How Much Does Workers’ Comp Pay in Illinois?

If a work injury has kept you off the job, the first question is usually a practical one: how much will my check be? In Illinois, the answer comes from a formula set by the Workers’ Compensation Act. Once you know your average weekly wage, you can estimate your weekly payment in a few minutes.

Short answer: Illinois workers’ comp generally pays two-thirds (66⅔%) of your average weekly wage while you are unable to work because of a work injury. That benefit is called temporary total disability, or TTD. It is subject to a weekly minimum and maximum. For injuries between July 15, 2026 and January 14, 2027, the maximum is $2,045.63 per week.

This guide walks through the calculation step by step, shows worked examples, explains the minimum and maximum limits, and lists what to check if your payment looks wrong. If your question is whether you qualify for wage benefits in the first place, see our companion guide, Does Workers’ Comp Cover Lost Wages in Illinois?

How Much Does Illinois Workers’ Comp Pay Per Week?

If you cannot work because of the injury, you generally receive TTD at two-thirds of your gross average weekly wage. A worker averaging $1,200 a week would generally receive $800 a week, as long as that falls between the state minimum and maximum. Illinois workers’ comp (sometimes called “workman’s comp”) replaces part of your income, not all of it. According to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC) handbook, TTD continues until you return to work or reach maximum medical improvement.

Weekly wage benefits are only one part of a claim. Your employer’s insurer is also responsible for reasonable and necessary medical care, and some injuries lead to permanent disability compensation later. Those benefits are paid separately from your weekly check, as explained below.

What Percentage of Your Wages Does Workers’ Comp Pay in Illinois?

Illinois pays 66⅔% of your average weekly wage for total disability benefits. For light-duty work at lower pay, it pays 66⅔% of the difference between what you would earn in your old job and what you earn now. Most scheduled permanent injuries are paid at 60%.

Source: IWCC Handbook on Workers’ Compensation and Occupational Diseases. Minimum and maximum limits apply to each benefit.

The table shows percentages, not every limit. Different benefits can have different caps. Most permanent partial disability awards have their own maximum, lower than the TTD maximum, and the maximum for a wage differential award is tied to the statewide average weekly wage, according to the IWCC benefit rates page.

How to Calculate Your Illinois Workers’ Comp Payment

To estimate your payment, work out your average weekly wage, multiply it by two-thirds, and apply the limits for your injury date. Think of these four steps as a simple Illinois workers’ comp calculator:

1. Identify the earnings that count toward your average weekly wage. Start with payroll records from the job where you were hurt for the relevant 52-week period, using gross pay before taxes and deductions. Then account for the exclusions and adjustments explained in the next section, such as voluntary overtime.
2. Divide to find your average weekly wage (AWW). This usually means dividing by 52. If you missed five or more calendar days during that year, or worked there less than a year, divide by the applicable weeks and parts of weeks, after accounting for excluded lost time.
3. Multiply your AWW by ⅔. That is your basic TTD rate.
4. Apply the minimum and maximum for your injury date and qualifying dependents. The minimum cannot exceed your actual average weekly wage.

Estimate your weekly payment

Illustrations only. Each example assumes the worker qualifies for TTD, has no spouse or dependent children, and was injured between July 15, 2026 and January 14, 2027. Dependents can raise the minimum for lower wages. Your actual rate depends on your wage records and injury date.

A low-wage example. If your average weekly wage is $300, two-thirds would be $200, which is below every minimum shown later in this article. The minimum rule raises the benefit, but it cannot exceed your average weekly wage, so your TTD would be $300, not $400.

Workers’ comp payments do not have withholding taken out, which is why the weekly check can feel closer to your normal take-home pay than the two-thirds figure suggests. See the tax question in the FAQ below.

How Is Average Weekly Wage Calculated in Illinois?

Average weekly wage is generally your gross earnings from the job where you were hurt during the year before the injury, divided by 52. Section 10 of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act defines it as your actual earnings in that job during the 52 weeks ending with your last full pay period, excluding overtime and bonus. Several common situations adjust that starting point:

• You missed time during the year. If you lost five or more calendar days during the 52 weeks, your earnings are divided by the number of weeks and parts of weeks you actually worked, not by 52.
• You worked there less than a year. Your earnings are divided by the number of weeks and parts of weeks you worked.
• The calculation is impractical. If your work history makes these methods unworkable, the Act allows comparison to the earnings of a similar employee in the same job.
• You had a second job. If you worked for two or more employers at the time of injury and your employer knew about the other job before you were hurt, wages from both jobs can be counted.

Does overtime count toward workers’ comp?

Sometimes. The statute excludes overtime, but Illinois courts look at what the overtime actually was. In Arcelor Mittal Steel v. Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, the appellate court approved including scheduled overtime the worker was required to work as a condition of employment, counted at the regular straight-time rate. Unscheduled, voluntary overtime was not included. The same case held that production incentive pay earned for specific work was not a “bonus” and belonged in the wage calculation.

If you regularly worked mandatory overtime, it is worth checking whether those hours were included in your rate.

Is workers’ comp based on gross or net pay in Illinois?

Gross pay. The IWCC handbook states that average weekly wage is generally based on gross, pre-tax wages. Your weekly benefit is two-thirds of your gross average weekly wage, not two-thirds of your take-home pay.

What Are the Minimum and Maximum Workers’ Comp Payments in Illinois?

For injuries from July 15, 2026 through January 14, 2027, the maximum weekly TTD benefit is $2,045.63, and the minimum ranges from $400 to $600 a week depending on your spouse and children. The limits that apply are generally those in effect on your date of injury.

The IWCC publishes updated rates by January 15 and July 15 each year on its benefit rates page. The maximum is tied to the statewide average weekly wage, and the minimum is tied to the Illinois minimum wage. Where the IWCC’s published figures and the statute disagree, the statute controls.

Injury date	Maximum weekly TTD
July 15, 2026 to January 14, 2027	$2,045.63
January 15, 2026 to July 14, 2026	$2,008.60

Source: IWCC benefit rates. Most permanent partial disability awards have a separate, lower maximum.

Spouse and children under 18	Minimum weekly TTD
None	$400.00
1	$460.00
2	$520.00
3	$580.00
4 or more	$600.00

Minimum TTD rates for injuries from January 15, 2025, based on the $15.00 Illinois minimum wage. The minimum is your average weekly wage or the rate shown, whichever is lower.

Dependents do not change the two-thirds percentage for most workers. They only raise the minimum floor, which matters mainly for lower-wage and part-time employees.

How Much Does Workers’ Comp Pay If You Return to Light Duty?

If you return to light duty at lower pay, you may receive temporary partial disability (TPD). For injuries on or after June 28, 2011, the IWCC handbook describes TPD as two-thirds of the difference between the average amount you would be able to earn in your pre-injury job and the gross amount you earn in the light-duty job. That means a raise you would have received in your regular job can count.

Example: light duty at reduced hours Your regular job would currently pay $1,200 a week. Your light-duty assignment pays $600 a week. The difference is $1,200 minus $600, or $600. Your estimated TPD benefit is $600 × ⅔ = $400 a week, on top of your $600 in light-duty wages.

If your doctor releases you to restricted work but your employer cannot offer a job within your restrictions, you may remain eligible for TTD instead. Our lost wages guide explains how that works in practice.

Do Permanent Disability Benefits Use the Same Formula?

Not exactly. Most permanent partial disability awards use 60% of your average weekly wage multiplied by a number of weeks set by law, while wage differential and permanent total disability awards use two-thirds. Permanent benefits are decided after you reach maximum medical improvement, the point where further treatment is not expected to improve your condition. The main types are:

• Scheduled PPD. The Act assigns a number of weeks to specific body parts, such as a hand, arm, leg, or eye. A percentage loss of use of that part is multiplied by the scheduled weeks and paid at 60% of your average weekly wage, subject to the PPD maximum. For example, the handbook lists a thumb at 76 weeks for injuries on or after June 28, 2011. See our guide to Illinois workers’ comp and lost limbs.
• Person as a whole. Injuries to the back, neck, and other body systems not on the schedule are valued as a percentage of the person as a whole. Our articles on herniated disc settlements and work-related back injury settlements explain how those claims are valued.
• Wage differential. If your injury permanently prevents you from returning to your old job and you earn less in a new one, you may receive two-thirds of the difference. For injuries on or after September 1, 2011, these benefits generally last five years from the date the award becomes final or until age 67, whichever is later.
• Permanent total disability (PTD). If you cannot work in any reasonably stable job market, PTD pays two-thirds of your average weekly wage for life, subject to limits.

Are Medical Bills and Settlements Separate From Your Weekly Checks?

Yes. Your weekly check replaces part of your lost wages, medical treatment is paid separately, and any settlement or award for permanent disability is resolved later in the claim. The weekly rate is not the value of the whole claim. An Illinois claim can include three separate components:

• Weekly wage benefits (TTD, TPD, or maintenance) while you recover.
• Medical benefits for reasonable and necessary treatment of the work injury. If the insurer stops paying your providers, see what happens to medical bills when workers’ comp is denied.
• Permanent disability compensation, usually resolved by settlement or award after you reach maximum medical improvement. Settlement value depends on the injury, as shown in our article on nerve damage settlements.

TTD and permanent disability benefits generally compensate different losses. Overpayments and other applicable credits can affect the amount ultimately owed. How long a claim can remain open before settlement is covered in how long a workers’ comp claim can stay open in Illinois.

Why Is My Workers’ Comp Check Lower Than Expected?

Possible reasons include a wage calculation that left out earnings, the wrong divisor for time missed, a benefit type that does not match your work status, or limits taken from the wrong injury date. Use this checklist to review your payment against your own records:

1. Wage records. Request the wage statement the insurer used. Compare it to your pay stubs for the full 52 weeks.
2. Missed time. If you missed five or more calendar days, the earnings should be divided by the weeks you actually worked, not by 52.
3. Overtime and incentive pay. Check whether mandatory scheduled overtime or production pay was left out.
4. Second job. If you worked another job your employer knew about, those wages may belong in the calculation.
5. Benefit type. Confirm you are receiving TTD if you cannot work, rather than a lower TPD amount.
6. Rate period. Confirm the minimum and maximum used match your date of injury.
7. Dependents. If you are near the minimum, confirm your spouse and children were counted.

Request the wage statement and an explanation of your rate in writing, and keep copies of your correspondence.

Frequently Asked Questions About Illinois Workers’ Comp Pay

Does workers’ comp pay your full salary in Illinois?

Usually not. TTD generally pays two-thirds of average weekly wage, subject to minimums and maximums. For some lower-wage workers, the minimum benefit rule can result in a payment equal to their full average weekly wage. Because the payment is not taxed, the difference from your usual take-home pay may also be smaller than it first appears.

How much will I get each week on workers’ comp?

Multiply your gross average weekly wage by two-thirds, then apply the minimum and maximum for your injury date. A worker averaging $900 a week, for example, would generally receive $600 a week in TTD.

Are workers’ comp payments taxable in Illinois?

Generally no. The IWCC handbook states that workers’ compensation benefits are not taxable under state or federal law, and IRS Publication 525 treats workers’ compensation for an occupational injury or illness as exempt from federal income tax. Wages you earn on light duty are still taxable, and Social Security disability benefits can interact with workers’ comp, so check with a tax professional if you receive both.

When does workers’ comp start paying?

TTD is not paid for the first three lost workdays unless you miss 14 or more calendar days. The employer should make the first payment within 14 days of receiving notice of the injury. Our lost wages guide covers timing and late payments in detail.

What if I haven’t worked at my job for a full year?

Your earnings are divided by the number of weeks and parts of weeks you actually worked, instead of 52. If that is impractical, the earnings of a similar employee in the same job can be used.

Does income from my second job count?

It can. If you worked for two or more employers at the time of the injury and the employer where you were hurt knew about your other job beforehand, wages from both can be included in your average weekly wage.

Is my weekly workers’ comp check separate from my settlement?

Yes. Weekly checks replace lost income while you recover. A settlement usually resolves permanent disability and may resolve future medical care. They are different parts of the claim.

How long will I receive weekly checks?

TTD generally continues until you return to work or reach maximum medical improvement. There is no fixed week limit on TTD, but the insurer may dispute continued benefits, which is when medical evidence matters most. See what medical evidence you will need for your claim.

Think Your Weekly Check Was Calculated Incorrectly?

Your rate depends on the wage statement the insurer used, which you may never have seen. Strom Yen Injury Attorneys reviews wage records and benefit calculations for injured workers across Chicago and Illinois, and a mistake in your rate affects every check you receive.

Contact our team or call (312) 609-0400 for a free review, or learn more about our Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers.

Sources

• Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission: Benefit Rates
• IWCC Handbook on Workers’ Compensation and Occupational Diseases
• 820 ILCS 305/10, Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, Section 10
• Arcelor Mittal Steel v. Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, 2011 IL App (1st) 102180WC
• IRS Publication 525, Taxable and Nontaxable Income

This article provides general information about Illinois workers’ compensation and is not legal advice. Benefit rates change twice a year; figures are current as of October 2026.