Pennsylvania law requires every company to have workers' compensation insurance if they have at least one employee. This important insurance helps injured workers recover medical costs and lost wages associated with any injury that occurs while on the job.
If you’ve sustained an injury while working, you might be wondering how much you’ll be able to receive with your Pennsylvania workers' comp benefits. This is an important question to ask! Finding out more about how payments work under the state’s system will help you decide if you’ll accept workers' compensation benefits or if you’ll pursue further compensation through a personal injury claim.
How Much Does Workers' Comp Pay in PA?
The law sets maximum and minimum limits on workers’ compensation benefits based on the statewide average weekly wage (SAWW). The SAWW is recalculated every year by the Department of Labor & Industry. As of January 2025, workers can’t receive more than $1,347 in weekly workers' compensation benefits. It doesn’t matter if two-thirds of your average weekly paycheck exceeds that amount; you’ll still only receive the maximum.
Workers' compensation payments are not a fixed amount. Instead, claimants receive different benefit amounts depending on their average weekly wage. You’ll need to know your average take-home pay to calculate your benefits.
If you have just one employer and make the same amount every week, you’ll just need your paystubs to calculate your average weekly pay. If you work hourly or make a variable amount of money, you’ll need your overtime, bonuses, tips, and paychecks from all your employers over several weeks; divide your total by the number of weeks to get your average.
The Workers’ Compensation Benefits Schedule for 2025
Once you have your average weekly wage, you’ll need to find out where you are on the schedule of workers’ compensation rates. Pennsylvania releases a new schedule every year, so make sure you use the schedule for the year you were injured.
2025 workers' compensation rates in PA are as follows:
- If you make $2,020.51/week or more, you’ll receive $1,347 in weekly benefits.
- If you make between $2,020.50/week and $1,010.26/week, you’ll receive 66.66% of your average pay in weekly benefits.
- If you make between $1,010.25/week and $748.33/week, you’ll receive $673.50 in weekly benefits.
- If you make $748.32/week or less, you’ll receive 90% of your average pay in weekly benefits.
Should I Accept Workers' Compensation Benefits?
While workers' compensation insurance is an important protection and safety net for workers who sustain an injury on the job, it might not be the best option for them after an accident. Workers' compensation is designed to help workers receive compensation after an accident. However, it’s also designed to protect employers for litigation. Once a worker accepts workers' compensation, they’ll be unable to file a personal injury claim against their employer should they need more money for losses related to their injuries.
If you’ve been seriously injured by an accident that should have been prevented by your employer, you might be able to file a personal injury claim. Doing so might help you get the compensation that you need rather than the amount that is available through workers' compensation insurance. To find out what options you should take after your work-related injury, you should speak with a work injury lawyer.
If you’re a Pennsylvania worker and are struggling to receive the workers' compensation you need, Handler, Henning & Rosenberg LLC is ready to help. Attorney Jeff Watson is certified in Pennsylvania workers' compensation matters and is ready to help you. If you don’t believe that workers' comp will be enough to cover the losses associated with your injury, our team of work injury lawyers is ready to hold your employer accountable for the negligence that harmed you.
Call us today for a free consultation with our Pennsylvania workers' compensation lawyers. We’re standing by to take your call and help you decide what your options are at (888) 498-3023.