Home › Mississippi

Mississippi Workers' Comp Benefits (2026)

How Mississippi 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 Mississippi

Scheduled members are paid for a proportionate loss or loss of use of the member, with awards for multiple members running consecutively; body-as-a-whole injuries depend on lost wage-earning capacity rather than an impairment rating. Serious facial or head disfigurement can add up to $5,000.

Weekly benefits while you cannot work

Weekly rate66.67% of AWW
Maximum weekly benefitNot confirmed
Minimum weekly benefit$25 (secondary)
Waiting period5 days
Waiting days paid back after14 days of disability
Time limit on temporary benefits450 weeks

No weekly calculator for this state: the benefit depends on monthly wages, family size or a figure we could not confirm. Use the official rule above.

How each injury is assessed

InjuryHow it is paidFixed permanent figure
Backwage loss—
Neckwage loss—
Shoulderdepends on how it is rated—
Knee175 weeks (as the leg)—
Arm200 weeks—
Hand150 weeks—
Thumb60 weeks—
Index Finger35 weeks—
Leg175 weeks—
Foot125 weeks—
Big Toe30 weeks—
Eye100 weeks—
Hearing Loss150 weeks—

Permanent injuries in general

66⅔% of the difference between pre-injury AWW and post-injury wage-earning capacity, up to 450 weeks.

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

Mississippi's rule for the weekly rate on these awards: 66.67% of AWW subject to the annual max; total compensation capped at 450 x max weekly rate.

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 50 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 scheduled; paid as body as a whole on loss of wage-earning capacity, up to 450 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

Mississippi's rule for the weekly rate on these awards: 66.67% of AWW subject to the annual max; total compensation capped at 450 x max weekly rate.

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 7.5 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

Mississippi's rule for the weekly rate on these awards: 66.67% of AWW subject to the annual max; total compensation capped at 450 x max weekly rate.

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.

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

Mississippi's rule for the weekly rate on these awards: 66.67% of AWW subject to the annual max; total compensation capped at 450 x max weekly rate.

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 31.25 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

Mississippi's rule for the weekly rate on these awards: 66.67% of AWW subject to the annual max; total compensation capped at 450 x max weekly rate.

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 37.5 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

Mississippi's rule for the weekly rate on these awards: 66.67% of AWW subject to the annual max; total compensation capped at 450 x max weekly rate.

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 37.5 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

Mississippi's rule for the weekly rate on these awards: 66.67% of AWW subject to the annual max; total compensation capped at 450 x max weekly rate.

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 8.75 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 (175 weeks).

Mississippi's rule for the weekly rate on these awards: 66.67% of AWW subject to the annual max; total compensation capped at 450 x max weekly rate.

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 43.75 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

Mississippi's rule for the weekly rate on these awards: 66.67% of AWW subject to the annual max; total compensation capped at 450 x max weekly rate.

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 43.75 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 scheduled; paid as body as a whole on loss of wage-earning capacity, up to 450 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

Mississippi has no shoulder entry. The statute does not say whether a shoulder is rated as partial loss of the arm (200 weeks) or as a body-as-a-whole injury paid on lost wage-earning capacity.

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

Mississippi's rule for the weekly rate on these awards: 66.67% of AWW subject to the annual max; total compensation capped at 450 x max weekly rate.

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 15 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: Miss. Code 71-3-11, 71-3-13, 71-3-17; Miss. Code Ann. § 71-3-17(c)

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