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The lawCalifornia workers' comp benefit rates by year
These are the published California workers' compensation benefit figures by year of injury, taken from the Division of Workers' Compensation schedule (data as of November 9, 2026). The year you were injured, not the year you are paid, decides which row applies to you.
Temporary disability, by year of injury
Weekly temporary disability is two-thirds of average weekly earnings, bounded by the minimum and maximum for the year of injury. The maximum applies once earnings reach the figure in the fourth column.
| Year of injury | Minimum weekly TD | Maximum weekly TD | Earnings where the maximum starts | SAWW |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $264.61 | $1,764.11 | $2,646.17 | $1,789.00 |
| 2025 | $252.03 | $1,680.29 | $2,520.43 | $1,704.00 |
| 2024 | $242.86 | $1,619.15 | $2,428.72 | $1,642.00 |
| 2023 | $242.86 | $1,619.15 | $2,428.72 | $1,651.00 |
| 2022 | $230.95 | $1,539.71 | $2,309.56 | $1,570.00 |
| 2021 | $203.44 | $1,356.31 | $2,034.47 | $1,383.00 |
| 2020 | $194.91 | $1,299.43 | $1,949.15 | $1,325.00 |
| 2019 | $187.71 | $1,251.38 | $1,877.07 | $1,242.78 |
| 2018 | $182.29 | $1,215.27 | $1,822.91 | $1,206.92 |
| 2017 | $175.88 | $1,172.57 | $1,758.85 | $1,164.51 |
| 2016 | $169.26 | $1,128.43 | $1,692.64 | $1,120.67 |
| 2015 | $165.49 | $1,103.29 | $1,654.94 | $1,095.70 |
| 2014 | $161.19 | $1,074.64 | $1,611.96 | $1,067.25 |
| 2013 | $160.00 | $1,066.72 | $1,600.08 | $1,059.38 |
Rates for injuries before 2013 used a different bracket structure and are not shown. The 2027 figures are not yet published; the DWC normally announces them in November.
Permanent disability
For injuries from 2014 through 2026, weekly permanent disability runs from $160.00 to $290.00 at every rating from 1% to 99%. For 2013 injuries the maximum stepped up by rating band ($230 to 54%, $270 to 69%, $290 above). The supplemental job displacement benefit voucher is $6,000 for injuries since 2013.
The number of weeks paid depends on the rating, under Labor Code §4658(e):
| Permanent disability rating | Weeks per 1% |
|---|---|
| 0.25% to 9.75% | 3 |
| 10% to 14.75% | 4 |
| 15% to 24.75% | 5 |
| 25% to 29.75% | 6 |
| 30% to 49.75% | 7 |
| 50% to 69.75% | 8 |
| 70% to 99.75% | 16 |
Weeks are cumulative across bands: each band pays its weeks-per-percent for every quarter point from its start up to the next band's start. A 30% rating is 10 points at 3 weeks, 5 at 4, 10 at 5 and 5 at 6, or 130 weeks; 70% is 430 weeks; 99% is 894 weeks (Labor Code §4658(e)).
Whole person impairment adjustment
For injuries on or after January 1, 2013, the whole person impairment in the medical report is multiplied by 1.4 before occupation and age adjustments (Labor Code §4660.1). The DWC publishes the adjusted values as a 100-row chart; 10% becomes 14%, 25% becomes 35%, 50% becomes 70%, and 72% or more becomes 100%.
Sources
- DWC: Workers' compensation benefits (rate tables), DIR / DWC, 2026-07. Manifest S05.
- DWC Newsline 2025-116: TTD rates for 2026, DIR / DWC, 2025-11-21. Manifest S61.
- DWC Newsline 2024-90: TTD rates for 2025, DIR / DWC, 2024-10-16. Manifest S62.
- DWC Newsline 2023-84: TTD rates for 2024 unchanged, DIR / DWC, 2023. Manifest S63.
- Labor Code 4658: PD weeks schedule, California Legislature via california.public.law (cites leginfo), current. Manifest S106.
- Labor Code 4660.1: PD rating for injuries on/after 2013; 1.4 modifier, California Legislature via california.public.law (cites leginfo), current. Manifest S108.
Richard Vaughn spent 35 years in commercial property and casualty insurance, most of it in workers' compensation: running a self-insured group, auditing premiums, and implementing claims systems for carriers and third-party administrators. He is not an attorney. dickvaughn.com