North Carolina Workers' Comp Benefits (2026)
How North Carolina 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 North Carolina
North Carolina is one of the few states that puts the back on its schedule (300 weeks); a back rating of 75% or more counts as total industrial disability. Scheduled benefits and wage-loss benefits are alternatives, and the worker can pursue whichever is greater.
Weekly benefits while you cannot work
| Weekly rate | 66.67% of AWW |
|---|---|
| Maximum weekly benefit | $1,446 (2026-01-01 to 2026-12-31 (injuries in 2026)) |
| Minimum weekly benefit | $30 (rises to $50 on 2027-07-01 per G.S. 97-29) |
| Waiting period | 7 days |
| Waiting days paid back after | 21 days of disability |
| Time limit on temporary benefits | 500 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 | 300 weeks | $433,800 |
| Neck | depends on how it is rated | — |
| Shoulder | depends on how it is rated | — |
| Knee | 200 weeks (as the leg) | $289,200 |
| Arm | 240 weeks | $347,040 |
| Hand | 200 weeks | $289,200 |
| Thumb | 75 weeks | $108,450 |
| Index Finger | 45 weeks | $65,070 |
| Leg | 200 weeks | $289,200 |
| Foot | 144 weeks | $208,224 |
| Big Toe | 35 weeks | $50,610 |
| Eye | 120 weeks | $173,520 |
| Hearing Loss | 150 weeks | $216,900 |
Permanent injuries in general
no general whole-body schedule: back is scheduled (300 weeks); other permanent injury to important organs or parts not listed may get an award up to $20,000 ($40,000 from July 1, 2027); alternatively wage-loss/total disability benefits if greater.
Shoulder: confirm the applicable category first
North Carolina's schedule (§97-31) has no shoulder entry. The statute does not say whether a shoulder is rated against the arm (240 weeks) or paid another way.
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: N.C. Gen. Stat. §97-28 (waiting period), §97-29 (total incapacity), §97-31 (schedule); N.C. Gen. Stat. §97-31 (schedule incl. (23) back, (24) other organs); §97-29, §97-30 (total/partial wage loss)
- North Carolina Industrial Commission (official site)
- ic.nc.gov/workers-compensation-claims/maximum-weekly-compensation-rates
- ic.nc.gov/ncic/pages/maxrates.html
- ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_97/GS_97-29.html
- ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/BySection/Chapter_97/GS_97-31.pdf
- ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_97/GS_97-31.html
Figures checked September 30, 2026. Maximums change every year; confirm current figures with the North Carolina 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.