Iowa Workers' Comp Benefits (2026)
How Iowa 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 Iowa
Iowa gives the shoulder its own 400-week schedule. PPD begins when maximum medical improvement is medically indicated.
Weekly benefits while you cannot work
| Weekly rate | 80% of the worker's weekly spendable (after-tax) earnings |
|---|---|
| Maximum weekly benefit | $2,431 (Injuries 2026-07-01 to 2027-06-30 (prior: $2,350 for 2025-07-01 to 2026-06-30)) |
| Minimum weekly benefit | Lesser of the benefit for an employee earning 35% of state AWW, or the worker's actual spendable weekly earnings ($ amount for FY27 not confirmed) |
| 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
What each injury is worth
| Injury | How it is paid | Max award |
|---|---|---|
| Back | impairment rating (see rule) | — |
| Neck | impairment rating (see rule) | — |
| Shoulder | 400 weeks | $894,800 |
| Knee | 220 weeks (as the leg) | $492,140 |
| Arm | 250 weeks | $559,250 |
| Hand | 190 weeks | $425,030 |
| Thumb | 60 weeks | $134,220 |
| Index Finger | 35 weeks | $78,295 |
| Leg | 220 weeks | $492,140 |
| Foot | 150 weeks | $335,550 |
| Big Toe | 40 weeks | $89,480 |
| Eye | 140 weeks | $313,180 |
| Hearing Loss | 175 weeks | $391,475 |
Permanent injuries in general
industrial disability: % reduction in earning capacity × 500 weeks at 80% of spendable weekly earnings; only functional impairment if the worker returns to work at the same or greater pay.
Law and official sources
Includes secondary sources
Statute: Iowa Code 85.32 (waiting period), 85.33 (TTD/TPD), 85.34 (PPD schedule), 85.36 (spendable earnings), 85.37 (max/min); Iowa Code 85.34(2) (schedule incl. shoulder; paragraph v for other cases)
- Workers' Compensation Division, Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, and Licensing (official site)
- legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/85.32.pdf
- legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/85.33.pdf
- law.justia.com/codes/iowa/title-iii/chapter-85/section-85-37/
- codes.findlaw.com/ia/title-iii-public-services-and-regulation-chs-80-122c/ia-code-sect-85-
- legis.iowa.gov/docs/code/85.34.pdf
Figures checked September 30, 2026. Maximums change every year; confirm current figures with the Iowa 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.