Workers' Comp Settlement Calculator

Most U.S. states calculate workers' compensation wage-replacement benefits using a similar formula: roughly two-thirds (66.7%) of your average weekly wage before the injury, paid for as long as you remain unable to work — subject to your state's minimum and maximum weekly benefit caps. This calculator applies that standard formula, along with the weekly caps we've researched for your state, to give you a general starting point.

On top of wage replacement, more severe and permanent injuries often qualify for additional compensation for permanent impairment — which is why the estimate widens significantly for "Severe" and "Permanent Disability" selections.

This tool does not access your personal medical or case information and stores nothing you enter. All calculations happen in your browser.

A calculator can only apply a general formula — it cannot see your medical file, your state's exact case law, or how an insurance adjuster will respond to your specific evidence. Real workers' compensation settlements are shaped by several factors this tool cannot measure:

• Permanent impairment rating: A physician's rating (often expressed as a percentage of the body or a specific limb) directly drives lump-sum settlements for lasting injuries, and can add tens of thousands of dollars beyond simple wage replacement.
• Medical treatment and future care: Ongoing surgery, physical therapy, or lifelong medication needs are typically factored into a settlement separately from lost wages.
• Disputes over causation: If your employer or their insurer argues your injury wasn't work-related or was a pre-existing condition, your case value — and the time it takes to resolve — can shift significantly.
• State-specific formulas and caps: Some states, like Illinois, place no cap on lifetime medical benefits, while others apply strict weekly maximums — the same injury can be worth very different amounts depending on where it happened.

A Simplified Example

Consider a worker earning $900 per week who suffers a moderate back injury requiring 10 weeks off work. Using the two-thirds formula, wage-replacement benefits alone would total roughly $6,000 ($900 × 66.7% × 10 weeks). If that injury results in a 10% permanent impairment rating, many states would add a separate lump-sum award on top of that wage-replacement amount — which is why the calculator above shows a range rather than a single number, and why speaking with an attorney about your specific diagnosis matters.

For official wage-replacement rules and benefit schedules, see the U.S. Department of Labor — Office of Workers' Compensation Programs or your state's workers' compensation agency, listed on our state-by-state deadlines page.