Florida's 2026 average weekly wage is $1,357.95. Here is what it does to an imputed stop-work order penalty

By Adrian Middleton · Friday, October 9, 2026

The figure

FloridaCommerce set the statewide average weekly wage at $1,357.95 for the four quarters ending June 30, 2025. Under section 440.12(2), Florida Statutes, that is the figure in effect for 2026, and it is also the figure Rule 69L-6.028 uses to impute payroll in a stop-work order case when the employer does not produce records.

The arithmetic

Section 440.107(7)(e) imputes weekly payroll for each employee, officer, partner and sole proprietor at the SAWW multiplied by 1.5:

• $1,357.95 × 1.5 = $2,036.93 per person per week
• × 52 weeks = $105,920 per person for a 12-month lookback
• × 104 weeks = $211,841 per person for a 24-month lookback

That payroll is then rated at the highest-rated class code the investigator observed and multiplied by two. For a roofing crew of five with no records, the imputed payroll alone is over half a million dollars before the rate is applied.

When imputation still wins

Imputation ignores actual payroll. An employer whose real wages were far higher than $2,036 a week, whose real headcount was larger than the Department identified, or whose records contain things that should never be volunteered can still come out ahead by not producing. The trade-off is the loss of the 25 percent first-time reduction, which requires records within 21 days.

What to do

Run both numbers before you produce anything. The free calculator does a quick comparison; the guide's worksheet does it line by line. If an investigator has already served you, call or text (850) 766-6825 before the 21 days run.