Montana Workers' Comp Benefits (2026)
How Montana 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 Montana
A worker with a Class 2 or higher impairment but no actual wage loss gets an impairment-only award; the age, education, wage-loss and labor-restriction add-ons apply only when there is actual wage loss.
Weekly benefits while you cannot work
| Weekly rate | 66.67% of gross wages at time of injury |
|---|---|
| Maximum weekly benefit | $1,137 (FY26: 2025-07-01 to 2026-06-30) |
| Minimum weekly benefit | No statutory minimum found |
| Waiting period | 4 days |
| Waiting days paid back after | 21 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 | wage loss | — |
| Neck | wage loss | — |
| Shoulder | impairment rating (see rule) | — |
| Knee | impairment rating (see rule) | — |
| Arm | wage loss | — |
| Hand | wage loss | — |
| Thumb | wage loss | — |
| Index Finger | wage loss | — |
| Leg | wage loss | — |
| Foot | wage loss | — |
| Big Toe | wage loss | — |
| Eye | wage loss | — |
| Hearing Loss | wage loss | — |
Permanent injuries in general
(Whole-person impairment % + age 0-1% + education 0-1% + wage loss 0/10/20% + labor restriction %) × 400 weeks at the PPD rate.
Law and official sources
Official sources
Statute: Mont. Code Ann. 39-71-701, 39-71-703, 39-71-736; Mont. Code Ann. §§ 39-71-703, 39-71-711
- Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Employment Standards Division (official site)
- erd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/FY26_Final_Average_Weekly_Wage.pdf
- erd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/work-comp-claims/claims-assistance/2025_Benefit_Brochure.pdf
- erd.dli.mt.gov/_docs/work-comp-claims/claims-assistance/Compensation-Rates-07012024.pdf
- law.justia.com/codes/montana/title-39/chapter-71/part-7/section-39-71-703/
Figures checked September 30, 2026. Maximums change every year; confirm current figures with the Montana 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.