Georgia Workers' Compensation Cost Calculator
Key facts: workers' comp in Georgia
- Who must be covered
- Mandatory starting at 3 employeesOfficial agency: SBWC
- Average rate
- $1.09 per $100 of payrollRank #26 of 51 (#1 = most expensive), at 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
Georgia requires workers' comp once a business regularly employs three or more people. There is no state fund and the State Board doesn't sell insurance, so employers buy coverage through an insurance agent or broker.
Rates in effect March 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 Georgia. 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
$10,900
per year at an EMR of 1.00
At an average mod
$10,900
per year at an EMR of 1.00
Your EMR's impact
$0
no adjustment
Effective cost: $1.09 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 Georgia?
Mandatory starting at 3 employees
The count is of people regularly employed in the Georgia business.
Official agency
Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation (SBWC)
Market: Private insurers
Georgia workers' comp rates by business type
Rate per $100 of payroll for common class codes in Georgia, against the median of the 51 jurisdictions in the study.
| Business type (NCCI code) | Georgia | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office and clerical staff (8810) | $0.11 | $0.11 | 0% |
| Retail store (8017) | $1.62 | $1.20 | +35% |
| Restaurant (full service) (9082) | $1.44 | $1.09 | +32% |
| Restaurant (fast food) (9083) | $1.38 | $1.09 | +27% |
| Hotel (all other employees) (9052) | $1.99 | $1.79 | +11% |
| Assisted living / retirement center (care staff) (8824) | $2.03 | $2.03 | 0% |
| Hospital (professional staff) (8833) | $0.89 | $0.82 | +9% |
| Electrical contractor (5190) | $2.93 | $2.37 | +24% |
| Plumbing contractor (5183) | $2.82 | $2.70 | +4% |
| Residential carpentry (up to 3 stories) (5645) | $38.79 | $8.71 | +345% |
| Roofing (5551) | $28.84 | $9.64 | +199% |
| Trucking (7219) | $5.96 | $5.72 | +4% |
Georgia uses NCCI class codes. Your insurer applies the rate for your own classes, then your EMR.
What a bad EMR costs in Georgia
Take $500,000 of payroll at Georgia's $1.09 index rate: $5,450 a year at an average mod of 1.00.
- EMR 0.85
- $4,633/yr
- EMR 1.25
- $6,813/yr
- Difference
- +$2,180/yr
A claim year usually stays in the mod for three renewals, so the gap adds up to about $6,540. 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 accountGeorgia workers' comp FAQ
Is workers' comp insurance mandatory in Georgia?
Yes, once a business has 3 employees or more. The count is of people regularly employed in the Georgia business. Source: Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation.
How are workers' comp rates set in Georgia?
Employers buy coverage from private insurance companies. The Oregon DCBS study lists NCCI (the National Council on Compensation Insurance) as Georgia'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 Georgia?
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's 2024 study puts Georgia's all-industry index rate at $1.09 per $100 of payroll for rates in effect on March 1, 2023, the same as the study's national median of $1.09. That ranks Georgia #26 of 51 jurisdictions, where #1 is the most expensive (#31 in the 2022 study). Your own rate depends on your class codes.
Sources
Official texts behind this page (3 quotes)
“If you regularly employ three or more persons in your Georgia business, you are required to provide the benefits.”
Workers' compensation insurance FAQs — Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Does Georgia have a State Fund? No.”
Workers' compensation insurance FAQs — Georgia State Board of Workers' Compensation (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“The Georgia State Board of Workers’ Compensation does not sell workers’ compensation insurance. You can contact an insurance agent/broker”
Workers' compensation insurance FAQs — Georgia State Board 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.