Workers Compensation Insurance Calculator

NCCI: average workers comp cost is $1.19 per $100 of payroll nationally. Low-risk (clerical): $0.10-$0.30. High-risk (roofing, logging, framing): $15-$30+. State-mandated rates vary widely; California and New York are highest.

Medical treatment, lost wages (typically 60-67% of average weekly wage), permanent disability benefits, vocational rehab, and death benefits to surviving family. Benefits are statutory - set by each state's workers comp board.

Your "ex mod" compares your loss history to similar businesses. 1.0 = average; below 1.0 saves you money; above 1.0 costs more. A 0.85 ex mod cuts premium 15%; a 1.30 raises it 30%. Three years of claim-free experience can drop your mod 10-20%.

Rate per $100 of payroll × payroll ÷ 100 × experience modifier, then adjusted for your state and any credits. An office with $500,000 in payroll and a $0.18 rate runs about $900 a year; a roofer with the same payroll and an $18.50 rate pays roughly $92,500.

California, New York, and New Jersey combine generous worker benefits with high legal and medical costs. Washington and North Dakota stay cheap partly because they are monopolistic state funds with no competition or litigation. The gap between the priciest and cheapest states can reach 2.5×.

In most states, no - sole proprietors with no employees are exempt. But if you lease commercial space or work with large clients, they will often require coverage so their premises are not held liable. A ghost policy meets that requirement at low cost.