Delaware Workers' Compensation Cost Calculator
Key facts: workers' comp in Delaware
- Who must be covered
- Mandatory starting at 1 employeeOfficial agency: OWC
- Average rate
- $0.97 per $100 of payrollRank #32 of 51 (#1 = most expensive), below the $1.09 national median
- Rating organization
- DCRBDelaware Compensation Rating Bureau (DCRB) · independent rating bureau · Private insurers
- Verified from official records
- October 3, 2026Rates: Oregon DCBS study, June 2025
Delaware requires every employer with one or more employees to carry workers' comp before anyone starts work, counting full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal workers. The policy must come from a carrier with a Certificate of Authority from the Department of Insurance.
Rates in effect December 1, 2023 · Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, 2024 study (June 2025) · Nothing you enter leaves your browser
2024 study rate for all industries in Delaware. Edit it if your policy shows a different rate.
For the class you're pricing. Insurers rate each class code's payroll separately.
Printed on your experience rating worksheet or renewal. New or small employers that don't qualify for experience rating are rated at 1.00.
Estimated premium
$9,700
per year at an EMR of 1.00
At an average mod
$9,700
per year at an EMR of 1.00
Your EMR's impact
$0
no adjustment
Effective cost: $0.97 per $100 of payroll.
At an EMR of 1.00, your claims history neither raises nor lowers this premium.
Every claim from now on counts toward your next three renewals. IncidentLog makes the first step — a complete, same-day incident report — take about 90 seconds from a job-site QR code.
Create a free accountEstimate before schedule credits or debits, premium discounts, expense constants, state assessments and minimum premiums — your insurer's quote will differ.
Who must carry workers' comp in Delaware?
Mandatory starting at 1 employee
Full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal workers count, and coverage must start before anyone begins work.
Official agency
Delaware Office of Workers' Compensation (OWC)
Market: Private insurers
Delaware workers' comp rates by business type
Rate per $100 of payroll for common class codes in Delaware, against the median of the 51 jurisdictions in the study.
| Business type (NCCI code) | Delaware | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office and clerical staff (8810) | $0.08 | $0.11 | −27% |
| Retail store (8017) | $1.90 | $1.20 | +58% |
| Restaurant (full service) (9082) | $1.09 | $1.09 | 0% |
| Restaurant (fast food) (9083) | $1.12 | $1.09 | +3% |
| Hotel (all other employees) (9052) | $1.89 | $1.79 | +6% |
| Assisted living / retirement center (care staff) (8824) | $2.01 | $2.03 | −1% |
| Hospital (professional staff) (8833) | $0.49 | $0.82 | −40% |
| Electrical contractor (5190) | $2.09 | $2.37 | −12% |
| Plumbing contractor (5183) | $2.69 | $2.70 | 0% |
| Residential carpentry (up to 3 stories) (5645) | $12.85 | $8.71 | +48% |
| Roofing (5551) | $2.87 | $9.64 | −70% |
| Trucking (7219) | $2.75 | $5.72 | −52% |
Delaware doesn't use NCCI class codes; the study maps each class to the closest Delaware equivalent. Your insurer applies the rate for your own classes, then your EMR.
What a bad EMR costs in Delaware
Take $500,000 of payroll at Delaware's $0.97 index rate: $4,850 a year at an average mod of 1.00.
- EMR 0.85
- $4,123/yr
- EMR 1.25
- $6,063/yr
- Difference
- +$1,940/yr
A claim year usually stays in the mod for three renewals, so the gap adds up to about $5,820. The mod is built from claims, and the cheapest claim is the injury caught early.
IncidentLog lets crews report an injury or near miss from a job-site QR code in about 90 seconds, so you hear about it the same shift and see patterns on your OSHA 300 log before they become claims.
Create a free accountDelaware workers' comp FAQ
Is workers' comp insurance mandatory in Delaware?
Yes. Delaware requires workers' compensation coverage from the first employee. Full-time, part-time, temporary and seasonal workers count, and coverage must start before anyone begins work. Source: Delaware Office of Workers' Compensation.
How are workers' comp rates set in Delaware?
Employers buy coverage from private insurance companies. Delaware doesn't use NCCI: the Oregon DCBS study lists an independent bureau, the Delaware Compensation Rating Bureau (DCRB), as its rating organization. Your own premium then depends on your class codes, your payroll and your experience modification rate (EMR).
What is the average workers' comp rate in Delaware?
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's 2024 study puts Delaware's all-industry index rate at $0.97 per $100 of payroll for rates in effect on December 1, 2023, 89% of the study's national median of $1.09. That ranks Delaware #32 of 51 jurisdictions, where #1 is the most expensive (#23 in the 2022 study). Your own rate depends on your class codes.
Sources
Official texts behind this page (3 quotes)
“Delaware requires all employers with one or more employees to carry Workers’ Compensation insurance. Coverage must begin before any employee starts work. This rule applies to full-time, part-time, temporary, and seasonal workers unless a specific exclusion applies under state law.”
When is an employer required to carry workers' compensation insurance? — Delaware Division of Industrial Affairs (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Have a Certificate of Authority issued from the Department of Insurance”
Workers' compensation enforcement — Delaware Office of Workers' Compensation (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“The Office of Workers’ Compensation ensures that employers maintain required insurance coverage and comply with Delaware law.”
Workers' compensation enforcement — Delaware Office of Workers' Compensation (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
An estimate for planning, not a quote, legal or insurance advice. IncidentLog is not an insurer or broker. Median rate across all industries: $1.09 per $100.