Michigan Workers' Compensation Cost Calculator
Key facts: workers' comp in Michigan
- Who must be covered
- Under verification with the state agencyCheck with the WDCA until then
- Average rate
- $0.90 per $100 of payrollRank #36 of 51 (#1 = most expensive), below the $1.09 national median
- Rating organization
- CAOMCompensation Advisory Organization of Michigan (CAOM) · independent rating bureau · per the Oregon DCBS study
- Last verified
- Coverage rules pending verificationRates: Oregon DCBS study, June 2025
Michigan's 2024 index rate, rates by business type and the cost of your experience mod, from the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's rate study.
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 Michigan. 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
$9,000
per year at an EMR of 1.00
At an average mod
$9,000
per year at an EMR of 1.00
Your EMR's impact
$0
no adjustment
Effective cost: $0.90 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 Michigan?
Statutory coverage threshold details under periodic verification with state agency.
Until then, check who must be covered directly with the state agency below.
Official agency
Michigan Workers' Disability Compensation Agency (WDCA)
Michigan workers' comp rates by business type
Rate per $100 of payroll for common class codes in Michigan, against the median of the 51 jurisdictions in the study.
| Business type (NCCI code) | Michigan | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office and clerical staff (8810) | $0.08 | $0.11 | −27% |
| Retail store (8017) | $0.59 | $1.20 | −51% |
| Restaurant (full service) (9082) | $0.82 | $1.09 | −25% |
| Restaurant (fast food) (9083) | $1.11 | $1.09 | +2% |
| Hotel (all other employees) (9052) | $1.03 | $1.79 | −42% |
| Assisted living / retirement center (care staff) (8824) | $2.39 | $2.03 | +18% |
| Hospital (professional staff) (8833) | $0.70 | $0.82 | −15% |
| Electrical contractor (5190) | $1.73 | $2.37 | −27% |
| Plumbing contractor (5183) | $2.66 | $2.70 | −1% |
| Residential carpentry (up to 3 stories) (5645) | $15.85 | $8.71 | +82% |
| Roofing (5551) | $2.76 | $9.64 | −71% |
| Trucking (7219) | $1.33 | $5.72 | −77% |
Michigan doesn't use NCCI class codes; the study maps each class to the closest Michigan equivalent. Your insurer applies the rate for your own classes, then your EMR.
What a bad EMR costs in Michigan
Take $500,000 of payroll at Michigan's $0.90 index rate: $4,500 a year at an average mod of 1.00.
- EMR 0.85
- $3,825/yr
- EMR 1.25
- $5,625/yr
- Difference
- +$1,800/yr
A claim year usually stays in the mod for three renewals, so the gap adds up to about $5,400. 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 accountMichigan workers' comp FAQ
Is workers' comp insurance mandatory in Michigan?
Statutory coverage threshold details under periodic verification with state agency. For who must carry workers' comp in Michigan, see the Michigan Workers' Disability Compensation Agency: https://www.michigan.gov/leo/bureaus-agencies/wdca
How are workers' comp rates set in Michigan?
Michigan doesn't use NCCI: the Oregon DCBS study lists an independent bureau, the Compensation Advisory Organization of Michigan (CAOM), as its 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 Michigan?
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's 2024 study puts Michigan's all-industry index rate at $0.90 per $100 of payroll for rates in effect on January 1, 2023, 82% of the study's national median of $1.09. That ranks Michigan #36 of 51 jurisdictions, where #1 is the most expensive (#38 in the 2022 study). Your own rate depends on your class codes.
Sources
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.