Workers' Comp Settlement Chart California: What Each Rating Point Pays in 2026
Reference Guide
California has no chart that prices an arm or a back. The workers' comp settlement chart California actually uses is a table in Labor Code § 4658: your permanent disability rating buys a number of weeks, and each week is paid at two-thirds of your wage, between $160 and $290 for 2026 injuries. A 5% rating is 15 weeks — $2,400 to $4,350. This is a reference page, not a lawsuit: there is no claim form, and nothing to sign up for.
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How California Turns a Rating Into Dollars
When your doctor says your condition is no longer improving or getting worse, you are “permanent and stationary” (P&S), and the treating physician writes a P&S report. That report is turned into a rating — a percentage that, in the words of the state's own guidebook, estimates how much your disability limits the work you can do.
The rating depends on the medical findings, your date of injury, your age, your occupation and apportionment (how much of the disability the job caused). For injuries in 2013 or later it is multiplied by an adjustment factor of 1.4.
Then comes the chart. Under Labor Code § 4658(e), each 1 percent buys a set number of weeks, and the weeks rise with severity: 3 weeks per point from 0.25 to 9.75 percent, 4 from 10 to 14.75, 5 from 15 to 24.75, 6 from 25 to 29.75, 7 from 30 to 49.75, 8 from 50 to 69.75 and 16 from 70 to 99.75. The weeks are cumulative. Multiply the total weeks by your weekly rate and you have the permanent disability value.
Case details
The weeks table is Labor Code § 4658(e), which applies to injuries on or after January 1, 2013. The weekly rates come from the Division of Workers' Compensation benefits chart. Ratings use the 2005 rating schedule for injuries in 2005 or later; older injuries can fall under the 1997 or 1988 schedules.
There is no class action here. Disputes go to a workers' compensation judge, who issues a Findings and Award if you and the claims administrator cannot agree — and any settlement must be reviewed by a judge before it is final. The state's Information & Assistance officers answer questions free at 1-800-736-7401. Official guide: DWC Guidebook, Chapter 7.
Status: The 2026 Numbers
Temporary disability is higher: two-thirds of wages, from $264.61 to $1,764.11 a week since January 1, 2026. That is why weekly checks often drop when temporary disability ends and permanent disability begins.
The $160–$290 permanent rates are the same on the DWC chart for 2025, 2024 and earlier rows. A bill to change them, SB 555, was amended in June 2026; we could not confirm its final outcome.
Who This Chart Applies To
It applies to California workers with an accepted job injury whose doctor finds a permanent impairment. A rating from 1 to 99 percent is a permanent partial disability; 100 percent is permanent total disability, which DWC says is paid for life at the temporary disability rate. Most injured workers have no permanent disability at all, so most claims never reach this chart.
The practical test is your P&S report. Ask for a copy in writing — it is what the rating is built from. If you disagree with it, you can challenge it before anything is settled. For a state-by-state comparison, see the body-part chart; New York's very different system is on our NYS chart page.
The Chart: Weeks and Dollars by Rating
5% — 15 weeks — $2,400 to $4,350
10% — 30.25 weeks — $4,840 to $8,772.50
15% — 50.5 weeks — $8,080 to $14,645
20% — 75.5 weeks — $12,080 to $21,895
25% — 100.75 weeks — $16,120 to $29,217.50
30% — 131 weeks — $20,960 to $37,990
40% — 201 weeks — $32,160 to $58,290
50% — 271.25 weeks — $43,400 to $78,662.50
60% — 351.25 weeks — $56,200 to $101,862.50
70% — 433.25 weeks — $69,320 to $125,642.50
The math matches DWC's own examples: loss of vision in one eye rates 28% and pays $34,437.50 at the top rate; an index finger amputated at the middle joint rates 11% and pays $9,932.50.
A settlement is not the chart. A Compromise and Release can add a sum for future medical care, and any lump sum is reduced by permanent disability already paid, including advances. Run your own wage and rating through our California workers' comp calculator.
How the California Chart Got Here
2005 — The Current Rating Schedule
The 2005 Schedule for Rating Permanent Disabilities applies to injuries in 2005 or later. Older injuries can still be rated under the 1997 or 1988 schedules.
January 1, 2013 — Today's Weeks Table
Labor Code § 4658(e) takes effect for injuries from this date, and ratings get a flat 1.4 adjustment factor. The $6,000 job displacement voucher applies to injuries from this date as well.
2014 — The Weekly Cap Stops Moving
Permanent partial disability tops out at $290 a week. SB 555's author put it as $1,256 a month, unchanged since 2014. The DWC chart still lists $290 for 2026 injuries.
March 27, 2025 — SB 555 Introduced
Sen. Anna Caballero introduces the Workers Disability Adjustment Act, proposing an annual cost-of-living adjustment for permanent partial disability.
January 1, 2026 — Temporary Disability Rises
The temporary disability range becomes $264.61 to $1,764.11 a week. Permanent disability rates stay at $160 to $290.
June 2026 — SB 555 Amended
The bill is rewritten to raise the wage range for injuries on or after January 1, 2027 — minimum earnings to $363 from $240, which trade press put at a 51% increase. As of October 2026 we could not confirm its final outcome.
Three Things to Watch For
A chart with dollar figures invites shortcuts. These are the ones that cost California workers money:
“We buy your $6,000 voucher”
The supplemental job displacement voucher is non-transferable. Schools and counselors are paid directly by the claims examiner against an invoice. Anyone offering cash for it, or a cut of it, is not offering something the voucher form allows.
“Your case is worth X” from a chart alone
A number quoted from a website ignores your age, occupation, apportionment and future medical care. DWC's own examples say they are not adjusted for those factors. Your P&S report and the rating built from it decide the value.
Fees to apply for the $5,000 supplement
The Return-to-Work Supplement is applied for online directly with the state, within one year of the date your voucher was served. You do not need a paid service to file it; DWC answers questions at 510-286-0787.
California Workers' Comp Chart — Questions People Actually Ask
Short answers to the questions people ask most about this case.
Is there an official workers' comp settlement chart in California?
Not by body part. The official table is in Labor Code § 4658(e): it gives the number of weeks per rating point, from 3 weeks per point at the low end to 16 weeks per point from 70 to 99.75 percent. DWC's benefits chart supplies the weekly rate — $160 to $290 for 2026 injuries.
What does a 5% impairment rating mean?
It depends which number you are looking at. The doctor's impairment number is only the start: for injuries in 2013 or later it is multiplied by 1.4 and then adjusted for occupation, age and apportionment. If your final permanent disability rating is 5%, the chart gives 15 weeks — $2,400 at the minimum rate, $4,350 at the maximum.
What is the $6000 voucher for workers' comp?
The Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit: a non-transferable $6,000 voucher for retraining or skill enhancement, for injuries on or after January 1, 2013, when you have a permanent disability and cannot return to your job. It covers tuition, licensing fees, required tools, computer equipment up to $1,000, counseling and placement up to $600 combined, and up to $500 in expenses without receipts. With it you may also qualify for a one-time $5,000 Return-to-Work Supplement if you apply within one year of receiving the voucher.
What does permanent disability mean?
That your treating doctor says you will never recover completely, or will always be limited in the work you can do. You do not have to lose your job to qualify. A rating of 1 to 99 percent is permanent partial disability; 100 percent is permanent total disability, paid for life.
How does workers compensation work in California?
While you cannot work, temporary disability pays two-thirds of your wages, between $264.61 and $1,764.11 a week for 2026 injuries. Once your condition is permanent and stationary, a rating decides any permanent disability, paid by the chart on this page. The first permanent payment is due within 14 days after the last temporary payment, then every 14 days.
Should I take Stips or a Compromise and Release?
Stipulations with Request for Award keep paying over time and usually keep future medical care open; either side can usually ask for a change within five years of the injury. A Compromise and Release is one lump sum and can end the insurer's payment for future care. A judge reviews both. You are not required to accept any offer.
Why did my weekly check drop after I became permanent and stationary?
Because the two rates are different. Temporary disability can reach $1,764.11 a week for 2026 injuries; permanent partial disability tops out at $290. If you were offered work paying at least 85 percent of your old wages, permanent payments may wait until your case is settled or decided.
Is the $290 cap going up?
Not on the current DWC chart, which lists $160 to $290 for 2026 injuries. SB 555 would have raised the wage range for injuries on or after January 1, 2027. As of October 2026 we could not confirm that it became law, so do not count on a higher rate.
About This Information
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology. Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated - $236 billion in real payouts analyzed · See what we found
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Lawsuit status, eligibility, and compensation can change. Settlement Insight is not a law firm and does not represent any party. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
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