Workers’ comp calculator: your weekly benefit by state

How the weekly benefit is computed

Temporary total disability (TTD) is the benefit for the period when a doctor says you cannot work at all while you heal. It starts from your average weekly wage (AWW), usually the gross earnings of the weeks before the injury, overtime and second jobs included in many states, divided by the number of weeks. The state's rate is applied to it, then the result is compared with the weekly maximum and minimum in force on the date of injury. Rates other than two thirds apply in Arizona, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Ohio, Oklahoma, Rhode Island, Texas, Washington and Wyoming.

Most maximums are tied to the state average weekly wage and change every January 1 or July 1. The figure that applies to you is the one in force when you were hurt, even if your disability runs into the next year; a few states adjust benefits for long disabilities, and the state pages say so.

The waiting period

No state pays the first days of a short disability. The waiting period is written in each workers' compensation act, and most acts pay it back retroactively once the disability lasts beyond a second threshold, often two weeks. The calculator leaves the waiting days unpaid unless the time off you enter passes that threshold.

How long temporary benefits last

TTD stops when you return to work, when the doctor releases you to light duty that the employer offers, or when you reach maximum medical improvement. California, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia also cap the number of weeks. After that, permanent disability benefits take over if an impairment remains, computed from a rating and a schedule of weeks in each state.

Partial disability and light duty

If you can work part time or at a lighter job for less pay, most states pay temporary partial disability, usually two thirds of the difference between your old and new wage, under the same maximum. The calculator covers total disability; for partial disability, apply the state's rate to the wage you lost.

Benefits are not taxed

Workers' compensation paid under a state act is not taxable income for federal purposes (IRS Publication 525), which is why two thirds of gross pay often comes close to normal take-home pay for middle incomes. Social Security disability benefits can be reduced when they overlap with workers' compensation.

Every state's figures

For what a settlement or a permanent rating may add, and how to read an offer, see how much workers’ comp pays.