% after the full state credit, on the first $7,000
Source: IRS Publication 15 (2026) and the Social Security Administration. Reviewed 2026-09-05. State figures: Maryland Department of Labor, reviewed 2026-09-06. This page is general information, not legal or tax advice. See our methodology.
Where these figures come from
Each line says who published the figure and how firm it is. We never blend an official figure with an estimate.
| Figure | Published by | Kind of source | How firm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Unemployment wage base and rate | Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance | Official government figures | Confirmed on the official page |
| Employer paid leave | Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance | Official government figures | Confirmed on the official page |
| Minimum wage | Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Unemployment Insurance | Official government figures | Confirmed on the official page |
| Federal payroll taxes | IRS Publication 15 (2026) and the Social Security Administration | Official government figures | Confirmed on the official page |
Unemployment wage base and rate
Employer paid leave
Minimum wage
Hiring in Maryland through a provider
The taxes above are the same whichever provider you use. What differs is the monthly fee and whether the provider is already registered in Maryland.
Other states we cover in detail
Compare other South states
Same US Census region as Maryland.
Related
FAQ
On a $100,000 salary the statutory employer cost works out at about $4,632 a year excluding variable unemployment tax, of which $4,632 is federal and $0 is charged by Maryland. Provider fees, benefits and workers compensation sit on top of that.
Maryland does not publish one flat starter rate. New employers are assigned a rate between 1.0% and 2.6%; table A is in force for 2026 and Maryland publishes no single starter figure.
FAMLI contributions start on 1 January 2027, so nothing is due during 2026.
$15.00. A county or city inside the state can set a higher floor, so check the local rate for the exact work location before you set pay.
Yes. Most international providers hold registrations in all 50 states, but registration and the first payroll run in a new state can take a couple of weeks, so confirm the provider is already set up in Maryland before signing.