Idaho Workers' Compensation Cost Calculator
Key facts: workers' comp in Idaho
- Who must be covered
- Mandatory starting at 1 employeeOfficial agency: IIC
- Average rate
- $1.10 per $100 of payrollRank #25 of 51 (#1 = most expensive), above the $1.09 national median
- Rating organization
- NCCINational Council on Compensation Insurance · Private insurers and a state-created carrier
- Verified from official records
- October 3, 2026Rates: Oregon DCBS study, June 2025
Idaho requires workers' comp for every business with one or more full-time, part-time or seasonal employees, unless specifically exempt. Employers can buy it from a private insurer or the State Insurance Fund; high-risk employers turned down by both can apply to the NCCI assigned risk pool.
Rates in effect January 1, 2024 · Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, 2024 study (June 2025) · Nothing you enter leaves your browser
2024 study rate for all industries in Idaho. 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
$11,000
per year at an EMR of 1.00
At an average mod
$11,000
per year at an EMR of 1.00
Your EMR's impact
$0
no adjustment
Effective cost: $1.10 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 Idaho?
Mandatory starting at 1 employee
Full-time, part-time and seasonal employees count, unless the business is specifically exempt.
Official agency
Idaho Industrial Commission (IIC)
Market: Private insurers and a state-created carrier
Idaho workers' comp rates by business type
Rate per $100 of payroll for common class codes in Idaho, against the median of the 51 jurisdictions in the study.
| Business type (NCCI code) | Idaho | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office and clerical staff (8810) | $0.13 | $0.11 | +18% |
| Retail store (8017) | $1.06 | $1.20 | −12% |
| Restaurant (full service) (9082) | $1.30 | $1.09 | +19% |
| Restaurant (fast food) (9083) | $0.97 | $1.09 | −11% |
| Hotel (all other employees) (9052) | $1.99 | $1.79 | +11% |
| Assisted living / retirement center (care staff) (8824) | $2.81 | $2.03 | +38% |
| Hospital (professional staff) (8833) | $0.92 | $0.82 | +12% |
| Electrical contractor (5190) | $2.11 | $2.37 | −11% |
| Plumbing contractor (5183) | $2.52 | $2.70 | −7% |
| Residential carpentry (up to 3 stories) (5645) | $14.13 | $8.71 | +62% |
| Roofing (5551) | $3.09 | $9.64 | −68% |
| Trucking (7219) | $2.86 | $5.72 | −50% |
Idaho uses NCCI class codes. Your insurer applies the rate for your own classes, then your EMR.
What a bad EMR costs in Idaho
Take $500,000 of payroll at Idaho's $1.10 index rate: $5,500 a year at an average mod of 1.00.
- EMR 0.85
- $4,675/yr
- EMR 1.25
- $6,875/yr
- Difference
- +$2,200/yr
A claim year usually stays in the mod for three renewals, so the gap adds up to about $6,600. 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 accountIdaho workers' comp FAQ
Is workers' comp insurance mandatory in Idaho?
Yes. Idaho requires workers' compensation coverage from the first employee. Full-time, part-time and seasonal employees count, unless the business is specifically exempt. Source: Idaho Industrial Commission.
How are workers' comp rates set in Idaho?
Employers can buy coverage from private insurers or from a carrier created by the state that competes with them. The Oregon DCBS study lists NCCI (the National Council on Compensation Insurance) as Idaho'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 Idaho?
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's 2024 study puts Idaho's all-industry index rate at $1.10 per $100 of payroll for rates in effect on January 1, 2024, 101% of the study's national median of $1.09. That ranks Idaho #25 of 51 jurisdictions, where #1 is the most expensive (#16 in the 2022 study). Your own rate depends on your class codes.
Sources
Official texts behind this page (2 quotes)
“All businesses having one or more full time, part-time or seasonal employees must carry worker’s compensation insurance, administered by the Idaho Industrial Commission, unless specifically exempt.”
Insurance — Business.Idaho.gov (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Employers considered to be high risk and unable to secure coverage from private insurance companies or the State Insurance Fund can apply for coverage through the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) assigned risk pool.”
Insurance — Business.Idaho.gov (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.