Chart | Owcp Schedule Award

But here’s what trips people up: You don’t have to lose the limb entirely. Permanent impairment — like reduced motion, nerve damage, or chronic pain — can still qualify for a . A hand surgeon or physiatrist calculates your “percentage loss of use” using AMA guides, and OWCP multiplies that percentage against the chart’s weeks.

So 50% loss of use of your dominant arm? That’s not a full 312 weeks — it’s 156 weeks of compensation. owcp schedule award chart

The assigns a specific number of weeks of compensation to different body parts. Lose a hand at the wrist? That’s 244 weeks of pay. Your big toe? Only 46 weeks. And yes — your eye (total loss) is 240 weeks, but your other eye? That’s extra. But here’s what trips people up: You don’t

The award only kicks in after your condition reaches maximum medical improvement (MMI). That’s the point where no significant healing is expected. So 50% loss of use of your dominant arm

And fingers? Yes, each one is listed separately. Your index finger is worth more than your pinky (46 weeks vs. 25 weeks). The ring finger? 35 weeks. Middle finger? 40 weeks.

Here’s the kicker — your arm isn't worth the same as your thumb. Literally.

Want the full chart? OWCP’s DFEC branch publishes it — but beware: The weeks haven’t changed much since the 1960s. There’s ongoing debate about whether the chart is outdated (no distinction between a violinist’s finger and a data entry clerk’s finger), but for now, it’s the law of the land.