Georgia Workers' Comp Benefits (2026)
How Georgia 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 Georgia
PPD (impairment) benefits are not payable while the worker is receiving TTD or TPD; they start once those end and stop again if the worker returns to temporary disability. All ratings must use the AMA Guides, 5th edition.
Weekly benefits while you cannot work
| Weekly rate | 66.67% of AWW (gross, 13 weeks before accident) |
|---|---|
| Maximum weekly benefit | $800 (Injuries on or after 2023-07-01 (still current per SBWC summary revised 2025-07-01: 'No benefit rate changes in 2024/2025')) |
| Minimum weekly benefit | $50 (or actual AWW if lower) |
| Waiting period | 7 days |
| Waiting days paid back after | 21 days of disability |
| Time limit on temporary benefits | 400 weeks |
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 % × 300 weeks | $24,000 (10% rating) |
| Neck | whole-person % × 300 weeks | $24,000 (10% rating) |
| Shoulder | depends on how it is rated | — |
| Knee | 225 weeks (as the leg) | $180,000 |
| Arm | 225 weeks | $180,000 |
| Hand | 160 weeks | $128,000 |
| Thumb | 60 weeks | $48,000 |
| Index Finger | 40 weeks | $32,000 |
| Leg | 225 weeks | $180,000 |
| Foot | 135 weeks | $108,000 |
| Big Toe | 30 weeks | $24,000 |
| Eye | 150 weeks | $120,000 |
| Hearing Loss | 150 weeks | $120,000 |
Permanent injuries in general
impairment % (AMA Guides 5th ed.) × 300 weeks ('disability to the body as a whole') at the TTD rate (66.67% of AWW).
Shoulder: confirm the applicable category first
No separate shoulder entry in the schedule; the statute does not say whether a shoulder is rated to the arm (225 weeks) or the body as a whole (300 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: O.C.G.A. 34-9-261 (TTD), 34-9-262 (TPD), 34-9-263 (PPD schedule), 34-9-220 (waiting period), 34-9-200.1 (400-week cap); O.C.G.A. 34-9-263(b)(2), (c), (d); 34-9-261; 34-9-262
- State Board of Workers' Compensation (official site)
- sbwc.georgia.gov/document/publication/provisionspdf/download
- sbwc.georgia.gov/publications-fee-schedules-and-forms/publications/benefits-information
- law.justia.com/codes/georgia/title-34/chapter-9/article-7/section-34-9-263/
Figures checked September 30, 2026. Maximums change every year; confirm current figures with the Georgia 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.