Workers comp research guide
TPD calculator for California workers comp
Estimate California temporary partial disability pay after returning to work at lower wages. Compare weekly wage loss, your verified cap and a period subtotal.
California workers comp · TPD
Estimate reduced-earnings benefits
Wages and weeks start with example values. Enter your verified TD maximum to calculate; no current statutory cap is assumed.
Weekly estimate = min(⅔ × max(0, pre-injury wages − current earnings), verified TD maximum). The period subtotal uses the rounded weekly amount.
Official California DWC benefit ratesComplete all fields, including your verified weekly maximum, to see an estimate.
Working fewer hours or earning less while recovering from a California work injury? Temporary partial disability (TPD) replaces part of the wages lost because of the injury. This calculator uses the California DWC general rule: two-thirds of the difference between the accepted pre-injury weekly wage and current weekly earnings, limited by the applicable TD maximum. Enter gross wages for the same weekly period. Actual earnings are a simplified stand-in for earning capacity; the claims administrator may determine a different amount.
California workers compensation only. This is a wage-loss illustration, not a benefit award, a settlement valuation, EDD State Disability Insurance or Australian total and permanent disability insurance. A doctor’s restrictions, earning capacity, waiting period, payable dates and benefit-duration rules still matter. Reviewed October 18, 2026.
California TPD calculation examples
Each example assumes a $1,200 pre-injury gross weekly wage and a hypothetical $1,200 weekly maximum. This maximum is an example, not a published rate for any injury year. Weekly amounts round to cents before the four-week subtotal. Use the official DWC rate table and confirm your applicable limit.
Temporary partial disability questions
- How is TPD calculated in California?
- The simplified estimate is two-thirds of the weekly wages lost because of the injury, subject to the applicable temporary disability maximum. For example, $1,200 before the injury minus $600 in current earnings gives a $600 loss and a $400 weekly estimate, provided the maximum is at least $400.
- What is the difference between TPD, TTD and permanent partial disability?
- TPD concerns reduced earnings while recovering and doing some work. TTD concerns being unable to work at all during recovery. Permanent partial disability concerns lasting disability and uses a different rating and benefit process. Entering zero current earnings shows the wage-loss arithmetic only; it does not establish TTD eligibility.
- Which weekly maximum should I enter?
- Check the temporary disability rate for your date of injury on the official California DWC benefits table, then confirm the applicable maximum with the claims administrator. Do not use a permanent disability cap or assume the newest calendar-year rate applies. Certain payments beginning two or more years after injury can require rate adjustments.
- Should I use gross wages or take-home pay?
- Use gross, pre-tax amounts for the same weekly period. California DWC says the wage basis can include overtime, bonuses, tips, lodging and earnings from other jobs. Ask the claims administrator to confirm the pre-injury average and earning capacity when hours, duties or income change.
- Does the period subtotal tell me what the insurer owes?
- No. It multiplies one rounded weekly estimate by the number of weeks entered. It does not deduct prior payments or apply waiting periods, partial-day rules, medical eligibility, duration limits or changing earnings. Calculate separate periods when pay changes and reconcile them with the benefit ledger.
- Can I use this TPD calculator for another state or EDD benefits?
- This tool models California workers compensation only. Other states use different formulas and limits. California EDD disability insurance and paid family leave are separate programs. TPD can also mean total and permanent disability insurance in Australia; that is a different product and is not calculated here.
Before comparing this estimate with a payment
- Confirm the pre-injury wage basis, current earnings and accepted earning capacity; use comparable gross weekly amounts.
- Verify the TD maximum for the injury date, including any applicable later-payment adjustment. Keep the official rate source with your records.
- Check medical restrictions, payable dates, waiting and duration rules, then compare the same period with payments already received.