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
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).
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.