Maine Workers' Compensation Cost Calculator
Key facts: workers' comp in Maine
- Who must be covered
- Mandatory starting at 1 employeeOfficial agency: WCB
- Average rate
- $1.37 per $100 of payrollRank #11 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
Maine requires almost all public and private employers to have workers' comp. Employers that have trouble finding coverage can get it from Maine Employers' Mutual Insurance Company (MEMIC), a mutual insurer established by state law that is required to cover employers who can't obtain insurance elsewhere.
Rates in effect April 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 Maine. 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
$13,700
per year at an EMR of 1.00
At an average mod
$13,700
per year at an EMR of 1.00
Your EMR's impact
$0
no adjustment
Effective cost: $1.37 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 Maine?
Mandatory starting at 1 employee
The law covers almost all public and private employers.
Official agency
Maine Workers' Compensation Board (WCB)
Market: Private insurers and a state-created carrier
Maine workers' comp rates by business type
Rate per $100 of payroll for common class codes in Maine, against the median of the 51 jurisdictions in the study.
| Business type (NCCI code) | Maine | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office and clerical staff (8810) | $0.20 | $0.11 | +82% |
| Retail store (8017) | $1.66 | $1.20 | +38% |
| Restaurant (full service) (9082) | $1.46 | $1.09 | +34% |
| Restaurant (fast food) (9083) | $1.38 | $1.09 | +27% |
| Hotel (all other employees) (9052) | $2.15 | $1.79 | +20% |
| Assisted living / retirement center (care staff) (8824) | $3.07 | $2.03 | +51% |
| Hospital (professional staff) (8833) | $1.25 | $0.82 | +52% |
| Electrical contractor (5190) | $2.63 | $2.37 | +11% |
| Plumbing contractor (5183) | $3.49 | $2.70 | +29% |
| Residential carpentry (up to 3 stories) (5645) | $10.65 | $8.71 | +22% |
| Roofing (5551) | $4.20 | $9.64 | −56% |
| Trucking (7219) | $3.63 | $5.72 | −37% |
Maine uses NCCI class codes. Your insurer applies the rate for your own classes, then your EMR.
What a bad EMR costs in Maine
Take $500,000 of payroll at Maine's $1.37 index rate: $6,850 a year at an average mod of 1.00.
- EMR 0.85
- $5,823/yr
- EMR 1.25
- $8,563/yr
- Difference
- +$2,740/yr
A claim year usually stays in the mod for three renewals, so the gap adds up to about $8,220. 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 accountMaine workers' comp FAQ
Is workers' comp insurance mandatory in Maine?
Yes. Maine requires workers' compensation coverage from the first employee. The law covers almost all public and private employers. Source: Maine Workers' Compensation Board.
How are workers' comp rates set in Maine?
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 Maine'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 Maine?
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's 2024 study puts Maine's all-industry index rate at $1.37 per $100 of payroll for rates in effect on April 1, 2023, 125% of the study's national median of $1.09. That ranks Maine #11 of 51 jurisdictions, where #1 is the most expensive (#9 in the 2022 study). Your own rate depends on your class codes.
Sources
Official texts behind this page (4 quotes)
“The law requires almost all public and private employers to have workers’ compensation coverage.”
An employer's guide to workers' compensation insurance in Maine — Maine Bureau of Insurance (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Maine Employers’ Mutual Insurance Company (MEMIC) allows these types of entities to obtain coverage. MEMIC is required to provide workers’ compensation coverage to employers who cannot obtain insurance elsewhere.”
An employer's guide to workers' compensation insurance in Maine — Maine Bureau of Insurance (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“The Maine Employers' Mutual Insurance Company is established as an assessable domestic mutual insurance company subject to all the requirements and standards of this Title that are applicable to cash plan insurers”
24-A M.R.S. § 3703, Establishment (Maine Employers' Mutual Insurance Company) — Maine Legislature (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“The Workers’ Compensation Board may impose penalties for failure to have coverage when required by law.”
An employer's guide to workers' compensation insurance in Maine — Maine Bureau of Insurance (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.