Workers' comp · California · TTD
California Workers' Comp Calculator
California pays injured workers 66⅔% of the average weekly wage, up to $1,764.11 a week for injuries Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026. The minimum is $264.61.
Rates verified Agency: California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC)
California rule sheet
| Benefit formula | Two-thirds of your average weekly earnings.[1] |
|---|---|
| Maximum weekly | $1,764.11 a week for injuries Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026 [2] |
| Minimum weekly | $264.61. Because earnings below the minimum are treated as the minimum, the benefit never falls below the figure shown.[2] |
| How the limits are set | California limits the average weekly earnings used in the formula, so the benefit has a floor and a ceiling. Both move every January 1 with the change in the state average weekly wage. |
| Waiting period | No pay for the first 3 days; benefits are paid from the first day if the disability lasts more than 14 days or you are hospitalized as an inpatient.[3] |
| How long TTD lasts | Injuries on/after 1/1/2008: aggregate TD max 104 compensable weeks within 5 years from date of injury; up to 240 weeks within 5 years for listed conditions (hepatitis B/C, amputations, severe burns, HIV, high-velocity eye injuries, chemical eye burns, pulmonary fibrosis, chronic lung disease).[4] |
| Partial (TPD) | Two-thirds of the weekly loss in wages during the period of disability, reduced by unemployment compensation received; counts toward the 104-week aggregate TD cap (LC 4656 applies to 'temporary disability').[5] |
| Average weekly wage | No fixed lookback. Full-time (30+ hrs, 5+ days/week): working days per week × daily earnings at time of injury; concurrent employers aggregated (other jobs at no higher than the hourly rate at time of injury); irregular/commission/piecework: actual weekly earnings averaged over a convenient period not exceeding one year; otherwise 100% of average weekly earning capacity.[6] |
Worked example, Oct 5, 2026
- Average weekly wage$1,000.00
- 66⅔% of wage$666.67
- Inside the $264.61–$1,764.11 band$666.67
- Off work 28 days: waiting days paid back, 28 days paid$2,666.68
- California TTD per week$666.67
A higher earner at $2,500.00 a week would get $1,666.67. A worker earning $300.00 would get $264.61 (raised to the minimum).
California rates on file
| Injury dates | Max weekly | Min weekly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025 | $1,680.29 | $252.03 | DIR news release 2025-116 / DWC benefit chart |
| Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026 | $1,764.11 | $264.61 | DIR news release 2025-116 |
After Dec 31, 2026, the calculator asks you for the official maximum until California publishes the new figure — it never guesses.
What trips people up in California
- TTD paid two or more years after the date of injury is recalculated using the min/max limits in effect on the date of payment (not date of injury).[7]
- Earnings from other jobs held at the time of injury count toward AWE.[8]
- Total TD is capped at 104 compensable weeks within 5 years of injury (240 for certain severe conditions).[4]
- Waiting period is waived if hospitalized as an inpatient, and the day of injury counts unless paid full wages that day.[3]
- Minimum and maximum adjust every January 1 based on the SAWW for the 12 months ending March 31 of the prior year.[2]
Sources for California
- Codes displaySection.xhtml 4653 — State legislature (official code). TTD formula. Fetched Oct 5, 2026.
- 2025 116 — California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC). 2026 and 2025 TTD max/min, SAWW 2026 $1,789 ÷ 2025 $1,704, computation (DIR News Release 2025-116, Nov 21, 2025. Fetched Oct 5, 2026.
- Codes displaySection.xhtml 4652 — State legislature (official code). Waiting period. Fetched Oct 5, 2026.
- Codes displaySection.xhtml 4656 — State legislature (official code). 104/240-week caps. Fetched Oct 5, 2026.
- Codes displaySection.xhtml 4654 — State legislature (official code). TPD formula. Fetched Oct 5, 2026.
- Codes displaySection.xhtml 4453 — State legislature (official code). AWE limits indexing, AWE computation, date-of-injury rule. Fetched Oct 5, 2026.
- Codes displaySection.xhtml 4661.5 — State legislature (official code). 2-year payment-date rule. Fetched Oct 5, 2026.
- WCFaqIW — California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC). Agency FAQ (2/3 gross, concurrent jobs, 104 weeks. Fetched Oct 5, 2026.
- WorkersCompensationBenefits — California Department of Industrial Relations, Division of Workers' Compensation (DWC). TD rate chart by date of injury (AWE bands), SAWW history, PD min/max. Fetched Oct 5, 2026.