Tennessee Workers' Comp Benefits (2026)
How Tennessee 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 Tennessee
Tennessee has no body-part schedule: every PPD award is the impairment rating × 450 weeks. If the worker has not returned to work at pre-injury wages when the initial period ends, increased benefits apply (×1.35, with further multipliers for no high school diploma, age over 40 and high county unemployment).
Weekly benefits while you cannot work
| Weekly rate | 66.67% of AWW |
|---|---|
| Maximum weekly benefit | $1,488.30 (2026-07-01 to 2027-06-30) |
| Minimum weekly benefit | $202.95/week (FY 2026-27) |
| Waiting period | 7 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 | whole-person % × 450 weeks | $60,885 (10% rating) |
| Neck | whole-person % × 450 weeks | $60,885 (10% rating) |
| Shoulder | whole-person % × 450 weeks | $60,885 (10% rating) |
| Knee | whole-person % × 450 weeks | $60,885 (10% rating) |
| Arm | whole-person % × 450 weeks | $60,885 (10% rating) |
| Hand | whole-person % × 450 weeks | $60,885 (10% rating) |
| Thumb | whole-person % × 450 weeks | $60,885 (10% rating) |
| Index Finger | whole-person % × 450 weeks | $60,885 (10% rating) |
| Leg | whole-person % × 450 weeks | $60,885 (10% rating) |
| Foot | whole-person % × 450 weeks | $60,885 (10% rating) |
| Big Toe | whole-person % × 450 weeks | $60,885 (10% rating) |
| Eye | whole-person % × 450 weeks | $60,885 (10% rating) |
| Hearing Loss | whole-person % × 450 weeks | $60,885 (10% rating) |
Permanent injuries in general
Impairment rating × 450 weeks at 66.67% of AWW; all PPD is apportioned to the body as a whole.
Law and official sources
Official sources
Statute: Tenn. Code Ann. §§ 50-6-205, 50-6-207, 50-6-102; Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-207(3)
- Tennessee Bureau of Workers' Compensation (official site)
- tn.gov/workforce/injuries-at-work/injured-workers/injured-workers/benefits/wage-replacemen
- tn.gov/workforce/injuries-at-work/bwc-newsroom/2026/7/10/2026-workers-compensation-legisla
- codes.findlaw.com/tn/title-50-employer-and-employee/tn-code-sect-50-6-205/
- codes.findlaw.com/tn/title-50-employer-and-employee/tn-code-sect-50-6-207/
- law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2010/title-50/chapter-6/part-2/50-6-207
Figures checked September 30, 2026. Maximums change every year; confirm current figures with the Tennessee 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.