Ohio Workers’ Comp Weekly Benefit Calculator: The Definitive Guide (2026)

Quick Answer: In Ohio, workers’ comp (Temporary Total Disability) pays 72% of your Average Weekly Wage (AWW), subject to a maximum equal to 100% of the State Average Weekly Wage (SAWW) — currently $1,257 per week for 2025, with the 2026 rate pending Ohio BWC’s annual update. The minimum benefit is 33⅓% of the SAWW, approximately $419 per week. Your AWW is calculated from your gross earnings in the 52 weeks immediately before your injury date.

Source: Ohio Revised Code § 4123.56; Ohio BWC SAWW Schedule, effective January 2025.

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Disclaimer: This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. I am not a lawyer. Consult a licensed workers’ comp attorney in your state.

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📣 From Shane: Surviving on 72% of Your Income

When I was injured and my first check arrived, I remember staring at it and doing the math in my head. I was getting roughly $680 a week when I had been taking home closer to $950. That gap — nearly $270 a week — doesn’t sound catastrophic until you’re three months in and you’ve blown through your savings paying for the prescriptions your employer’s managed care organization keeps fighting.

Here is what I wish someone had told me on day one:

Budget for 65%, not 72%. Taxes on workers’ comp benefits in Ohio are generally not withheld at the source, but some workers owe state tax depending on their total income picture. More importantly, your AWW may be calculated incorrectly by your employer — I’ll show you exactly how that happens below. If you go into your claim assuming you’ll receive the full 72%, and you receive less because of a miscalculation you didn’t catch, you will fall behind fast.

Open a separate account the day you file. Every comp check goes into it. Build a four-week buffer before you touch it for regular bills. It sounds extreme. It is not. Claims get contested, checks get delayed, and the Ohio BWC system moves at its own pace.

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The Exact Calculation Formula: How Ohio Computes Your AWW

Ohio’s formula is set by ORC § 4123.61. Here is the precise sequence:

Step 1 — Gather Your Gross Wages for 52 Weeks

You count every dollar of gross earnings (pre-tax) from your employer in the 52 calendar weeks prior to your injury date. This includes:

Income Type	Included in AWW?	Notes
Regular hourly wages	✅ Yes	All hours paid
Overtime pay	✅ Yes	Full gross OT amount included
Employer-paid bonuses	✅ Yes	Must be regular/recurring
Shift differentials	✅ Yes	Treated as regular wages
Commission income	✅ Yes	Averaged over 52 weeks
Tips (reported)	✅ Yes	Must appear on W-2
Second job wages	✅ Yes	If employer knew about the second job at time of injury — see ORC § 4123.56(A)
Employer health insurance premiums	❌ No	Fringe benefit, excluded
Expense reimbursements	❌ No	Not compensation
One-time discretionary bonuses	⚠️ Disputed	Depends on regularity — fight this

Source: Ohio BWC Claims Policy & Procedures Manual, Section 4, Rev. 2024.

Step 2 — Divide by 52

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

Step 3 — Multiply by 72%

$$\text{Weekly Benefit} = \text{AWW} \times 0.72$$

Step 4 — Apply the Cap and Floor

• Maximum: 100% of Ohio SAWW = $1,257/week (2025)
• Minimum: 33⅓% of Ohio SAWW = ~$419/week (2025)

If your 72% figure exceeds $1,257, you receive $1,257.
If your 72% figure falls below $419, you receive $419 (provided you were earning wages at the time of injury).

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Pre-Calculated Ohio Workers’ Comp Benefit Table (2026 Reference)

Based on the 72% TTD rate. Figures at or above the SAWW cap are shown at maximum. Minimum floor applies to lower wage brackets. Verify against current SAWW at bwc.ohio.gov.

Your Avg Weekly Wage (AWW)	72% Benefit	Min/Max Applied	Weekly Benefit You Receive
$300	$216	Minimum floor applies	$419
$400	$288	Minimum floor applies	$419
$500	$360	Minimum floor applies	$419
$600	$432	Above floor	$432
$700	$504	Above floor	$504
$800	$576	Above floor	$576
$900	$648	Above floor	$648
$1,000	$720	Above floor	$720
$1,100	$792	Above floor	$792
$1,200	$864	Above floor	$864
$1,300	$936	Above floor	$936
$1,400	$1,008	Above floor	$1,008
$1,500	$1,080	Above floor	$1,080
$1,600	$1,152	Above floor	$1,152
$1,700	$1,224	Above floor	$1,224
$1,750	$1,260	At/above SAWW cap	$1,257
$1,800	$1,296	Capped	$1,257
$1,900	$1,368	Capped	$1,257
$2,000	$1,440	Capped	$1,257
$2,100	$1,512	Capped	$1,257
$2,200	$1,584	Capped	$1,257
$2,300	$1,656	Capped	$1,257
$2,400	$1,728	Capped	$1,257
$2,500	$1,800	Capped	$1,257
$2,600	$1,872	Capped	$1,257
$2,700	$1,944	Capped	$1,257
$2,800	$2,016	Capped	$1,257
$2,900	$2,088	Capped	$1,257
$3,000	$2,160	Capped	$1,257

SAWW cap and minimum floor based on 2025 Ohio BWC figures. The 2026 SAWW is published by BWC each fall and takes effect January 1.

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What the Law Says vs. What Actually Happens

The law is clear. The reality is messier.

How employers and managed care organizations miscalculate your AWW — and cost you money:

1. They exclude weeks you didn’t work. If you took unpaid leave, a layoff week, or FMLA in the 52-week window, some employers divide your total wages by 52 anyway. The correct approach under ORC § 4123.61 is to divide by the number of weeks actually worked if you had periods of non-work. This single error can slash your AWW by 10–20%.

2. They strip out overtime as “non-recurring.” There is no statutory basis for this. Ohio courts have consistently held that regular overtime is included in AWW. See State ex rel. Kroger Co. v. Johnson, 128 Ohio St.3d 243 (2011). If your employer’s HR department submitted wage data that excluded OT, your AWW is wrong.

3. They use net pay instead of gross pay. Your benefit is based on gross wages, not your take-home. This is surprisingly common when employers pull payroll data carelessly.

4. They omit your second job. Under ORC § 4123.56(A), wages from concurrent employment must be included if your employer had actual or constructive knowledge of the second job. Even if they claim ignorance, you can prove it with tax returns and W-2s.

What you should do: Pull your own W-2 and every pay stub for the 52 weeks before your injury. Calculate your AWW independently. Compare it to the AWW your employer reported to BWC on the First Report of Injury (FROI). If the numbers don’t match, file a wage statement dispute immediately. A workers’ comp attorney can compel production of certified payroll records.

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Real Case Example: Fluctuating Hours and Overtime

Worker: Marcus, warehouse loader, injured his lower back on March 14, 2025.

Earnings over prior 52 weeks:
– 46 weeks fully worked: $22,080 gross (includes regular OT)
– 3 weeks partially worked (illness): $810 gross
– 3 weeks unpaid leave: $0

Employer’s (incorrect) calculation:

$22,890 total ÷ 52 weeks = $440.19 AWW → 72% = $317/week (below floor, receives $419)

Correct calculation under ORC § 4123.61:

Marcus worked 49 weeks (46 full + 3 partial). The 3 unpaid weeks are excluded.
$22,890 ÷ 49 weeks = $467.14 AWW → 72% = $336/week (below floor, receives $419)

In this case the floor catches Marcus either way at $419/week — but if his wages were higher, that same calculation error would mean a significant weekly underpayment compounding over months or years of TTD.

If Marcus had been earning $1,100/week on average:
– Employer’s wrong AWW ($1,100 × 46/52 = $974): 72% = $701/week
– Correct AWW ($1,100 based on 49 weeks worked): 72% = $792/week
– Weekly shortfall: $91/week. Over a 12-month TTD: $4,732 underpaid.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How exactly does Ohio BWC calculate my Average Weekly Wage if I just started my job recently?

A: If you were employed for fewer than 52 weeks before your injury, Ohio BWC calculates your AWW by dividing your total gross earnings by the actual number of weeks you worked — not by 52. For example, if you worked 16 weeks and earned $14,400, your AWW is $900. If your employment period is too short to produce a meaningful average, the BWC may look at the wage rate for the position itself, or compare to a co-worker performing the same job. This is authorized under ORC § 4123.61, which gives the Industrial Commission discretion when the 52-week method produces an unfair result. Document your hire date, offer letter, and every pay stub you have. Short-tenure workers are disproportionately underpaid because employers sometimes use the full 52-week divisor even when the worker wasn’t employed that long, dramatically suppressing the AWW.

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Q: Does Ohio workers’ comp count my overtime when calculating my benefit?

A: Yes. Ohio law includes overtime in AWW, and the Ohio Supreme Court has affirmed this repeatedly. The landmark case is State ex rel. Kroger Co. v. Johnson, 128 Ohio St.3d 243 (2011), where the court held that all remuneration for employment — including overtime — must be factored into AWW. This matters enormously for skilled tradespeople, healthcare workers, and logistics employees who work consistent OT. If your employer submitted wage data that separated “base pay” from “overtime pay” and only used base pay, your AWW is understated. Request a copy of your employer’s wage statement filed with BWC and compare it to your actual W-2. Any discrepancy is grounds for a formal AWW recalculation request.

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Q: I worked two jobs when I was injured. Does Ohio include both incomes in my workers’ comp benefit?

A: It depends on whether your primary (injured) employer knew about the second job. Under ORC § 4123.56(A), wages from a concurrent employer are includable if your primary employer had actual or constructive knowledge of that concurrent employment. “Constructive knowledge” is broader than it sounds — if you ever mentioned the second job to a supervisor, listed it on a job application, or if it was in any way observable, that may be sufficient. Even if your employer claims no knowledge, you can argue the BWC should consider all wages to prevent unjust enrichment. Bring your W-2s from both employers and any documentation showing the second job to your attorney. This is one of the highest-value AWW disputes an injured worker can win.

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Q: Are Ohio workers’ comp benefits taxable?

A: Workers’ compensation benefits paid under Ohio’s workers’ comp system are generally excluded from federal gross income under IRC § 104(a)(1). They are also typically not subject to Ohio state income tax as workers’ comp payments. However, if you are also receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) simultaneously, a Social Security offset applies, and a portion of your SSDI may become taxable as a result. Additionally, if you return to light duty and receive a combination of partial wages and comp benefits, the wage portion is fully taxable. Do not assume your entire income stream is tax-free if you have any concurrent benefit. Consult a tax professional who

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