Arkansas Workers' Comp Benefits (2026)
How Arkansas pays injured workers: the weekly rate while you recover, the 2026 maximum, and what each type of permanent injury is worth, with the statute behind each number.
What is different in Arkansas
Wage-loss disability above the impairment rating is barred if the worker has returned to work, found other work, or has a bona fide offer at wages equal to or greater than the pre-injury AWW; the employer carries that burden of proof.
Weekly benefits while you cannot work
| Weekly rate | 66.67% of AWW |
|---|---|
| Maximum weekly benefit | $953 (2026-01-01 to 2026-12-31) |
| Minimum weekly benefit | $20/week |
| Waiting period | 7 days |
| Waiting days paid back after | 14 days of disability |
| Time limit on temporary benefits | No fixed week limit in statute |
Estimate your weekly check
Assumes temporary total disability and no post-injury work earnings. It does not calculate partial disability, retroactive payments, offsets or special low-wage rules. Confirm the injury date and the insurer's wage calculation.
What each injury is worth
| Injury | How it is paid | Max award |
|---|---|---|
| Back | whole-person % × 450 weeks | $32,175 (10% rating) |
| Neck | whole-person % × 450 weeks | $32,175 (10% rating) |
| Shoulder | depends on how it is rated | — |
| Knee | 184 weeks | $131,560 |
| Arm | 244 weeks | $174,460 |
| Hand | 183 weeks | $130,845 |
| Thumb | 73 weeks | $52,195 |
| Index Finger | 43 weeks | $30,745 |
| Leg | 184 weeks | $131,560 |
| Foot | 131 weeks | $93,665 |
| Big Toe | 32 weeks | $22,880 |
| Eye | 105 weeks | $75,075 |
| Hearing Loss | 158 weeks | $112,970 |
Permanent injuries in general
impairment % × 450 weeks (body as a whole), plus a possible wage-loss factor.
Shoulder: confirm the applicable category first
Arkansas has no shoulder entry. The arm schedule covers loss 'at the elbow, or between the elbow and shoulder' (244 weeks); the statute does not say whether a shoulder joint injury is scheduled or rated to the body as a whole (450 weeks).
Shoulder injuries: identify the rating basis
For a rotator-cuff tear, fracture or other shoulder condition, request the final report on range of motion, strength and work restrictions. Check whether the state treats this claim as an arm loss, a whole-person impairment or another category. A shoulder percentage and an arm percentage are not automatically interchangeable.
The information available here does not by itself establish whether the claim uses an arm rating, a whole-person rating or lost-earnings benefits. Ask the agency or rating issuer to identify the category and the rule or guide used before valuing an offer. Do not enter a shoulder percentage into another rating unit without that confirmation.
Law and official sources
Official sources
Statute: Ark. Code Ann. §§11-9-501, 11-9-519, 11-9-521, 11-9-522; Ark. Code Ann. §§11-9-521, 11-9-522
- Arkansas Workers' Compensation Commission (official site)
- labor.arkansas.gov/wp-content/uploads/Advisory-2000-1-CY26_formatted.pdf
- law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-11/chapter-9/subchapter-5/section-11-9-501/
- law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-11/chapter-9/subchapter-5/section-11-9-519/
- law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-11/chapter-9/subchapter-5/section-11-9-521/
- law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-11/chapter-9/subchapter-5/section-11-9-522/
Figures checked September 30, 2026. Maximums change every year; confirm current figures with the Arkansas workers' compensation agency.
Estimate only. Your real award depends on your doctor's rating, your wage records, offsets and settlement terms. This page is general information, not legal advice.