Hawaii Workers' Compensation Cost Calculator
Key facts: workers' comp in Hawaii
- Who must be covered
- Mandatory starting at 1 employeeOfficial agency: DCD
- Average rate
- $2.52 per $100 of payrollRank #1 of 51 (#1 = most expensive), above 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
Hawaii requires every employer with one or more employees, full-time or part-time, permanent or temporary, to provide workers' comp, apart from the exclusions in section 386-1. Most employers buy it from carriers authorized in Hawaii; the alternative is approved self-insurance.
Rates in effect January 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 Hawaii. 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
$25,200
per year at an EMR of 1.00
At an average mod
$25,200
per year at an EMR of 1.00
Your EMR's impact
$0
no adjustment
Effective cost: $2.52 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 Hawaii?
Mandatory starting at 1 employee
Full-time, part-time, permanent and temporary employees all count, apart from the exclusions in section 386-1.
Official agency
Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Disability Compensation Division (DCD)
Market: Private insurers
Hawaii workers' comp rates by business type
Rate per $100 of payroll for common class codes in Hawaii, against the median of the 51 jurisdictions in the study.
| Business type (NCCI code) | Hawaii | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office and clerical staff (8810) | $0.48 | $0.11 | +336% |
| Retail store (8017) | $2.62 | $1.20 | +118% |
| Restaurant (full service) (9082) | $2.79 | $1.09 | +156% |
| Restaurant (fast food) (9083) | $2.64 | $1.09 | +142% |
| Hotel (all other employees) (9052) | $4.11 | $1.79 | +130% |
| Assisted living / retirement center (care staff) (8824) | $4.93 | $2.03 | +143% |
| Hospital (professional staff) (8833) | $2.04 | $0.82 | +149% |
| Electrical contractor (5190) | $4.46 | $2.37 | +88% |
| Plumbing contractor (5183) | $5.19 | $2.70 | +92% |
| Residential carpentry (up to 3 stories) (5645) | $12.01 | $8.71 | +38% |
| Roofing (5551) | $18.02 | $9.64 | +87% |
| Trucking (7219) | $17.56 | $5.72 | +207% |
Hawaii uses NCCI class codes. Your insurer applies the rate for your own classes, then your EMR.
What a bad EMR costs in Hawaii
Take $500,000 of payroll at Hawaii's $2.52 index rate: $12,600 a year at an average mod of 1.00.
- EMR 0.85
- $10,710/yr
- EMR 1.25
- $15,750/yr
- Difference
- +$5,040/yr
A claim year usually stays in the mod for three renewals, so the gap adds up to about $15,120. 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 accountHawaii workers' comp FAQ
Is workers' comp insurance mandatory in Hawaii?
Yes. Hawaii requires workers' compensation coverage from the first employee. Full-time, part-time, permanent and temporary employees all count, apart from the exclusions in section 386-1. Source: Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Disability Compensation Division.
How are workers' comp rates set in Hawaii?
Employers buy coverage from private insurance companies. The Oregon DCBS study lists NCCI (the National Council on Compensation Insurance) as Hawaii'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 Hawaii?
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's 2024 study puts Hawaii's all-industry index rate at $2.52 per $100 of payroll for rates in effect on January 1, 2023, 231% of the study's national median of $1.09. That ranks Hawaii #1 of 51 jurisdictions, where #1 is the most expensive (#2 in the 2022 study). Your own rate depends on your class codes.
Sources
Official texts behind this page (3 quotes)
“Any employer, other than those excluded (section 386-1), having one or more employees, full-time or part-time, permanent or temporary, is required to provide WC coverage for its employees.”
About workers' compensation — Hawaii Disability Compensation Division (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Because of the potential costs of a WC claim, most employers purchase insurance from insurance carriers authorized to transact WC in Hawaii.”
About workers' compensation — Hawaii Disability Compensation Division (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“If you have an attorney, then DCD is obligated to contact you only through your attorney.”
Frequently asked questions — Hawaii Disability Compensation Division (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.