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Maryland Workers' Comp Benefits (2026)

How Maryland 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.

$1,537 a week

Maximum temporary total disability benefit, 2026-01-01 to 2026-12-31.

What is different in Maryland

The weekly PPD rate rises with the size of the award: under 75 weeks, 75-249 weeks, and 250+ weeks ('serious disability', where the number of weeks is also increased by one-third). Permanent loss of use of a hand, arm, foot, leg or eye counts the same as its loss.

Weekly benefits while you cannot work

Weekly rate	66.67% of AWW
Maximum weekly benefit	$1,537 (2026-01-01 to 2026-12-31)
Minimum weekly benefit	$50 (or actual AWW if less) - secondary (Nolo, 2025 figures)
Waiting period	3 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

Average weekly wage before taxes ($)

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.

How each injury is assessed

Injury	How it is paid	Fixed permanent figure
Back	impairment rating (see rule)	—
Neck	impairment rating (see rule)	—
Shoulder	depends on how it is rated	—
Knee	300 weeks (as the leg)	—
Arm	300 weeks	—
Hand	250 weeks	—
Thumb	100 weeks	—
Index Finger	40 weeks	—
Leg	300 weeks	—
Foot	250 weeks	—
Big Toe	40 weeks	—
Eye	250 weeks	—
Hearing Loss	250 weeks	—

Permanent injuries in general

Unlisted injuries: disability % × 500 weeks; Commission considers nature of disability plus age, experience, occupation and training; weekly rate depends on the total weeks awarded (three tiers).

Injury rules and records in one guide

The injury determines which medical findings you need; the payment formula follows state rules. Use the sections below to identify the correct category before comparing an offer. Do not convert or combine body-part ratings yourself.

Arm injury Back injury Big Toe injury Eye injury Foot injury Hand injury Hearing Loss injury Index Finger injury Knee injury Leg injury Neck injury Shoulder injury Thumb injury

Arm injury

Maryland's rule for the weekly rate on these awards: Under 75 weeks: 1/3 AWW max 16.7% SAWW (2025: $250); 75-249 weeks: 2/3 AWW max 1/3 SAWW (2025: $498); 250+ weeks (serious disability): 2/3 AWW max 75% SAWW (2025: $1,120). 2026 dollar values not confirmed..

If your doctor rates a partial loss of use, the award is generally that percentage of the scheduled weeks. A 25% rating works out to 75 weeks.

Arm injuries: distinguish arm, hand and whole-person ratings

Ask which anatomical level and rating unit the doctor used. Records of elbow motion, grip, nerve function and lifting restrictions may describe different aspects of the injury. Confirm whether the award uses the arm schedule or a whole-person formula before entering a percentage; do not add overlapping ratings yourself.

Back injury

Not on the schedule; paid as a percentage of 500 weeks (e.g. 15% = 75 weeks).

Back injuries: information needed to value the claim

Separate the diagnosis (for example, a strain, disc injury or surgery) from the permanent rating. Ask for the medical report identifying the spinal region, any nerve involvement, lasting work restrictions and whether maximum medical improvement has been reached. A diagnosis or surgery alone is not a dollar amount.

Big Toe injury

If your doctor rates a partial loss of use, the award is generally that percentage of the scheduled weeks. A 25% rating works out to 10 weeks.

Big-toe injuries: use the correct toe category

Confirm that the report concerns the great toe and identifies any amputation level or partial loss of use. The rule for other toes may differ. Keep findings about balance, push-off when walking and footwear restrictions, and verify the rating unit before using a percentage.

Eye injury

If your doctor rates a partial loss of use, the award is generally that percentage of the scheduled weeks. A 25% rating works out to 62.5 weeks.

Eye injuries: confirm one eye, both eyes and the vision measure

Obtain the ophthalmology report and ask how corrected vision and other lasting visual effects were measured for the rating. One-eye and two-eye losses are different scenarios. The figure on this page is not a valuation of every kind of vision problem or a combined award for both eyes.

Foot injury

If your doctor rates a partial loss of use, the award is generally that percentage of the scheduled weeks. A 25% rating works out to 62.5 weeks.

Foot injuries: distinguish the foot from toes and the leg

For a fracture, crush injury or lasting ankle symptoms, request the report specifying the rated member. Walking tolerance, footwear needs and weight-bearing restrictions help explain the functional effects. Do not assume a toe percentage is a foot percentage or that an ankle diagnosis automatically uses the foot schedule.

Hand injury

If your doctor rates a partial loss of use, the award is generally that percentage of the scheduled weeks. A 25% rating works out to 62.5 weeks.

Hand injuries: document function and the affected member

Identify whether the report rates the entire hand, individual digits or an upper extremity. Keep findings about grip, sensation and dexterity, plus restrictions on tools or repetitive tasks. An isolated finger award and a hand award may follow different rules; this page does not calculate combinations of injuries.

Hearing Loss injury

If your doctor rates a partial loss of use, the award is generally that percentage of the scheduled weeks. A 25% rating works out to 62.5 weeks.

Hearing loss: check the audiogram and whether both ears are rated

Request the audiogram and the report explaining the hearing-loss percentage, which ear or ears it covers and how work-related exposure was assessed. Do not enter a one-ear rating into a two-ear formula. Tinnitus and hearing loss are not interchangeable inputs, and this calculator does not determine the medical rating.

Index Finger injury

If your doctor rates a partial loss of use, the award is generally that percentage of the scheduled weeks. A 25% rating works out to 10 weeks.

Index-finger injuries: verify the digit and loss level

The index finger is not interchangeable with another digit. Ask whether the report describes stiffness, tendon or nerve damage, or an amputation at a specific level. Verify whether the percentage is expressed for the finger, hand or whole person before applying the formula shown here.

Knee injury

Rated as partial loss of use of the leg (300 weeks).

If your doctor rates a partial loss of use, the award is generally that percentage of the scheduled weeks. A 25% rating works out to 75 weeks.

Knee injuries: confirm whether the rating is for the leg

For a meniscus tear, ligament injury or knee replacement, obtain the final rating report and any restrictions on standing, kneeling and walking. Confirm the body part to which the percentage applies. If the rule uses a leg schedule, the calculation needs the applicable leg loss-of-use rating, not a guessed percentage based on the procedure.

Leg injury

If your doctor rates a partial loss of use, the award is generally that percentage of the scheduled weeks. A 25% rating works out to 75 weeks.

Leg injuries: confirm the member and lasting restrictions

Ask whether the report covers the leg, a particular joint or the whole person. Keep findings about walking, balance, limb length and restrictions on standing or lifting. Multiple injuries to the same limb need the applicable combination rules; adding their percentages can overstate the award.

Neck injury

Not on the schedule; paid as a percentage of 500 weeks.

Neck injuries: check the cervical findings

Ask whether the rating report addresses the cervical spine alone or also documents arm symptoms and neurological findings. Keep the imaging report, treatment history and restrictions on lifting or turning your head. Do not enter an arm rating into a whole-person field without the applicable conversion.

Shoulder injury

Maryland does not list the shoulder separately. The statute does not say whether it is rated as partial loss of the arm (300 weeks) or under the 500-week 'other cases' rule.

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.

Thumb injury

If your doctor rates a partial loss of use, the award is generally that percentage of the scheduled weeks. A 25% rating works out to 25 weeks.

Thumb injuries: check loss of use versus amputation

Request the report describing the thumb joint or amputation level, remaining motion and ability to pinch. Total loss and partial loss of use are different inputs. Check the thumb-specific rule below; a thumb rating should not be substituted for a hand or whole-person rating without the required conversion.

Law and official sources

Includes secondary sources

Statute: Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. 9-621 (TTD), 9-625 to 9-630 (PPD), 9-627 (schedule); Md. Code, Lab. & Empl. §§ 9-625 to 9-630; § 9-627 (schedule and 500-week 'other cases')

Figures checked September 30, 2026. Maximums change every year; confirm current figures with the Maryland 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.