Minnesota workers' comp glossary
SAWW (Statewide Average Weekly Wage)
The statewide wage figure Minnesota DLI publishes each year, effective October 1; it sets the maximum weekly compensation rate and other statutory thresholds.
The statewide average weekly wage is Minnesota’s benchmark wage, recalculated annually and effective each October 1. Its biggest job is setting the ceiling on weekly benefits: for injuries on or after October 1, 2024, the maximum compensation rate is 108% of the SAWW in effect on the date of injury.
It appears throughout the statute as a threshold-setter: the PTD minimum rate is 65% of SAWW, and various eligibility lines reference it. Because the SAWW changes every October, the date of injury controls which SAWW (and therefore which maximum) applies to a claim for its whole life.
High earners should pay particular attention: if two-thirds of your AWW exceeds the applicable maximum, you receive the capped rate, not the formula rate. The current and historical values live on our rates pages, sourced from DLI.
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General information, not legal advice. Reviewed by Daniel C. Swenson, Minnesota workers' compensation attorney, Robert Wilson & Associates.