District of Columbia Workers' Compensation Cost Calculator
Key facts: workers' comp in District of Columbia
- Who must be covered
- Mandatory starting at 1 employeeOfficial agency: OWC
- Average rate
- $0.73 per $100 of payrollRank #43 of 51 (#1 = most expensive), below the $1.09 national median
- Rating organization
- NCCINational Council on Compensation Insurance · Private insurers
- Verified from official records
- October 3, 2026Rates: Oregon DCBS study, June 2025
In the District of Columbia, any employer with one or more employees must have workers' comp. Employers insure with an authorized stock or mutual company, association or fund, or apply to the Office of Workers' Compensation for approval to self-insure.
Rates in effect November 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 District of Columbia. 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
$7,300
per year at an EMR of 1.00
At an average mod
$7,300
per year at an EMR of 1.00
Your EMR's impact
$0
no adjustment
Effective cost: $0.73 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 District of Columbia?
Mandatory starting at 1 employee
Homeowners must cover domestic workers employed 240 hours or more in a calendar quarter, in the same or the previous year.
Official agency
D.C. Department of Employment Services, Office of Workers' Compensation (OWC)
Market: Private insurers · Law: D.C. Code § 32-1534
District of Columbia workers' comp rates by business type
Rate per $100 of payroll for common class codes in District of Columbia, against the median of the 51 jurisdictions in the study.
| Business type (NCCI code) | District of Columbia | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office and clerical staff (8810) | $0.06 | $0.11 | −45% |
| Retail store (8017) | $0.68 | $1.20 | −43% |
| Restaurant (full service) (9082) | $0.74 | $1.09 | −32% |
| Restaurant (fast food) (9083) | $0.74 | $1.09 | −32% |
| Hotel (all other employees) (9052) | $1.21 | $1.79 | −32% |
| Assisted living / retirement center (care staff) (8824) | $1.45 | $2.03 | −29% |
| Hospital (professional staff) (8833) | $0.91 | $0.82 | +11% |
| Electrical contractor (5190) | $1.52 | $2.37 | −36% |
| Plumbing contractor (5183) | $1.87 | $2.70 | −31% |
| Residential carpentry (up to 3 stories) (5645) | $5.91 | $8.71 | −32% |
| Roofing (5551) | $2.06 | $9.64 | −79% |
| Trucking (7219) | $1.71 | $5.72 | −70% |
District of Columbia uses NCCI class codes. Your insurer applies the rate for your own classes, then your EMR.
What a bad EMR costs in District of Columbia
Take $500,000 of payroll at District of Columbia's $0.73 index rate: $3,650 a year at an average mod of 1.00.
- EMR 0.85
- $3,103/yr
- EMR 1.25
- $4,563/yr
- Difference
- +$1,460/yr
A claim year usually stays in the mod for three renewals, so the gap adds up to about $4,380. 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 accountDistrict of Columbia workers' comp FAQ
Is workers' comp insurance mandatory in District of Columbia?
Yes. District of Columbia requires workers' compensation coverage from the first employee (D.C. Code § 32-1534). Homeowners must cover domestic workers employed 240 hours or more in a calendar quarter, in the same or the previous year. Source: D.C. Department of Employment Services, Office of Workers' Compensation.
How are workers' comp rates set in District of Columbia?
Employers buy coverage from private insurance companies. The Oregon DCBS study lists NCCI (the National Council on Compensation Insurance) as District of Columbia's 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 District of Columbia?
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's 2024 study puts District of Columbia's all-industry index rate at $0.73 per $100 of payroll for rates in effect on November 1, 2023, 67% of the study's national median of $1.09. That ranks District of Columbia #43 of 51 jurisdictions, where #1 is the most expensive (#40 in the 2022 study). Your own rate depends on your class codes.
Sources
Official texts behind this page (4 quotes)
“Yes, if an employer has one (1) or more employees, the employer is required to have workers’ compensation insurance coverage. An employer is also entitled to apply for self-insurance, but must be approved by this office.”
Office of Workers' Compensation FAQs — D.C. Department of Employment Services (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Yes, if one or more domestic workers are employed for 240 hours or more during any calendar quarter in the same or previous year.”
Office of Workers' Compensation FAQs — D.C. Department of Employment Services (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“(1) by insuring and keeping insured the payment of such compensation with any stock company or mutual company or association, or with any person or fund, while such person or fund is authorized:”
D.C. Code § 32-1534, Security for compensation — Council of the District of Columbia (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Department of Employment Services Labor Standards Bureau Office of Workers’ Compensation 4058 Minnesota Avenue N.E., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20019”
Office of Workers' Compensation employer brochure — D.C. Department of Employment Services (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.