Washington's Paid Family & Medical Leave premium rises to 1.13%
The employee share increases with it. Combined with the uncapped WA Cares levy, a "no income tax" state now deducts over $1,000 a year on a typical salary.
Washington’s Paid Family and Medical Leave total premium rose from 0.92% to 1.13% of wages on January 1, 2026. Employees pay 71.43% of that — about 0.807% of gross — capped at the Social Security wage base of $184,500.
That sits alongside WA Cares at 0.58%, which is paid entirely by the employee and has no wage cap at all.
Together the two take roughly $1,040 a year from a $75,000 salary. It is worth stating plainly because Washington is routinely listed among the no-income-tax states next to Texas and Florida, which deduct nothing. On the same salary a Washington paycheck is meaningfully smaller than a Texas one, and most calculators omit both premiums entirely.