Missouri Workers' Comp TTD and TPD 2026: Rates and Light Duty

Missouri resets its workers' compensation maximums each July 1 from the state average weekly wage. For injuries from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, the most a worker can receive while temporarily unable to work is $1,294.71 a week. Missouri's rules on who picks your doctor and how quickly you must report an injury matter as much as the rate itself, so this guide covers both.

Temporary total disability (TTD)

Missouri pays 66⅔% of your average weekly earnings for TTD, limited to 105% of the state average weekly wage and never less than $40 a week.

Injury dates	TTD maximum	Minimum
July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027	$1,294.71	$40
July 1, 2025 – June 30, 2026	$1,280.84	$40

A worker needs average weekly earnings of about $1,942 to hit the maximum.

AWW	Weekly TTD (injury after July 1, 2026)
$1,100	$733.33
$2,200	$1,294.71 (maximum)

TTD continues until you can return to work or reach maximum medical improvement, with an outside limit of 400 weeks.

The waiting period

No benefits are paid for the first three business days off work, unless you are unable to work for more than 14 days. Then those days are paid too.

A worker earning $1,100 a week who is off 10 days loses three days of pay and receives about $733. Off 20 days, the same worker is paid for every day, about $2,095. This calculator counts the waiting period in calendar days, so treat the result for very short absences as an estimate.

Temporary partial disability (TPD)

If you can work but earn less, Missouri pays two-thirds of the difference between your average weekly wage and what you could earn with reasonable diligence in your partially disabled state. TPD is subject to the same maximum and minimum as TTD and is limited to 100 weeks.

A worker who averaged $1,100 and now earns $700 has a $400 weekly loss. TPD is two-thirds of that, $266.67 a week.

The words "with reasonable diligence" matter. If you could reasonably earn more than you do, the insurer may calculate TPD from what you could earn rather than what you actually earn.

Report the injury within 30 days

Tell your employer right away, and no later than 30 days after the injury or the diagnosis of an occupational disease. Put it in writing if you can, and keep a copy. Late notice is one of the most common reasons Missouri claims are disputed.

Who chooses the doctor?

In Missouri, the employer or its insurer selects the treating doctor. You can see a doctor of your own choosing, but generally at your own expense. Medical travel outside your local area is reimbursed when it is reasonable and necessary.

Permanent disability

After maximum medical improvement, permanent partial disability (PPD) is paid at two-thirds of your wage, but with a lower cap: $670.92 a week for injuries in July 2025 to June 2026, and $678.18 for injuries from July 2026. Scheduled body parts have a set number of weeks. An arm is 232 weeks, and amputation adds 10%. Other injuries are rated against a 400-week body-as-a-whole scale. Disfigurement of the head, neck, hands or arms can add up to 40 weeks.

What to do in the first two weeks after a Missouri work injury

The first days after an injury decide how smoothly the rest of the claim goes. Most delays and disputes trace back to something that was missed early, so it helps to work through a short list.

1. Get medical care and say it happened at work. Tell the clinic or emergency room that the injury is work-related, so the records and the bill go to workers' comp rather than your health insurance.
2. Report the injury to your employer. Missouri requires written notice within 30 days of the injury or diagnosis. Report it in writing, even if you also told a supervisor in person, and keep a copy or a photo of what you sent.
3. File the claim. If the claim isn't paid, file a Claim for Compensation with the Division of Workers' Compensation, generally within two years of the injury or the last payment (three years if the employer didn't file its report).
4. Ask for the work status note. After each visit, ask the doctor for written work restrictions or an off-work note, and give a copy to your employer. Benefits follow those notes.
5. Save your pay records. Gather pay stubs for the period your state uses to set the average weekly wage. You'll need them to check the first payment.
6. Write things down. Keep a simple log of calls with the adjuster, dates of appointments and days missed. It takes minutes and settles most later arguments.

If your Missouri check is late or looks wrong

Start with the numbers. Divide your weekly check by your average weekly wage and compare the result with the formula above. If it is lower than it should be, the usual causes are an average weekly wage that left out overtime or part of the look-back period, the wrong year's rate table, or days counted under the waiting period that should have been paid back.

Then ask the insurer, in writing, for the wage statement and the calculation it used. Most errors are corrected at this stage once you send pay stubs that show the difference. If payments have stopped without a written explanation, or the insurer won't correct a clear mistake, contact the Division of Workers' Compensation's Information and Assistance Unit. State agencies run ombudsman or customer-assistance programs for injured workers, and a workers' compensation attorney can review the claim; in most states their fees are limited by law and come out of the benefits recovered rather than being billed up front.

Questions Missouri workers ask

What is the Missouri TTD max for 2026? $1,294.71 a week for injuries from July 1, 2026.

Is the waiting period really business days? Yes. Missouri's statute counts the first three business days, which is why weekends can shift the result slightly for short absences.

How long can partial benefits last? Up to 100 weeks.

Is workers' comp taxable in Missouri? No. It is excluded from federal income tax, and Missouri follows that treatment.

Calculate your Missouri benefit

The Missouri workers' comp calculator uses the correct July-to-June table, applies the $40 floor, the waiting period and the 100- and 400-week limits.

Sources

• MVP Law, Missouri workers' compensation rate card 2026
• Missouri Department of Labor, state average weekly wage and maximums, July 2025 – June 2026
• Revised Statutes of Missouri §287.170, §§287.160 and 287.180
• Nolo, How much are workers' compensation benefits in Missouri?