Workers' comp · MS
Mississippi workers' comp calculator
Mississippi has one of the lowest weekly ceilings in the country, and it also limits disability to a total sum, not only a number of weeks.
Rules read on official Mississippi pages on · Checked by Radif Partners · How we calculate
- Benefit rate
- 66.67%
- Gross average weekly wage before taxes
- Weekly maximum
- $654.63
- from January 1, 2026
- Weekly minimum
- none
- no statutory floor
- Waiting period
- see rules
- unpaid
A Mississippi worker hurt on the job receives wage-loss benefits of up to 66.67% of the average weekly wage at the time of injury, subject to a weekly maximum the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission (MWCC) computes each year under Miss. Code Ann. § 71-3-13. The MWCC rate table we could read lists $654.63 a week for injuries on or after January 1, 2026, with a lifetime disability maximum of $294,583.50, which is 450 times that weekly figure. Any wage above about $982 a week is capped, so a shipyard welder earning $1,250 receives $654.63. The MWCC site blocks automated reading, and two versions of its own table disagree on recent years, so confirm the 2026 figure with the Commission or the insurer before relying on it. Payments must be made at least every 14 days while the disability lasts. Employers with five or more regular employees must carry coverage, and the worker picks the treating physician.
Weekly temporary total disability benefit in Mississippi
$655
$2,837 a month · 66.67% of the wage, tax-free
| 66.67% of $1,100 | $733 |
| Weekly maximum / minimum | $654.63 / none |
| Days paid / unpaid waiting days | 30 / 0 |
| Total for the time off | $2,806 |
Capped at the Mississippi maximum of $654.63 a week.
Estimate of wage-loss benefits for a total disability, from the Mississippi Workers' Compensation Commission (MWCC) rates. Medical care is paid separately; partial disability, permanent impairment ratings and settlements follow other rules. How this is calculated.
A total in dollars, not just a count of weeks
Most states cap temporary disability by weeks or by medical events. Mississippi's table instead carries a lifetime disability maximum next to each weekly maximum: $294,583.50 for 2026 injuries, or 450 weeks at the top rate. A worker paid below the cap uses that total up more slowly. A poultry plant worker earning $640 a week receives $427, and at that pace the $294,583.50 total would represent roughly 690 weeks of benefits. The calculator above applies the 450-week limit.
The weekly ceiling itself is low by national standards. A welder earning $1,250 would compute to far more than $654.63, but the cap stops him there, so a skilled tradesperson in Mississippi replaces a much smaller share of pay than the headline percentage suggests.
What we could and could not verify
The Commission's website refuses automated access, so the figures on this page come from the rate table embedded in the MWCC site's own page code, as archived on June 4, 2026. That copy lists $654.63 for 2026. An older copy of the same table, archived in February 2025, gave higher figures for 2023 through 2025 than the 2026 copy does for the same years. Until the Commission's maximum benefit and mileage rates page can be checked directly, treat the weekly maximum as an estimate. We also could not read the statute's waiting period or minimum benefit on an official site, so the calculator pays from the first day and applies no floor; the Commission or an attorney can confirm both for a specific claim.
Who is covered and who chooses the doctor
Employers with five or more regularly employed workers must carry workers' compensation; coverage is voluntary below five, and domestic and farm labor are excluded unless covered voluntarily (MWCC, Workers' Compensation Facts). Independent contractors, federal employees and some transportation and maritime jobs fall under other systems. The injured worker has the right to select one physician or provider, a chiropractor included, and that provider may make one referral to a specialist without the carrier's approval; further changes need approval in advance.
Deadlines are strict. If no disability benefits have been paid, the claim is barred unless filed with the Commission within two years of the injury. When the doctor finds maximum medical improvement, permanent disability payments may follow if a lasting impairment or loss of earning capacity remains. For how these add up, see how much workers’ comp pays, and the Mississippi child support page for benefits counted in a support case.
The Mississippi rules this calculator applies
| Rule | Mississippi |
|---|---|
| Temporary total disability rate | 66.67% of gross average weekly wage before taxes |
| Weekly maximum | $654.63 |
| Weekly minimum | none |
| Applies to | injuries on or after January 1, 2026 (total disability payable up to a lifetime maximum of $294,583.50 = 450 weeks x $654.63) |
| Waiting period | see the rule below |
| Limit on temporary total benefits | 450 weeks |
Rate. Two-thirds (2/3) of the claimant's average weekly wage at the time of injury, subject to a maximum calculated annually under Miss. Code Ann. § 71-3-13 (MWCC FAQ). source
Waiting period. Waiting-period rule not found on the MWCC pages that could be read; the statute (Miss. Code Ann. § 71-3-11) was not accessible. source
Duration. Wage-loss benefits are subject to statutory time limits; the MWCC rate table states a lifetime disability maximum equal to 450 times the weekly maximum ($294,583.50 for 2026 injuries). source
Permanent disability. Once the doctor finds maximum medical improvement, 'permanent disability' wage-loss payments may be due if the worker has a permanent disability or handicap, at up to two-thirds of the average weekly wage subject to the weekly maximum and statutory time limits (MWCC, Workers' Compensation Facts). source
Worth knowing in Mississippi
- Employers with five or more regularly employed workers must carry workers' compensation; coverage is voluntary below five, and domestic and farm labor are excluded unless covered voluntarily (MWCC, Workers' Compensation Facts). source
- The injured worker may select one physician or provider of his or her choosing (a chiropractor is allowed), and that provider may make one referral to a specialist without carrier approval (MWCC, Workers' Compensation Facts). source
- If no disability benefits are paid, the claim is barred unless filed with the Commission within two years of the injury (MWCC, Workers' Compensation Facts). source
- Death benefits can continue for up to 450 weeks; the employer also pays up to $5,000 in funeral expenses and an immediate $1,000 lump sum to the surviving spouse (MWCC, Workers' Compensation Facts). source
- Medical mileage reimbursement is $0.725 per mile from January 1, 2026 (MWCC rate page). source