Workers' Comp Rates by State
Workers' compensation rates vary by roughly five to one across the country. The table below shows the premium index rate per $100 of payroll for all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, from the latest national rate ranking study published by the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services. The national median index rate in the 2024 study was $1.09 per $100 of payroll.
Reviewed by Guido Trevisan, Licensed Property & Casualty Insurance BrokerUpdated July 20, 2026
2024 premium index rates, all 51 US jurisdictions
States are listed from the highest index rate to the lowest. The last column shows each state's rate as a percent of the $1.09 national median, exactly as published in the study.
| State | Index rate per $100 of payroll | Percent of national median |
|---|---|---|
| Hawaii | $2.52 | 231% |
| New Jersey | $2.16 | 198% |
| New York | $1.98 | 182% |
| California | $1.86 | 170% |
| Vermont | $1.60 | 147% |
| Connecticut | $1.48 | 135% |
| Wisconsin | $1.42 | 130% |
| Wyoming | $1.41 | 130% |
| Louisiana | $1.41 | 129% |
| Rhode Island | $1.38 | 127% |
| Maine | $1.37 | 125% |
| Washington | $1.35 | 123% |
| Illinois | $1.34 | 123% |
| Montana | $1.34 | 122% |
| Oklahoma | $1.33 | 122% |
| Missouri | $1.31 | 120% |
| Minnesota | $1.25 | 114% |
| New Hampshire | $1.22 | 112% |
| Iowa | $1.21 | 110% |
| Alaska | $1.16 | 106% |
| Pennsylvania | $1.14 | 105% |
| South Dakota | $1.13 | 103% |
| Nebraska | $1.12 | 103% |
| Alabama | $1.11 | 101% |
| Idaho | $1.10 | 101% |
| Georgia | $1.09 | 100% |
| New Mexico | $1.05 | 96% |
| Colorado | $1.05 | 96% |
| South Carolina | $1.03 | 94% |
| Florida | $1.00 | 92% |
| Massachusetts | $0.97 | 89% |
| Delaware | $0.97 | 89% |
| North Carolina | $0.95 | 87% |
| Mississippi | $0.94 | 86% |
| Kansas | $0.91 | 83% |
| Michigan | $0.90 | 82% |
| Maryland | $0.89 | 82% |
| Oregon | $0.89 | 82% |
| Tennessee | $0.80 | 73% |
| Texas | $0.78 | 72% |
| Kentucky | $0.76 | 70% |
| Nevada | $0.73 | 67% |
| District of Columbia | $0.73 | 67% |
| Virginia | $0.73 | 67% |
| Indiana | $0.71 | 65% |
| Arizona | $0.70 | 64% |
| Ohio | $0.68 | 63% |
| Utah | $0.63 | 57% |
| West Virginia | $0.54 | 49% |
| Arkansas | $0.53 | 48% |
| North Dakota | $0.50 | 45% |
How to read your state's number
The index rate answers one question: for the same mix of work, how expensive is workers' comp in this state compared with everywhere else? A business in Hawaii at $2.52 pays about five times what the same business would pay in North Dakota at $0.50. The number is not your rate. A clerical office in a high-rate state can still pay far less per $100 of payroll than a roofing crew in a low-rate state, because class codes drive rates much harder than geography does.
Methodology and source
Figures are transcribed from Table 1 of the 2024 Oregon Workers' Compensation Premium Rate Ranking, the biennial study published by the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS). The study computes a premium index rate for each of the 51 US jurisdictions by applying the rates in effect in that state to a constant mix of 53 NCCI class codes, so every state is measured against the same blend of industries. The rates behind the 2024 edition carry effective dates between January 2023 and January 2024, and the national median index rate was $1.09 per $100 of payroll. An index rate is a benchmarking average, not the rate any single business pays. Your premium depends on your own class codes, payroll, and experience modifier. Study accessed July 20, 2026. Oregon DCBS, 2024 Oregon Workers' Compensation Premium Rate Ranking (PDF).
FAQ
Which state has the highest workers' comp rates?
Hawaii, with a 2024 index rate of $2.52 per $100 of payroll, 231 percent of the national median in the Oregon DCBS study. New Jersey ($2.16) and New York ($1.98) rank second and third, and California is fourth at $1.86.
Which state has the lowest workers' comp rates?
North Dakota, at $0.50 per $100 of payroll, 45 percent of the national median. Arkansas ($0.53) and West Virginia ($0.54) are the next lowest. North Dakota is also a monopolistic state, so coverage there is bought from the state fund rather than private carriers.
What is a workers' comp index rate?
A benchmarking average built by the Oregon DCBS study. It applies each state's filed rates to the same fixed mix of 53 NCCI class codes and expresses the result in dollars per $100 of payroll, so states can be compared on identical footing. It is not the rate any individual employer pays, because your class codes, payroll, and experience modifier set that.
Why do workers' comp rates vary so much by state?
Each state runs its own workers' comp system, so benefit levels, medical fee schedules, litigation patterns, and the rating bureau behind the rates all differ. The 2024 study's spread runs from $0.50 in North Dakota to $2.52 in Hawaii, roughly a five to one gap for the same mix of work.
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