What Is Temporary Total Disability (TTD)?
Temporary Total Disability is the most common workers' compensation benefit. It pays you a weekly wage replacement when a work injury keeps you from doing any part of your job. TTD is designed to cover the gap between the day you get hurt and the day you return to work - or reach Maximum Medical Improvement.
Many systems use roughly two-thirds of average weekly wage, subject to applicable limits. The rate is a legal benefit rule, not a promise to replace the full paycheck.
Some systems use after-tax earnings, family-status factors, or other adjustments. This calculator simplifies those rules. Confirm the actual wage basis and rate with the agency handling your claim.
How TTD Is Calculated - Step by Step
Step 1: Calculate your average weekly wage (AWW)
Obtain the wage calculation used for the claim. A full-year earnings total divided by 52 can be a useful illustration, but states use different lookback periods and rules for irregular employment, overtime, bonuses, and concurrent jobs. Do not assume every earnings item is included.
Step 2: Apply your state's benefit rate
Apply the percentage and wage basis required by your jurisdiction. The selected rate in this calculator is a simplified assumption; after-tax or family-based systems may require more information.
Step 3: Apply the state maximum cap
Compare the result with the maximum that applies to the claim’s injury date. A current-year maximum may not govern an older claim. Higher earners can receive an effective replacement rate below the headline percentage.
Step 4: Apply any state minimum
Check any minimum and low-wage exception in the applicable rules. A displayed floor is not a universal entitlement; some systems limit a minimum by actual earnings.
What Counts as Your Average Weekly Wage
Compare the claim’s wage calculation with your records. Ask which of these earnings are included under the governing rules:
- Regular hourly wages or salary
- Overtime pay (including regular, voluntary overtime)
- Bonuses received in the 52-week period
- Commissions and piece-rate earnings
- Shift differentials (night pay, hazard pay)
- Income from a second job you held at the time of injury (in most states)
- Seasonal or irregular pay, averaged over the full year
An omitted earnings item is worth checking, but it is not automatically an error: jurisdictions treat these items differently. Request a written explanation and retain pay stubs covering the required lookback period.
How Long Does TTD Last?
TTD continues until one of three things happens:
- You return to work at your pre-injury wage capacity
- Your doctor releases you to return to work (even light duty)
- You reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI)
Duration limits and exceptions vary by state and injury. The calculator’s weeks slider is an input range, not a legal entitlement to that number of paid weeks. Medical recovery time and payable time are not necessarily identical.
If permanent impairment remains, check the rules for permanent benefits. Use the PPD calculator for a separate modeled scenario; the end of TTD does not automatically establish a permanent award.
Signs You May Be Receiving Less Than You Should
Check your weekly benefit against this calculator. If there is a gap, these are the most common causes:
AWW calculated incorrectly. The carrier excluded overtime, bonuses, or second-job income. This is the most frequent source of underpayment - and the easiest to challenge with pay stubs.
Wrong benefit rate applied. Some carriers apply a lower percentage than state law requires, especially in states with tiered rates.
Rate-date mismatch. Compare the cap with the agency notice applicable to your claim. An older cap may be correct for an older injury; a difference from the current-year estimate alone is not proof of error.
Misclassification of injury type. If the carrier classified your injury as a partial disability when it is actually a total disability, your benefit rate may be lower than it should be.
A state agency or licensed workers’ comp lawyer can explain wage calculations and dispute procedures. Ask about consultation charges, fees, and expenses; neither a free review nor a recovery is guaranteed.
TTD vs. TPD vs. PPD: which calculation comes next?
If you return at lower earnings, compare the temporary partial disability model. If lasting impairment remains after stabilization, use the PPD rating calculator. For displayed caps, see weekly benefit rates by state.
Official example: California DWC temporary disability guidance explains that state’s payment and eligibility rules. Confirm your own jurisdiction rather than transferring California’s rules to another state.
Workers' Comp Calculators by State
Pick your state for benefit caps, weekly rate, and a state-specific calculator.
Related calculators and guides
Keep going with the tool that matches your stage of the claim.
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Max and min weekly rates for all 50 states.
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TTD FAQ
How does a TTD calculator work?+
Enter your average weekly wage and state. A TTD calculator multiplies the wage by your state's rate, usually two-thirds, then applies that state's weekly maximum and minimum for your injury date. Example: a $1,200 weekly wage in a two-thirds state is about $800 a week, unless the state cap is lower. Multiply by the weeks you are off work for a rough total.
How is temporary total disability calculated?+
This model multiplies average weekly wage by the selected state rate, then applies its stored minimum and maximum assumptions. Actual AWW rules, included earnings, effective-date rates, and eligibility vary. With a chosen $1,000 AWW and an uncapped two-thirds rate, the illustration is about $667 per week—not proof of the legal amount due.
Can the insurance company cut off my TTD benefits?+
Yes. Carriers can terminate TTD when your doctor releases you to return to work, when you reach Maximum Medical Improvement, or when you return to work at full wages. Many states also allow carriers to suspend benefits if you refuse suitable light-duty work your doctor approves. If your benefits are cut off and you believe the reason is wrong, you have the right to dispute the decision through your state workers' compensation board.
What happens to TTD if I return to light duty?+
Reduced-wage light duty may qualify for temporary partial disability under your state rules. As a two-thirds illustration, a reduction from $1,000 to $600 leaves a $400 wage gap and about $267 of modeled partial benefits. Eligibility, caps, and duration must be checked separately.
How do I calculate workers' comp wage loss if I'm back at lower pay?+
Subtract what you earn now from your pre-injury average weekly wage, then multiply the gap by your state's rate, usually two-thirds. Returning at $600 a week after earning $1,000 leaves a $400 gap, so a two-thirds state pays about $266.67 a week, up to the state maximum. Choose "Back at lower pay" in the calculator to run your numbers.
Does TTD cover weekends and holidays?+
TTD is a wage-replacement benefit, but rules for partial weeks, waiting days, and retroactive payment differ by jurisdiction. Multiplying the weekly estimate by weeks off does not calculate every payable day. Verify the claim’s payment dates with the state agency.
Is there a waiting period before I start receiving TTD?+
Waiting periods and the conditions for paying waiting days later are state-specific. This calculator does not subtract waiting days or determine retroactive entitlement. Check the governing rules and payment history before treating the total as an amount owed.
What is the highest weekly TTD benefit in any state?+
The weekly-rate table compares this site’s stored state maximums, but benefit ceilings change on different dates and can depend on injury date. Verify the applicable agency rate notice rather than assuming the latest displayed cap governs every existing claim.