Workers' Comp Permanent Disability Estimator
Applies the statutory weeks-per-percent schedule to a PD rating you already have and gives a rough payout range. It does not produce a rating.
Once you have a final permanent disability percentage, California's Labor Code 4658 schedule converts it into a number of payment weeks (the rate per percentage point increases in brackets, from 3 weeks/% up to 16 weeks/%), paid at two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to a $160-$290/week range for injuries on or after January 1, 2014.
Enter your final PD rating percentage and average weekly wage for a rough payout estimate.
Permanent Disability Estimator
Estimated Total PD Payout
Total Weeks
Weekly Rate
How this is calculated
Total weeks add up across the Labor Code 4658 brackets. The first 9.75 percentage points pay 3 weeks each, the next portion (9.75% to 14.75%) pays 4 weeks each, and the rate keeps rising to 16 weeks per percentage point above roughly 69.75%.
Your weekly dollar rate is two-thirds of your average weekly wage, floored and capped at $160/$290 per week at every rating level (Labor Code 4453(b) limits average weekly earnings to $240-$435 for injuries from 2014 on). Total payout = total weeks × weekly rate.
This tool assumes you already have your final PD rating percentage. It does not calculate that percentage from a medical impairment number. Doing so requires the occupational variant tables and age adjustment factors for your job, applied under the AMA Guides, and a calculator like this one can't reproduce that.
Treat this as a rough sanity check on math you already have, not a substitute for a qualified medical evaluation or an attorney's review.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is permanent disability calculated in California workers' comp?
Your rated whole-person impairment (adjusted for occupation and age) determines a permanent disability percentage. That percentage is converted into a number of weeks of payment using the Labor Code 4658 schedule, and each week pays at two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to statutory minimum and maximum weekly rates.
What is the maximum weekly PD payment in California?
For injuries on or after January 1, 2014, the weekly rate is two-thirds of your average weekly wage, but no less than $160 and no more than $290, at every rating level. Labor Code 4453 fixes these limits in dollars, so unlike temporary disability rates they don't rise with wages each year.
Does a higher disability percentage always mean more weeks per percentage point?
Yes. The weeks-per-percent rate rises in brackets as the rating rises, from 3 weeks per percentage point at the low end to 16 weeks per point above about 70%. The payout is therefore not the rating multiplied by one fixed number.
Why is my real PD rating different from my doctor's raw impairment number?
A doctor's whole-person impairment rating (from the AMA Guides) is adjusted by an occupational variant factor, based on your job, and an age adjustment factor. The result is your final, legal permanent disability percentage. These adjustments can move the number substantially, and this calculator does not perform them.
Is this a substitute for a real PD rating?
No. This estimator applies the dollar-per-week payment schedule to a percentage you provide. It doesn't calculate that percentage from a medical impairment rating. Use it to check a rating you already have, and consult a workers' compensation attorney for anything more.
This is not legal or medical advice. Permanent disability ratings and payouts are determined by a qualified medical evaluator and the workers' compensation system based on facts this calculator cannot assess. Consult a licensed workers' compensation attorney before relying on any figure here.