How much unemployment will I get if I make $300 a week?

How much unemployment will I get if I make $300 a week? 

For employees who make $300 a week, your unemployment benefit amount will depend on the specific requirements of the state where you work. When setting your insurance benefit amount, your state will consider several criteria, including how much money you’ve earned from an employer who pays into the state’s unemployment insurance system, plus your full work history – including what you were earning when you lost your job. 

Let’s take a look at some examples:

Florida Unemployment Calculator
If you make $300 per week in Florida, your estimated weekly benefit is $150 for up to 12 weeks.
California Unemployment Calculator
If you make $300 per week in California, your estimated weekly benefit is $450 for up to 26 weeks.
Texas Unemployment Calculator
If you make $300 per week in Texas, your estimated weekly benefit is $156 for up to 26 weeks.
New Mexico Unemployment Calculator
If you make $300 per week in New Mexico, your estimated weekly benefit is $162 for up to 26 weeks.

Select your state to calculate your weekly unemployment payment:

$300.00 a week is…

$300.00 a week (40 hours) Income
Hourly $7.50
Daily (8 hours) $60.00
Biweekly (80 hours) $600.00
Monthly (173 hours) $1,297.50
Quarterly (3 months) $3,892.50
Yearly (52 weeks) $15,600.00

How much is $300 per week?

Personal finance is one area of life that many people like to avoid. It’s understandable. Nobody likes having to look at their bank statement to make sure they have enough money for Chipotle and movie tickets. But the truth is that in order to have more breathing room when it comes to money, you have to take an honest look at what’s going on.

One way of doing that is going beyond how big your paycheck is and thinking about how much you make every hour, every month, and every quarter. You can assess how much take-home pay you’re getting with other opportunities and reflect on whether you are in the place you want to be. It all starts with the question…


$300 a week is how much per hour?

Most people making a few hundred dollars a week are likely employed by a small business, large business, or corporation (as opposed to being self-employed). And if that’s the case, there’s a decent chance that such a place will keep you at or around 40 hours per week.

$300 per week / 40 hours per week = $7.50 per hour

Some workplaces may even keep you below 40 hours each week so that you can be considered part time and they can avoid providing medical benefits. That said, they will still try to get as close to 40 hours as possible, so unless you truly are a part time employee, your end number is still going to be right around $7.50 per hour…which incidentally, is a quarter above the federal minimum wage.


$300 a week is how much per month?

Now you know how much you’re making per hour. It’s a good gauge for doing some professional self reflection, especially if you live in a state with higher living costs.

Speaking of living costs, your hourly wage is not going to help you assess whether or not you can make that rent or mortgage payment. You need to think about your monthly income.

It’s tempting to just multiply 40 hours by 4 weeks to see how much you work in a given month. But wouldn’t you know…months are not always exactly 28 days long. In fact, none of them are, except February. So here’s what you can do instead…

40 hours per week x 52 weeks = 2080 hours annually

2080 hours annually / 12 months = 173 hours per week on average

$7.50 per hour x 173 hours per week = $1,297.50 per month

If you live in Arkansas and only need to rent a one bedroom apartment (average of $555 per month), you’re going to have a lot of money left over for Netflix and UberEats. But if you live in Massachusetts and need a two bedroom apartment (average of $1,715 per month)…well, you’re going to need a second job. Of course, there is a whole range of places in between. That’s another reason why knowing your monthly income is helpful…it can help you pinpoint the most realistically affordable place to live.


$300 a week is how much per quarter?

Understanding your quarterly earnings can be an important part of meeting larger financial goals. Do you have some credit cards you’d like to pay off? Are you saving up for a new down payment on a vehicle? Checking in every three months to see how this is coming along can bring you closer.

$1,297.50 per month x 3 months = $3,892.50

With $300 each week you may not feel like you have a lot to chip in every month. But every three months, what you can toss in the pot looks a little bigger and more encouraging.


$300 a week is how much per year?

To calculate your annual income, simply multiply $300 by 52 weeks in the year.

$300 per week x 52 weeks = $15,600


$300 a week is how much per day?

Despite the words of Dolly Parton, not everyone works 9 to 5. And not everyone works 5 days a week either. But assuming you do, and that you work 40 hours (no matter what hours)…

$7.50 per hour x 8 hours per day = $60

This number may seem discouraging. Or, you may be happy with it. Happiness with your lot in life is the key to success. But for some people, this is an opportunity for confronting the possibility of…well, better opportunities. Or a second job.


$2,000 a week is how much biweekly?

Most people are paid biweekly. Your paycheck probably looks like this:

$300 per week x 2 weeks = $600 every other week


Jobs That Pay $300 per Week

As you’ve seen from the math, $300 each week, for a person who is working full time or near full time, is pretty much the Federal Minimum wage. As it turns out, there are 20 states where this is the minimum wage even at the state level as well. But if you’re living in a state with a higher minimum wage, you’re either getting paid under the table or working part time. In any case, jobs that pay $300 each week are going to be minimum wage jobs.

Minimum wage jobs usually do not require an advanced degree or specialized training. They do have specific skills associated with the work, but these skills can almost always be taught as part of the job training.

This is actually great news for people earning $300 each week. If you don’t like the career path you’re currently in, there are plenty of other opportunities available with some lateral movement (meaning, jumping into something different). Hospitality, food and beverage, and retail are just a few options for you. In addition to the flexibility, minimum wage jobs can offer upward mobility to talented individuals, often through the path of management.

If you show up to work on time, don’t abuse your sick days, look engaged, and show some initiative, you may find yourself bumped up to a manager and making more than $300 each week. Many people who make six or even seven figures in a corporate environment started on the ground floor, where they learned about the business in the trenches.