Illinois Workers’ Comp Weekly Benefit Calculator (2025–2026)

Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. I am not a lawyer. Consult a licensed workers’ compensation attorney in Illinois before making decisions about your claim.

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⚡ Quick Answer

In Illinois, workers’ comp pays 66.67% of your Average Weekly Wage (AWW) for temporary total disability (TTD), up to a maximum of $2,104.76 per week (2024–2025 rate, based on the Illinois SAWW of $1,578.82). Your AWW is calculated by averaging your gross wages — including overtime and second-job income — over the 52 weeks before your injury. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC) updates the maximum benefit cap annually.

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📌 From Shane

When I was out on workers’ comp, nobody warned me what 66.67% of my paycheck actually feels like. On paper, it sounds reasonable. In reality, it was a gut punch. My mortgage didn’t drop by a third. My car payment didn’t disappear. Groceries didn’t get cheaper. And my first check was delayed three weeks while my employer’s insurance carrier “investigated.”

Here is what I wish someone had told me before I needed it:

1. Calculate your own AWW before anyone else does. Employers and their insurers routinely undercount wages to lower your benefit. I’ll show you exactly how to catch that.
2. Pull your last 52 pay stubs the moment you are injured. Don’t rely on HR to produce accurate records under pressure.
3. 66.67% is survivable — but only if you budget immediately. Cut everything optional in week one. Not week four. Week one.

This guide gives you the math, the law, and the reality.

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The Exact Calculation Formula

Illinois workers’ comp uses a three-step formula for TTD benefits under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act (820 ILCS 305/10).

Step 1: Calculate Your Average Weekly Wage (AWW)

Your AWW is your total gross earnings in the 52 weeks before your injury date, divided by 52.

$$\text{AWW} = \frac{\text{Total Gross Wages (52 weeks)}}{52}$$

What Illinois law includes in your AWW:

Wage Type	Included in AWW?	Authority
Regular hourly wages	✅ Yes	820 ILCS 305/10
Overtime pay	✅ Yes	IWCC Rule
Shift differential pay	✅ Yes	IWCC Rule
Bonuses (production/performance)	✅ Yes, if regular	Sisbro Inc. v. Industrial Comm’n
Holiday pay	✅ Yes	IWCC Rule
Second job wages (concurrent employer)	✅ Yes	820 ILCS 305/10
Tips (reported)	✅ Yes	IWCC Rule
Fringe benefits (health insurance)	❌ No	IWCC Rule
Unemployment periods in the 52 weeks	❌ Excluded from divisor	IWCC Rule

Critical rule on the divisor: If you were unemployed, laid off, or on unpaid leave during any weeks in the prior 52 weeks, Illinois law reduces the divisor from 52 to the number of weeks you actually worked. This raises your AWW — and most insurance adjusters will not voluntarily apply this in your favor.

Step 2: Apply the 66.67% Rate

$$\text{Weekly TTD Benefit} = \text{AWW} \times 0.6667$$

Step 3: Apply the Minimum and Maximum

• Maximum TTD (2024–2025): $2,104.76/week — equal to 133⅓% of the Illinois State Average Weekly Wage (SAWW of $1,578.82, per IWCC)
• Minimum TTD: There is no statutory dollar-amount floor for most workers; your benefit simply equals 66.67% of your AWW, however low it is. The minimum is effectively tied to your actual earnings.

The IWCC updates the SAWW — and therefore the maximum benefit — every year on or about July 1. Always verify the current rate at iwcc.illinois.gov.

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Pre-Calculated Illinois Workers’ Comp Benefit Table

Based on the 66.67% TTD rate. Cap does not apply until AWW exceeds approximately $3,157/week.

Gross Weekly Wage (AWW)	Weekly TTD Benefit	Annual Benefit Equivalent
$300	$200.01	$10,400
$400	$266.68	$13,867
$500	$333.35	$17,334
$600	$400.02	$20,801
$700	$466.69	$24,268
$800	$533.36	$27,735
$900	$600.03	$31,202
$1,000	$666.70	$34,668
$1,100	$733.37	$38,135
$1,200	$800.04	$41,602
$1,300	$866.71	$45,069
$1,400	$933.38	$48,536
$1,500	$1,000.05	$52,003
$1,600	$1,066.72	$55,469
$1,700	$1,133.39	$58,936
$1,800	$1,200.06	$62,403
$1,900	$1,266.73	$65,870
$2,000	$1,333.40	$69,337
$2,100	$1,400.07	$72,804
$2,200	$1,466.74	$76,270
$2,300	$1,533.41	$79,737
$2,400	$1,600.08	$83,204
$2,500	$1,666.75	$86,671
$2,600	$1,733.42	$90,138
$2,700	$1,800.09	$93,605
$2,800	$1,866.76	$97,071
$2,900	$1,933.43	$100,538
$3,000	$2,000.10	$104,005
≥$3,158	$2,104.76 (CAP)	$109,447

Table calculates benefits at 66.67%. Cap of $2,104.76 applies to 2024–2025 benefit year. Verify current cap at IWCC.

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What the Law Says vs. What Actually Happens

The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act is clear. What insurers actually do is a different story.

Common AWW Manipulation Tactics

1. Using only your base hourly rate, not actual gross earnings.
The law requires total gross wages. Adjusters will sometimes calculate AWW using only your base rate times 40 hours, erasing all overtime from the calculation. Request your full payroll records for the entire 52-week period and calculate it yourself.

2. Keeping the divisor at 52 even when you didn’t work all 52 weeks.
If you were laid off for six weeks and actually worked 46 weeks, the correct divisor is 46 — not 52. Using 52 lowers your AWW by roughly 11.5%. The insurer rarely volunteers this correction.

3. Excluding the second job.
Illinois law explicitly includes wages from a concurrent second employer at the time of injury. If you held two jobs when injured, both wage streams count. Insurers routinely omit this unless you push back.

4. Excluding “irregular” bonuses.
Under Sisbro Inc. v. Industrial Commission, 224 Ill. 2d 232 (2005), bonuses that are a regular and expected part of compensation must be included. “Discretionary” bonuses paid every year are not truly discretionary.

How to Catch It: Obtain your full 52-week payroll history, add every dollar of gross earnings, divide by actual weeks worked, and compare to what the insurer calculated. A difference of even $75/week costs you over $3,900 per year of disability.

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Real Case Example: Fluctuating Hours + Overtime

Worker Profile:
– Occupation: Warehouse forklift operator, Chicago
– Injury date: March 15, 2025
– Employment period reviewed: March 16, 2024 – March 14, 2025
– Laid off for 4 weeks in January 2025 (temporary winter slowdown)

Step 1: Calculate Total Gross Wages

Pay Period	Gross Earnings
48 working weeks @ ~$980/week average (includes overtime)	$47,040
4 weeks unpaid layoff	$0
Total gross wages (52-week window)	$47,040

Step 2: Determine the Correct Divisor
Weeks actually worked: 48 (4 weeks excluded per IWCC rule)

$$\text{AWW} = \frac{\$47,040}{48} = \$980.00$$

Step 3: Calculate TTD Benefit

$$\$980.00 \times 0.6667 = \$653.37\text{ per week}$$

What the insurer initially offered:
$$\frac{\$47,040}{52} = \$904.62 \times 0.6667 = \$603.04\text{ per week}$$

Weekly underpayment: $653.37 − $603.04 = $50.33/week
Annual underpayment at that rate: $2,617.16

This is not an edge case. This happens constantly. The fix required one letter citing 820 ILCS 305/10 and the correct divisor rule.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Does Illinois workers’ comp pay for partial disability differently than total disability?

A: Yes. Illinois has four distinct disability benefit categories, each calculated differently. Temporary Total Disability (TTD) at 66.67% applies when you cannot work at all. Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) applies when you return to a lower-paying light-duty job; it pays 66.67% of the difference between your pre-injury AWW and your current light-duty wages. Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) applies to lasting but non-total impairments and is calculated using scheduled loss values, percentage of person as a whole ratings, or wage differential — depending on the injury type. Permanent Total Disability (PTD) pays 66.67% of AWW for life when you are permanently unable to work in any capacity. Most injured workers experience TTD during recovery, then transition to a PPD settlement. The type and duration of disability significantly affects total compensation value, which is why the initial AWW calculation matters so much — it is the foundation for every benefit tier.

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Q: Is my Illinois workers’ comp benefit taxable?

A: No. Workers’ compensation benefits received under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act are fully exempt from federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code Section 104(a)(1), and are also exempt from Illinois state income tax. You will not receive a W-2 or 1099 for your TTD payments. The only exception is a complex scenario involving a Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) offset — if you receive both SSDI and workers’ comp simultaneously, a “reverse offset” may cause SS

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