Workers' comp · North Carolina · TTD
North Carolina Workers' Comp Calculator
North Carolina pays injured workers 66⅔% of the average weekly wage, up to $1,446.00 a week for injuries Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026. The minimum is $30.00.
Rates verified Agency: North Carolina Industrial Commission
North Carolina rule sheet
| Benefit formula | 66⅔% of your average weekly wage.[1] |
|---|---|
| Maximum weekly | $1,446.00 a week for injuries Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026 [2] |
| Minimum weekly | $30.00. The statutory minimum is $30 a week (rising to $50 under a change effective July 1, 2027).[2] |
| How the limits are set | Maximum = 110% of the state average weekly insured wage, rounded to the nearest $2, computed each July 1 and applied to injuries from the following January 1. |
| Waiting period | No pay for the first 7 days; if the disability lasts more than 21 days, compensation runs from the first day.[3] |
| How long TTD lasts | TTD not more than 500 weeks from date of first disability, unless extended compensation is awarded (application after 425 weeks, proof of total loss of wage-earning capacity)[1] |
| Partial (TPD) | 66⅔% of the difference between pre-injury AWW and AWW able to earn thereafter, subject to the annual max; max 500 weeks, minus any weeks paid under §97-29.[4] |
| Average weekly wage | Earnings in the employment at time of injury during the 52 weeks immediately preceding injury, divided by 52; if more than 7 consecutive calendar days lost, divide by remaining weeks; fewer than 52 weeks employed: earnings ÷ weeks worked if fair; otherwise comparable-worker method.[5] |
Worked example, Oct 5, 2026
- Average weekly wage$1,000.00
- 66⅔% of wage$666.67
- Inside the $30.00–$1,446.00 band$666.67
- Off work 28 days: waiting days paid back, 28 days paid$2,666.68
- North Carolina TTD per week$666.67
A higher earner at $2,500.00 a week would get $1,446.00 — the North Carolina maximum, not $1,666.67. A worker earning $300.00 would get $200.00.
North Carolina rates on file
| Injury dates | Max weekly | Min weekly | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1, 2025 – Dec 31, 2025 | $1,380.00 | $30.00 | NCIC maximum compensation rates |
| Jan 1, 2026 – Dec 31, 2026 | $1,446.00 | $30.00 | NCIC maximum compensation rates |
After Dec 31, 2026, the calculator asks you for the official maximum until North Carolina publishes the new figure — it never guesses.
What trips people up in North Carolina
- Minimum weekly benefit increases from $30 to $50 under the version of §97-29 effective July 1, 2027 (S.L. 2026-14).[1]
- Max is set by calendar year of injury (Jan 1), computed the prior July 1.[1]
- AWW divisor drops if the worker missed more than 7 consecutive days in the lookback year.[5]
- AWW uses only earnings in the job where injured (no concurrent-employment aggregation stated in §97-2(5)).[5]
- Employer may let worker use sick/vacation leave during the 7-day waiting period.[3]
Sources for North Carolina
- GS 97 29 — State legislature (official code). Formula, $30 min (and $50 from 7/1/2027), 500 weeks, max computation. Fetched Oct 5, 2026.
- Maximum weekly compensation rates — North Carolina Industrial Commission. Max by year of injury (2026, 2025, history to 1982. Fetched Oct 5, 2026.
- GS 97 28 — State legislature (official code). Waiting period. Fetched Oct 5, 2026.
- GS 97 30 — State legislature (official code). TPD. Fetched Oct 5, 2026.
- GS 97 2 — State legislature (official code). AWW definition. Fetched Oct 5, 2026.