How Longshore compensation is figured
- Total disability, temporary or permanent, pays 66⅔% of your average weekly wage for as long as it lasts (33 U.S.C. 908(a), (b)).
- Temporary partial disability pays two-thirds of the difference between your AWW before the injury and your wage-earning capacity after it, for up to five years (908(e)). Permanent partial disability to an unlisted part of the body uses the same formula without the five-year limit (908(c)(21)).
- Schedule awards pay two-thirds of AWW for a fixed number of weeks per body part, in addition to any temporary disability already paid. Partial loss or loss of use is paid in proportion (908(c)(19)).
- Disability compensation can't exceed 200% of the national average weekly wage. Total disability can't be paid at less than 50% of the NAWW, unless your AWW is lower, in which case you get your full AWW (906(b)).
- For a new award, the maximum is the one in effect when your disability began, not when the claim is decided (Roberts v. Sea-Land Services, 2012). Ongoing permanent total disability payments move up to each new year's maximum and get the yearly Section 10(f) increase (906(c), 910(f)).
Schedule of body parts (33 U.S.C. 908(c))
| Loss of | Weeks |
|---|---|
| Arm | 312 |
| Leg | 288 |
| Hand | 244 |
| Foot | 205 |
| Eye | 160 |
| Thumb | 75 |
| First finger | 46 |
| Great toe | 38 |
| Second finger | 30 |
| Third finger | 25 |
| Toe other than great toe | 16 |
| Fourth finger | 15 |
| Hearing, one ear | 52 |
| Hearing, both ears | 200 |
Losing more than one phalanx of a digit counts as losing the whole digit, and the first phalanx counts as half. An amputation at or above the elbow or knee is an arm or leg; between the elbow and wrist or knee and ankle, a hand or foot. Losing 80% or more of the vision of an eye counts as losing the eye. Losses of two or more digits may be proportioned to the hand or foot but can't exceed it (908(c)(14)-(17)).
Weekly rate for total disability, October 2026 to September 2027
| Average weekly wage | Longshore Act | Defense Base Act |
|---|---|---|
| $400.00 | $400.00 | $266.67 |
| $750.00 | $540.98 | $500.00 |
| $1,000.00 | $666.67 | $666.67 |
| $1,500.00 | $1,000.00 | $1,000.00 |
| $2,000.00 | $1,333.33 | $1,333.33 |
| $3,000.00 | $2,000.00 | $2,000.00 |
| $3,500.00 | $2,163.92 | $2,163.92 |
| $4,000.00 | $2,163.92 | $2,163.92 |
Estimates only. The district director or an administrative law judge sets the AWW, the type and extent of disability, and the rate. Permanent total disability and death benefits also get the yearly Section 10(f) adjustment (33 U.S.C. 910(f): 3.90% on October 1, 2026). Federal employees are covered by FECA instead. See the FECA compensation calculator.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Longshore (LHWCA) compensation?
Two-thirds (66⅔%) of your average weekly wage for total disability (33 U.S.C. 908(a), (b)). With an AWW of $1,200, that's $800.00 a week, paid in installments twice a month unless the district director sets another period (914(b)).
What is the maximum LHWCA compensation rate for 2026-2027?
$2,163.92 a week (200% of the national average weekly wage of $1,081.96) for disabilities beginning October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027 (906(b); DOL Bulletin 26-01). The minimum for total disability is $540.98, or your full AWW if it's lower.
How does a schedule award work?
For permanent partial loss of a listed body part, you get two-thirds of AWW for a set number of weeks (arm 312, leg 288, hand 244, foot 205, eye 160), reduced in proportion to the percentage of loss (908(c)). A 20% loss of use of an arm at $800 a week is 62.4 weeks, or $49,920.
Does the Defense Base Act use the same rates?
The Defense Base Act extends the Longshore Act to overseas contractors (42 U.S.C. 1651), so the same two-thirds rate and maximum apply, but the minimum weekly rate for total disability does not (42 U.S.C. 1652(a)).