How Much Does Workers' Comp Pay in California in 2026?

2026 benefits at a glance

Temporary disability: your check while you heal

Temporary disability replaces part of your pay while a doctor says you cannot work, or while your employer cannot give you work within your restrictions.

• How much. Two-thirds of your average weekly pay, within the 2026 limits. If you earned $900 a week, you get $600 a week. If you earned about $2,646 a week or more, you get the $1,764.11 maximum.
• When it starts. The first 3 days off work are not paid unless you are off more than 14 days or are admitted to a hospital (Labor Code 4652). The first check is due within 14 days after your employer knows about the injury and your time off. A late check carries an automatic 10% penalty (Labor Code 4650).
• How often. Every two weeks.
• How long. Up to 104 weeks within five years of the injury. Some serious injuries, such as amputations, severe burns and certain lung conditions, can be paid up to 240 weeks (Labor Code 4656). Payments also stop when you go back to work or your doctor says your condition has stopped improving.
• Back at work for less pay. If your employer gives you lighter work at lower pay, you can get temporary partial disability: two-thirds of the difference between your old and new weekly pay.

Permanent disability: what your rating is worth

Once your condition stops improving, a doctor rates any lasting impairment as a percentage. That rating, adjusted for your age and your job, sets how many weeks of permanent disability you receive. The weekly amount is two-thirds of your average weekly pay, between $160 and $290 in 2026. Anyone who earned about $435 a week or more gets the $290 maximum.

These figures apply to injuries in 2013 or later. The weeks climb faster as the rating goes up, so a 40% rating pays far more than twice a 20% rating. A rating of 100% means total permanent disability, which pays at your temporary disability rate for life.

If you have a permanent disability, payments generally start within 14 days after temporary disability ends, even before the final rating is settled.

Ratings are where many cases are won or lost. If a doctor decides that part of your disability comes from something other than the work injury, such as an older injury or arthritis, the rating can be cut (Labor Code 4663 and 4664).

How permanent disability ratings work

A worked example

A warehouse worker earns $900 a week and hurts her back lifting.

1. She is off work for 20 weeks. Temporary disability pays two-thirds of $900, or $600 a week. Over 20 weeks that is $12,000.
2. Her doctor finds her condition has stopped improving and gives a final rating of 15%. That is about 50 weeks of permanent disability. Two-thirds of her pay is more than $290, so she gets the $290 maximum. Over 50 weeks that is about $14,500.
3. Her employer cannot offer her work within her restrictions, so she receives the $6,000 retraining voucher. She also applies for the $5,000 Return-to-Work Supplement.
4. All treatment for her back is paid, with no copays.

In cash, that comes to about $31,500, plus the voucher for school or training. Every case is different, and a settlement can also include money for future medical care.

Other money workers' comp can pay

• Mileage. 76 cents a mile for travel to medical appointments for your injury.
• Job displacement voucher. Up to $6,000 for school or training at a state-approved provider, if you have a permanent disability and your employer does not offer you regular, modified or alternative work.
• Return-to-Work Supplement. A one-time $5,000 payment for workers who receive the voucher and meet the program's rules.
• Death benefits. If a worker dies from a job injury, dependents can receive $250,000 to $320,000 depending on how many people depended on the worker, plus up to $10,000 for burial.

What we check in every case

Small mistakes add up over 100 weeks or more. In every case we look at:

• whether your average weekly pay includes overtime and pay from a second job,
• whether every injured body part was rated,
• whether a cut to your rating for older injuries or other causes holds up,
• whether temporary disability was paid on time, with penalties when it was not.

If any of these sound familiar, a free consultation is a good next step, even if your claim was accepted.