Arizona Workers’ Comp by the Numbers: Claims, Hearings, Delays and What a Claim Pays
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- 62,803 Workers’ comp claims filed in Arizona in fiscal year 2023, down 33% from 93,700 in fiscal year 2019. (Industrial Commission of Arizona, 2023 Annual Report, 2023)
- 5,787 Hearings held by the Industrial Commission’s judges in fiscal year 2023, up 13% from 5,101 in fiscal year 2019. (Industrial Commission of Arizona, 2023 Annual Report, 2023)
- 182 Workers’ comp judge cases from fiscal year 2025 that went past the 30-day legal deadline for a decision. (Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106 (August 2026), 2025)
- 12 Straight years of workers’ comp insurance rate cuts in Arizona, including a 6.7% cut effective January 1, 2026. (Insurance Journal, reporting Arizona DIFI, 2026)
- $4,087.33 Most a worker can receive per month for temporary total disability in 2026 (two thirds of the $6,131 wage cap). It rises to $4,222.21 for injuries on or after January 1, 2027. (Industrial Commission of Arizona, AMW statutory maximum; A.R.S. 23-1045, 2026)
- 450 days Average time to resolve the bad faith complaints state auditors reviewed, with the longest taking 832 days. (Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106 (August 2026), 2025)
If you get hurt on the job in Phoenix or Mesa, two questions come up fast: what will my workers’ comp claim actually pay, and how long will it take?
Most pages that answer those questions are written by law firms and lean on generic national figures.
Arizona’s own numbers are buried in Industrial Commission annual reports, state statutes and a state audit published in August 2026.
We pulled those numbers together in one place. The trend that jumps out is not the one most people expect.
Fewer people are filing claims, and employers are paying less for coverage every year, yet disputes keep climbing.
Arizona held 9.2 workers’ comp hearings for every 100 claims filed in fiscal year 2023, up from 5.4 in fiscal year 2019, even as claims fell by a third. (Industrial Commission of Arizona, 2023 Annual Report (calculated from claims filed and hearings held), 2023)
This page covers how many claims Arizona gets, how often they end up in front of a judge, how long each step takes under the law and in practice, what a claim pays, and what that looks like on a real Phoenix area paycheck.
The Accident Doctors treat work injury patients at our Phoenix and Mesa clinics, and you can read how we handle workers’ compensation claims in Phoenix if you were just hurt.
1 How Many Workers’ Comp Claims Does Arizona Get Each Year?
Arizona recorded 62,803 workers’ comp claims in fiscal year 2023, down from 93,700 in fiscal year 2019, according to the Industrial Commission of Arizona (Industrial Commission of Arizona, 2023 Annual Report, 2023). Claims dropped sharply in fiscal 2020 and have stayed near 65,000 a year since. Over the same stretch, employers saw 12 straight yearly insurance rate cuts.
| METRIC | VALUE | SOURCE |
|---|---|---|
| Claims filed, FY2019 | 93,700 | ICA 2023 Annual Report, p.23 |
| Claims filed, FY2020 | 69,237 | ICA 2023 Annual Report, p.23 |
| Claims filed, FY2021 | 64,970 | ICA 2023 Annual Report, p.23 |
| Claims filed, FY2022 | 65,139 | ICA 2023 Annual Report, p.23 |
| Claims filed, FY2023 | 62,803 | Industrial Commission of Arizona, 2023 Annual Report |
| Consecutive yearly rate cuts for employers | 12 | Insurance Journal, reporting Arizona DIFI, Nov 2025 |
| Rate cut effective January 1, 2026 | 6.7% | Insurance Journal, reporting Arizona DIFI |
| Premium rate per $100 of payroll, 2006 | $1.73 | ICA 2023 Annual Report p.26 (Oregon premium rate ranking) |
| Premium rate per $100 of payroll, 2022 | $0.87 | ICA 2023 Annual Report p.26 (Oregon premium rate ranking) |
| Arizona premium rate rank (51 is cheapest) | 44 of 51 (8th lowest) | ICA 2023 Annual Report p.26 |
For employers, workers’ comp in Arizona keeps getting cheaper. The average premium rate fell from $1.73 per $100 of payroll in 2006 to $0.87 in 2022, which ranked Arizona among the least expensive states in the country. The Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions approved another 6.7% cut for 2026. That market is large: 335 insurers wrote about 120,000 policies.
Fewer claims does not mean the injuries got easier to deal with. Falls, lifting strains and repetitive stress injuries still put Phoenix and Mesa workers out of work every week. Our guides to workplace fall injuries and ergonomic injuries explain what these look like in the first days after they happen.
2 Why Are Arizona Workers’ Comp Hearings Rising While Claims Fall? 9.2 Per 100 Claims
The Industrial Commission’s judges held 5,787 hearings in fiscal year 2023, up from 5,101 in fiscal year 2019, while claims fell by a third (Industrial Commission of Arizona, 2023 Annual Report, 2023). That works out to 9.2 hearings for every 100 claims, up from 5.4. The rate rose every single year in between.
| METRIC | VALUE | SOURCE |
|---|---|---|
| Hearings per 100 claims, FY2019 | 5.4 | Calculated from ICA 2023 Annual Report |
| Hearings per 100 claims, FY2020 | 6.9 | Calculated from ICA 2023 Annual Report |
| Hearings per 100 claims, FY2021 | 8.2 | Calculated from ICA 2023 Annual Report |
| Hearings per 100 claims, FY2022 | 8.6 | Calculated from ICA 2023 Annual Report |
| Hearings per 100 claims, FY2023 | 9.2 | Industrial Commission of Arizona, 2023 Annual Report (calculated from claims filed and hearings held) |
| Hearings held, FY2023 | 5,787 | Industrial Commission of Arizona, 2023 Annual Report |
| Judge-approved settlement awards, FY2019 | 691 | ICA 2023 Annual Report, p.32 |
| Judge-approved settlement awards, FY2023 | 522 | ICA 2023 Annual Report, p.32 |
| Cases received by Commission judges, FY2025 | 6,068 | Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106, p.30 |
| Approved settlements where the worker had a lawyer, FY2020 | 61% (336 of 547) | ICA, 2020 ALJ Hearing Process |
A hearing is not the same thing as a disputed claim. One claim can need several hearings, for example one for the injured worker’s testimony and later ones for the doctors, and the same judges also hear some wage cases. Even so, the direction is clear, and the caseload has not let up: the Commission’s judges received 6,068 new cases in fiscal year 2025.
Disputes in Arizona usually go to a hearing before an Industrial Commission judge, not to regular court. Settlements happen too, but a judge has to approve them, and approved settlements fell from 691 to 522 over the same period. When the Commission last published the breakdown, 61% (336 of 547) of approved full and final settlements involved a worker who had a lawyer. Our page on what a workers’ compensation attorney does walks through when that help makes sense.
3 How Long Does an Arizona Workers’ Comp Claim Take?
Arizona law sets the clock. Insurers have 21 days to accept or deny a claim, wage checks do not cover the first 7 days off work, and workers have 90 days to request a hearing after a denial (A.R.S. 23-1061(M), 2026). A judge must then decide within 30 days of a case being submitted, but a 2026 state audit found 182 cases from fiscal 2025 that ran past that deadline.
| METRIC | VALUE | SOURCE |
|---|---|---|
| Deadline to file a claim after an injury | 1 year | A.R.S. 23-1061(A) |
| Insurer deadline to accept or deny | 21 days | A.R.S. 23-1061(M) |
| Unpaid waiting period before wage checks | 7 days | A.R.S. 23-1062 |
| Deadline to request a hearing after a notice | 90 days | A.R.S. 23-947 |
| Legal deadline for a first hearing when owed benefits were denied | 60 days | A.R.S. 23-1061(J) |
| Days to first hearing in the two audited cases | 79 and 99 days | Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106, p.30 |
| Legal deadline for a judge’s decision | 30 days | A.R.S. 23-942(A), via Auditor General Report 26-106, p.30 |
| FY2025 cases past the decision deadline | 182 | Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106 (August 2026) |
| Longest decision in the audit sample | 161 days | Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106, Figure 1 p.31 |
| Late decisions where the worker won benefits | 5 of 6 | Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106, p.31 |
| Average decision time, substantive awards, FY2020 | 27 days | ICA, 2020 ALJ Hearing Process |
The August 2026 audit by the Arizona Auditor General looked closely at cases that missed the deadline. In the sample it reviewed, late decisions took anywhere from 35 to 161 days after submission, and in 5 of 6 late cases the worker ended up being awarded benefits such as medical, surgical or supportive care. That means care the worker was owed was held up while the paperwork sat. The Commission told auditors the most common reason first hearings slip is a party asking to postpone.
Arizona does not publish how many days it usually takes from an injury to the first check, so no one can give you a reliable average. What you can control is the start. Report the injury, get examined quickly, and keep copies of every notice. Our injury symptoms checklist helps you write down what hurts before details fade, and our guide to the healing timeline shows what recovery usually looks like week by week.
4 How Much Does Arizona Workers’ Comp Pay? $4,087 a Month at Most in 2026
While you cannot work, Arizona pays 66 2/3% of average monthly wage (A.R.S. 23-1045, 2026). The wage used is capped at $6,131.00 for 2026 injuries, so the most anyone can receive is $4,087.33 a month. For injuries on or after January 1, 2027, the cap rises to $6,333.32 and the maximum check to $4,222.21.
| METRIC | VALUE | SOURCE |
|---|---|---|
| Temporary total disability rate | 66 2/3% of average monthly wage | A.R.S. 23-1045 |
| Average monthly wage cap, 2026 injuries | $6,131.00 | Industrial Commission of Arizona |
| Maximum monthly check, 2026 injuries | $4,087.33 | Industrial Commission of Arizona, AMW statutory maximum; A.R.S. 23-1045 |
| Average monthly wage cap, 2027 injuries | $6,333.32 | Industrial Commission of Arizona |
| Maximum monthly check, 2027 injuries | $4,222.21 | Calculated: two thirds of ICA 2027 cap |
| Permanent injury rate for listed body parts | 55% of average monthly wage | A.R.S. 23-1044(B) |
| Months paid, loss of an index finger | 9 | A.R.S. 23-1044(B) |
| Months paid, loss of a thumb | 15 | A.R.S. 23-1044(B) |
| Months paid, loss of a major hand | 50 | A.R.S. 23-1044(B) |
| Months paid, loss of a leg | 50 | A.R.S. 23-1044(B) |
| Months paid, loss of a major arm | 60 | A.R.S. 23-1044(B) |
| Months paid, complete loss of sight in one eye | 25 | A.R.S. 23-1044(B) |
Wage-loss checks are only part of a claim. If an injury leaves a lasting loss, Arizona law lists specific body parts and pays 55% of average monthly wage for a set number of months, on top of the time-off checks. Losing a thumb pays 15 months, a major hand 50 and a major arm 60. Injuries to the back, neck or head are not on that list. They are paid based on how much the injury cuts your ability to earn, which is one reason those claims are disputed so often.
Medical care is the other part. Under Arizona workers’ comp, the insurer pays for treatment related to the work injury, so the worker should not be paying out of pocket. Old injuries can complicate this when the insurer argues the pain came from something earlier, and our page on pre-existing conditions explains how that plays out.
5 What Would a Phoenix or Mesa Worker Actually Get? Real Paycheck Examples
Using average Phoenix area pay from May 2025 federal wage data, a full-time warehouse or delivery worker earning $24.38 an hour would get about $2,817 a month while off work (BLS, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, May 2025, 2025). A construction worker at $29.42 would get about $3,400, and a nursing assistant or other healthcare support worker at $20.29 about $2,345.
| METRIC | VALUE | SOURCE |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix area average hourly pay, all jobs | $33.48 | BLS, Occupational Employment and Wages in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, May 2025 |
| Average hourly pay, transportation and material moving | $24.38 | BLS, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, May 2025 |
| Average hourly pay, construction and extraction | $29.42 | BLS, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, May 2025 |
| Average hourly pay, healthcare support | $20.29 | BLS, Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, May 2025 |
| Monthly wage-loss check, warehouse or delivery worker | $2,817 | Calculated: $24.38 x 2,080 hours / 12 x 66 2/3% |
| Monthly wage-loss check, construction worker | $3,400 | Calculated: $29.42 x 2,080 hours / 12 x 66 2/3% |
| Monthly wage-loss check, healthcare support worker | $2,345 | Calculated: $20.29 x 2,080 hours / 12 x 66 2/3% |
| Index finger award, construction worker | $25,242 | Calculated from BLS May 2025 wage and A.R.S. 23-1044(B) |
| Thumb award, warehouse or delivery worker | $34,863 | Calculated from BLS May 2025 wage and A.R.S. 23-1044(B) |
These are illustrations, not quotes. Each one takes the federal average hourly pay for a job group, multiplies it by a full-time year of 2,080 hours, divides by 12 to get a monthly wage, and applies Arizona’s benefit rates. Your own average monthly wage is set from your actual earnings, and overtime, second jobs and short work histories all change it. All of these examples fall under the 2026 cap, so the cap only matters for higher earners.
The permanent injury examples show why an early medical record matters. A construction worker who loses an index finger would be owed about $25,242, and a warehouse worker who loses a thumb about $34,863. If an injury is not documented quickly and clearly, those amounts are easier to dispute. If you are not sure whether to go to an ER or a clinic first, our comparison of the emergency room and urgent care can help.
6 What If Your Insurer Acts in Bad Faith or Your Employer Has No Coverage?
Arizona penalizes insurers that unreasonably delay, underpay or cut off benefits. The Industrial Commission received 1,268 bad faith complaints in fiscal 2024 and 2025 and found 74 proven, but the complaints auditors reviewed took 450 days on average to resolve (Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106, p.47, 2025). Workers whose employer had no insurance are paid through a state Special Fund instead.
| METRIC | VALUE | SOURCE |
|---|---|---|
| Bad faith complaints, FY2024 and FY2025 | 1,268 | Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106, p.47 |
| Bad faith complaints proven | 74 | Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106, p.47 |
| Average time to resolve audited complaints | 450 days | Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106 (August 2026) |
| Longest audited complaint | 832 days | Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106, Figure 2 p.48 |
| Penalty when bad faith is proven | 25% of benefits owed or $500, whichever is greater | A.R.S. 23-930(B), via Auditor General Report 26-106 |
| Claims from workers with uninsured employers, FY2023 | 498 | ICA 2023 Annual Report, p.29 |
| Claims from workers with uninsured employers, FY2025 | 516 | Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106 |
| Paid to workers of uninsured employers, FY2016 to FY2025 | $73,420,856 | Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106, Table 3 p.a-3 |
| Employers reported for possibly lacking coverage, FY2023 | 1,309 | ICA 2023 Annual Report, p.33 |
| Civil penalties issued to uninsured employers, FY2023 | 22 | ICA 2023 Annual Report, p.34 |
Bad faith under Arizona law covers more than late checks. It includes misleading an injured worker and unreasonably interfering with a worker’s right to choose their attending physician. When a complaint is proven, the insurer owes a penalty of 25% of benefits owed or $500, whichever is greater on top of the benefits. The catch is time: the longest complaint auditors reviewed stayed open 832 days, and the Commission told auditors it expected to hire another Claims Division staff member in 2026 to help process them.
If your employer had no coverage, you are not out of luck. The Special Fund received 516 of these claims in fiscal 2025 and decided nearly all of them within 21 days, and it has paid $73,420,856 to these workers since fiscal 2016. The Accident Doctors see work injury patients the same day at our Phoenix and Mesa clinics, bill workers’ comp directly so you pay nothing out of pocket, and can refer you to a workers’ comp attorney with no upfront fees. See our zero cost accident medical care program or call or text (602) 632-0000. Weekend visits are by appointment.
Explore every figure in this article
Methodology
Claims and hearing counts come from the Industrial Commission of Arizona’s 2022 and 2023 annual reports, read from the charts in each report.
Fiscal years run July 1 to June 30. Hearings per 100 claims is our calculation: hearings held divided by claims filed in the same fiscal year.
Hearings are not the same as disputed claims, since one claim can have several hearings and the Commission’s judges also hear some wage cases.
Some charts in the 2023 report carry year labels that are shifted one year from the 2022 report; we did not use those charts.
Deadline, delay, bad faith and Special Fund figures come from the Arizona Auditor General’s August 2026 sunset review of the Commission.
The audit’s timing figures describe samples of cases that missed deadlines, not every case.
Benefit rules come from Arizona Revised Statutes and the Commission’s published wage caps. Paycheck examples apply those rules to Bureau of Labor Statistics May 2025 average hourly pay for broad job groups in the Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler area, assuming full-time work of 2,080 hours a year; they are illustrations, not a calculation of any person’s claim.
Arizona does not publish insurer denial rates, average claim costs, average settlements or the typical time from injury to first check, so this page does not estimate them.
The Commission, the Auditor General PDF, FindLaw and some state pages block automated checks, so we confirmed those figures by reading each document directly. The recency check for this page used web search only.
- Sources consulted: n/a
- Sources cited: 11
- Data freshness: not recorded
- Data range: n/a
- Research date: 2026-11-06
- Update schedule: Yearly, when ICA publishes a new annual report and the wage cap changes each January
- Limitations: ICA fiscal years run July to June. Hearings are not the same as disputed claims; one claim can have more than one hearing, and the ALJ Division also hears some wage cases. Some 2023 annual report charts carry year labels shifted from the 2022 report; those charts (average monthly wage awards, loss of earning capacity awards, ALJ referrals, employers insured) are not used. The auditors' timing figures come from samples of late cases, not all cases. Paycheck examples use BLS group averages for full-time work (2,080 hours) and are illustrations, not a quote of any claim. Arizona does not publish denial rates, average claim costs, average settlements, or time to first check.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many workers' comp claims are filed in Arizona each year?
The Industrial Commission of Arizona reported 62,803 workers' comp claims filed in fiscal year 2023, down from 93,700 in fiscal year 2019. Arizona does not publish how many of those claims insurers deny. The Accident Doctors treat work injuries at clinics in Phoenix (4338 W Thomas Rd) and Mesa (1155 S Country Club Dr) with no out-of-pocket cost; call or text (602) 632-0000. (Industrial Commission of Arizona, 2023 Annual Report, 2023)
How much does Arizona workers' comp pay while I am off work?
Arizona pays 66 2/3% of your average monthly wage while you cannot work, after an unpaid 7-day wait. For 2026 injuries the wage used is capped at $6,131, so the most anyone receives is $4,087.33 a month. For injuries on or after January 1, 2027, the cap rises to $6,333.32. The Accident Doctors treat work injuries at clinics in Phoenix (4338 W Thomas Rd) and Mesa (1155 S Country Club Dr) with no out-of-pocket cost; call or text (602) 632-0000. (Industrial Commission of Arizona; A.R.S. 23-1045, 2026)
How long does the insurer have to accept or deny my Arizona workers' comp claim?
Arizona law gives the insurance carrier or self-insured employer 21 days after it receives notice of the claim to accept or deny it. If the claim is denied, you have 90 days from the notice to ask the Industrial Commission for a hearing. The Accident Doctors treat work injuries at clinics in Phoenix (4338 W Thomas Rd) and Mesa (1155 S Country Club Dr) with no out-of-pocket cost; call or text (602) 632-0000. (A.R.S. 23-1061 and 23-947, 2026)
How long does a workers' comp hearing take in Arizona?
The law says a Commission judge must decide within 30 days after a case is submitted. An August 2026 state audit found 182 cases from fiscal year 2025 that missed that deadline, and the slowest case it reviewed took 161 days. The Commission received 6,068 judge cases that year. The Accident Doctors treat work injuries at clinics in Phoenix (4338 W Thomas Rd) and Mesa (1155 S Country Club Dr) with no out-of-pocket cost; call or text (602) 632-0000. (Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106, 2025)
What is a permanent injury worth under Arizona workers' comp?
For listed body parts, Arizona pays 55% of your average monthly wage for a set number of months: 9 months for an index finger, 15 for a thumb, 50 for a major hand or a leg, and 60 for a major arm. Back, neck and head injuries are paid differently, based on lost earning capacity. The Accident Doctors treat work injuries at clinics in Phoenix (4338 W Thomas Rd) and Mesa (1155 S Country Club Dr) with no out-of-pocket cost; call or text (602) 632-0000. (A.R.S. 23-1044, 2026)
What if my employer did not have workers' comp insurance?
You can still be paid. The Industrial Commission's Special Fund pays workers whose employers broke the law by not carrying coverage. It received 516 of these claims in fiscal year 2025 and paid $73.4 million to these workers from fiscal 2016 through 2025. The Accident Doctors treat work injuries at clinics in Phoenix (4338 W Thomas Rd) and Mesa (1155 S Country Club Dr) with no out-of-pocket cost; call or text (602) 632-0000. (Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106, 2025)
Can I choose my own doctor for an Arizona workers' comp claim?
Arizona law treats unreasonable interference with a worker's right to choose their attending physician as bad faith, and a proven bad faith complaint carries a penalty of 25% of the benefits owed or $500, whichever is greater. The Accident Doctors treat work injuries at clinics in Phoenix (4338 W Thomas Rd) and Mesa (1155 S Country Club Dr) with no out-of-pocket cost; call or text (602) 632-0000. (Arizona Auditor General, Report 26-106, 2026)
Sources & References
- Industrial Commission of Arizona. “2023 Annual Report.” azica.gov/sites/default/files/2025-09/2023%20Annual%20Report.pdf. Accessed 2026-11-06.
- Arizona Auditor General. “Industrial Commission of Arizona, Sunset Review, Report 26-106.” azauditor.gov/sites/default/files/2026-08/26-106_Report_4.pdf. Accessed 2026-11-06.
- Industrial Commission of Arizona. “Average Monthly Wage Statutory Maximum.” azica.gov/claims-amw-statutory-maximum-information-page. Accessed 2026-11-06.
- Industrial Commission of Arizona. “2020 ALJ Hearing Process.” azica.gov/sites/default/files/media/2020%20ALJ%20Hearing%20Process.pdf. Accessed 2026-11-06.
- Insurance Journal. “Arizona Workers' Comp Rates Fall for a 12th Straight Year.” insurancejournal.com/news/west/2025/11/17/847715.htm. Accessed 2026-11-06.
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. “Occupational Employment and Wages in Phoenix-Mesa-Chandler, May 2025.” bls.gov/regions/west/news-release/2026/occupationalemploymentandwages_phoenix_20. Accessed 2026-11-06.
- Arizona Legislature. “A.R.S. 23-1044, Compensation for partial disability.” azleg.gov/ars/23/01044.htm. Accessed 2026-11-06.
- Arizona Legislature. “A.R.S. 23-1045, Compensation for total disability.” azleg.gov/ars/23/01045.htm. Accessed 2026-11-06.
- Arizona Legislature. “A.R.S. 23-1061, Notice of accident; claims.” azleg.gov/ars/23/01061.htm. Accessed 2026-11-06.
- Arizona Legislature. “A.R.S. 23-947, Time within which hearing must be requested.” azleg.gov/ars/23/00947.htm. Accessed 2026-11-06.
- FindLaw. “A.R.S. 23-1062, Medical, surgical, hospital benefits; compensation.” codes.findlaw.com/az/title-23-labor/az-rev-st-sect-23-1062/. Accessed 2026-11-06.
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