Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Total income gap to cover
$1,980
Normal pay for the full leave
$13,200
Actual pay received during leave
$11,220
Fully unpaid weeks
0
Pay from state program
$4,620
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How to use this
- 1Enter normal weekly take-home pay ($).
- 2Enter total weeks of leave planned.
- 3Enter weeks fully paid by employer.
- 4Enter weeks covered by state paid leave.
- 5Enter state program wage replacement rate (%).
- 6Read your total income gap to cover on the right — it updates as you type.
- 7Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Only about a quarter of US private-sector workers have access to paid family leave through their employer, and state paid leave programs (where they exist) usually replace 60-90% of wages up to a cap, not 100%. This calculator combines employer-paid leave weeks, state program weeks and replacement rate, and unpaid FMLA weeks into a single income gap over your total leave period, so you know exactly how much savings or a leave fund needs to cover before the baby arrives — not after the paychecks stop.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Normal weekly take-home pay: 1100 $
- Total weeks of leave planned: 12
- Weeks fully paid by employer: 6
- Weeks covered by state paid leave: 6
- State program wage replacement rate: 70 %
Results
- Total income gap to cover: $1,980
- Normal pay for the full leave: $13,200
- Actual pay received during leave: $11,220
- Fully unpaid weeks: 0
- Pay from state program: $4,620
What each field means
Inputs
- Normal weekly take-home pay ($)
- The normal weekly take-home pay used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1100 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Total weeks of leave planned
- The total weeks of leave planned used in the calculation. Starts at 12 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 1–52.
- Weeks fully paid by employer
- The weeks fully paid by employer used in the calculation. Starts at 6 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–52.
- Weeks covered by state paid leave
- The weeks covered by state paid leave used in the calculation. Starts at 6 so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–52.
- State program wage replacement rate (%)
- The state program wage replacement rate used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 70 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100 %.
Results
- Total income gap to cover
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Normal pay for the full leave
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Actual pay received during leave
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Fully unpaid weeks
- Returned as a whole number. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Pay from state program
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Does FMLA guarantee pay during leave?
No. FMLA guarantees up to 12 weeks of job-protected leave for eligible employees at companies with 50+ employees, but it does not require pay. Whether you're paid during that time depends entirely on employer policy or a state paid leave program layered on top.
Which states have paid family leave programs?
As of 2024, California, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Delaware, Maryland, and Minnesota (phasing in) have state paid family leave, typically funded through payroll deductions and replacing 60-90% of wages up to a weekly cap. Check your state's specific program for exact rates and caps.
Should I use PTO or short-term disability to cover the gap?
Short-term disability, if you have it, typically covers 6-8 weeks postpartum recovery (longer for a C-section) at 60-100% of pay and is separate from bonding leave. Stack disability first, then bonding leave, then PTO for any remaining gap, since disability often pays a higher rate than PTO stretched thin.
Accuracy and limitations
- Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.
- Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.
- This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Parental Leave Income Gap Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/parental-leave-income-gap
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/parental-leave-income-gap" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Parental Leave Income Gap Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Parental Leave Income Gap Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/parental-leave-income-gap) (2026).