Iowa Workers' Compensation Cost Calculator
Key facts: workers' comp in Iowa
- Who must be covered
- Mandatory starting at 1 employeeOfficial agency: WCD
- Average rate
- $1.21 per $100 of payrollRank #19 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
Iowa generally requires an employer with one or more employees to carry workers' comp, or to register as a self-insured employer. Policies come from a company approved by the commissioner of insurance.
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 Iowa. 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
$12,100
per year at an EMR of 1.00
At an average mod
$12,100
per year at an EMR of 1.00
Your EMR's impact
$0
no adjustment
Effective cost: $1.21 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 Iowa?
Mandatory starting at 1 employee
Owners, partners, LLC members and corporate officers with 25% or more of the stock don't have to be covered.
Official agency
Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing, Workers' Compensation Division (WCD)
Market: Private insurers · Law: Iowa Code § 87.1
Iowa workers' comp rates by business type
Rate per $100 of payroll for common class codes in Iowa, against the median of the 51 jurisdictions in the study.
| Business type (NCCI code) | Iowa | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office and clerical staff (8810) | $0.16 | $0.11 | +45% |
| Retail store (8017) | $1.28 | $1.20 | +7% |
| Restaurant (full service) (9082) | $0.99 | $1.09 | −9% |
| Restaurant (fast food) (9083) | $1.05 | $1.09 | −4% |
| Hotel (all other employees) (9052) | $1.41 | $1.79 | −21% |
| Assisted living / retirement center (care staff) (8824) | $1.69 | $2.03 | −17% |
| Hospital (professional staff) (8833) | $0.57 | $0.82 | −30% |
| Electrical contractor (5190) | $1.76 | $2.37 | −26% |
| Plumbing contractor (5183) | $2.35 | $2.70 | −13% |
| Residential carpentry (up to 3 stories) (5645) | $7.02 | $8.71 | −19% |
| Roofing (5551) | $11.18 | $9.64 | +16% |
| Trucking (7219) | $5.91 | $5.72 | +3% |
Iowa uses NCCI class codes. Your insurer applies the rate for your own classes, then your EMR.
What a bad EMR costs in Iowa
Take $500,000 of payroll at Iowa's $1.21 index rate: $6,050 a year at an average mod of 1.00.
- EMR 0.85
- $5,143/yr
- EMR 1.25
- $7,563/yr
- Difference
- +$2,420/yr
A claim year usually stays in the mod for three renewals, so the gap adds up to about $7,260. 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 accountIowa workers' comp FAQ
Is workers' comp insurance mandatory in Iowa?
Yes. Iowa requires workers' compensation coverage from the first employee (Iowa Code § 87.1). Owners, partners, LLC members and corporate officers with 25% or more of the stock don't have to be covered. Source: Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing, Workers' Compensation Division.
How are workers' comp rates set in Iowa?
Employers buy coverage from private insurance companies. The Oregon DCBS study lists NCCI (the National Council on Compensation Insurance) as Iowa'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 Iowa?
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's 2024 study puts Iowa's all-industry index rate at $1.21 per $100 of payroll for rates in effect on January 1, 2024, 110% of the study's national median of $1.09. That ranks Iowa #19 of 51 jurisdictions, where #1 is the most expensive (#14 in the 2022 study). Your own rate depends on your class codes.
Sources
Official texts behind this page (4 quotes)
“Generally, an employer with one or more employees must carry Workers Compensation insurance to cover those employees.”
Workers compensation waiver — Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Iowa law requires most employers to either: Have workers' compensation liability insurance or Register as a self-insured employer.”
Workers' compensation compliance — Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“shall insure the employer’s liability under chapter 10A, subchapter III, this chapter, and chapters 85, 85A, and 85B, in some corporation, association, or organization approved by the commissioner of insurance.”
Iowa Code chapter 87, Workers' compensation or employers' liability insurance — Iowa Legislature (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“DIAL’s Workers’ Compensation Division (WCD): Administers the workers' compensation system and Serves as the neutral body for resolving workers’ comp disputes.”
Workers' compensation compliance — Iowa Department of Inspections, Appeals, & Licensing (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.