By Disha Raychaudhuri | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

You’re a construction worker and it’s a regular day at work. But a machine malfunctions, you slip and fall, or you get hit by equipment. And all of a sudden, you’re looking at months — or worse — a lifetime of disability.

You file for workers’ compensation benefits.

But how much money you end up getting paid varies widely depending on the state where you work.

For example, if you work in New Jersey and you lose all use of a hand, you can be paid a maximum of $163,391. That same injury is worth up to $197,311 in New York and $318,585 in Pennsylvania.

So does it pay off to be a worker in New Jersey? See how much a total loss of each limb is worth, and how it compares to the national average.

A note about the data: The dollar amounts, based on data compiled by ProPublica, include increased benefits for amputation and enucleation of the eye and reflect total loss. Data on benefits for partial loss can be found here. Amounts do not include adjustments for age, type of occupation or level of education.

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ARM

New Jersey: $268,983

National average: $169,878

Difference: +$99,105

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HAND

New Jersey: $163,391

National average: $144,930

Difference: +$18,461

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LEG

New Jersey: $256,757

National average: $153,221

Difference: +$103,536

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FOOT

New Jersey: $136,344

National average: $91,779

Difference: +$44,565

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EYE

New Jersey: $102,600

National average: $96,700

Difference: +$5,900

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EAR

New Jersey: $13,680

National average: $38,050

Difference: -$24,370

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BIG TOE

New Jersey: $11,856

National average: $23,436

Difference: -$11,580

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THUMB

New Jersey: $22,230

National average: $42,432

Difference: -$20,202

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INDEX FINGER

New Jersey: $14,820

National average: $24,474

Difference: -$9,654

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MIDDLE FINGER

New Jersey: $11,856

National average: $20,996

Difference: -$9,140

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RING FINGER

New Jersey: $8,892

National average: $14,660

Difference: -$5,768

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PINKY FINGER

New Jersey: $5,928

National average: $11,343

Difference: -$5,415

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Read more about workers compensation in N.J.

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