2026 · Texas
Texas unemployment benefits
Texas pays up to $605 a week for up to 26 weeks, a middle-of-the-pack maximum (#27 of 51). Estimate yours below.
Texas's 2026 figures
| Weekly benefit range | $75 - $605 |
| Maximum duration | 26 weeks (10-26 by base-period wages) |
| Waiting week | Yes, one unpaid week |
| How it's figured | high quarter |
| Taxed by Texas? | No, state-tax-free |
Worked example: a $60,000 earner in Texas
On a $60,000 prior wage, the estimate is about $577 a week (within Texas's $75-$605 range). Over 26 weeks that's up to $15,002 in total. Texas has an unpaid one-week waiting week, so your first payment covers the second week you claim.
Texas against its neighbors
Across the border in Oklahoma, the weekly cap is $649, $44 a week more than Texas's $605. That gap doesn't mean you can shop for a better rate: benefits come from the state where your wages were reported, not where you live now.
Worked in a bordering state? Its rules apply instead: Arkansas , Louisiana , New Mexico , Oklahoma .
Questions about Texas unemployment
How much does Texas pay in unemployment?
Between $75 and $605 a week in 2026, based on your prior wages (high quarter). The $605 maximum is a middle-of-the-pack maximum (#27 of 51).
How long does Texas unemployment last?
Up to 26 weeks10-26 by base-period wages. At the $605 weekly maximum that caps total potential benefits at $15,730. The duration and the weekly amount are set separately, Texas sizes the check off high quarter but counts weeks on its own rules, so low earners may qualify for fewer weeks, and two people with the same weekly benefit can exhaust at different times.
Is Texas unemployment taxed?
Federally, yes, it's ordinary income (elect 10% withholding on Form W-4V). Texas does not tax it, it's state-tax-free.
Does severance affect my Texas unemployment?
Filing timing can matter. Some states delay or reduce unemployment while severance is being paid, and the rule varies. Texas's treatment is not modeled here, confirm the timing with Texas Workforce Commission before you file, since it is a real-money decision. Confirm the timing with Texas Workforce Commission before you file rather than after, a difference of one week in when the claim starts can change whether a severance payment offsets the benefit. The tax side of the severance itself is on the Texas severance page.
File with Texas Workforce Commission. This is an estimate, Texas Workforce Commission determines your actual benefit.
Your Texas layoff toolkit
- Texas severance tax the tax on your severance
- Runway calculator how long your money lasts
- Texas paycheck calculator your take-home when you're back at work
- Texas 1099 tax if you go freelance or contract
An estimate, Texas's agency determines your actual benefit. Figures from the verified 2026 dataset, last verified 2026-07-24. Nothing you enter is stored. Not tax or legal advice.