New York Workers' Compensation Cost Calculator
Key facts: workers' comp in New York
- Who must be covered
- Mandatory starting at 1 employeeOfficial agency: WCB
- Average rate
- $1.98 per $100 of payrollRank #3 of 51 (#1 = most expensive), above the $1.09 national median
- Rating organization
- NYCIRBNew York Compensation Insurance Rating Board (NYCIRB) · independent rating bureau · Private insurers and a state-created carrier
- Verified from official records
- October 3, 2026Rates: Oregon DCBS study, June 2025
Virtually every New York employer must provide workers' comp. Policies can come from a private carrier or the State Insurance Fund, or the employer can become self-insured.
Rates in effect October 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 New York. 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
$19,800
per year at an EMR of 1.00
At an average mod
$19,800
per year at an EMR of 1.00
Your EMR's impact
$0
no adjustment
Effective cost: $1.98 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 New York?
Mandatory starting at 1 employee
The Workers' Compensation Board says virtually all employers must provide it.
Official agency
New York State Workers' Compensation Board (WCB)
Market: Private insurers and a state-created carrier · Law: N.Y. Workers' Compensation Law §§ 2 and 3
New York workers' comp rates by business type
Rate per $100 of payroll for common class codes in New York, against the median of the 51 jurisdictions in the study.
| Business type (NCCI code) | New York | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office and clerical staff (8810) | $0.18 | $0.11 | +64% |
| Retail store (8017) | $1.55 | $1.20 | +29% |
| Restaurant (full service) (9082) | $1.81 | $1.09 | +66% |
| Restaurant (fast food) (9083) | $1.87 | $1.09 | +72% |
| Hotel (all other employees) (9052) | $4.10 | $1.79 | +129% |
| Assisted living / retirement center (care staff) (8824) | $4.42 | $2.03 | +118% |
| Hospital (professional staff) (8833) | $1.59 | $0.82 | +94% |
| Electrical contractor (5190) | $5.96 | $2.37 | +151% |
| Plumbing contractor (5183) | $7.68 | $2.70 | +184% |
| Residential carpentry (up to 3 stories) (5645) | $8.95 | $8.71 | +3% |
| Roofing (5551) | $23.22 | $9.64 | +141% |
| Trucking (7219) | $12.80 | $5.72 | +124% |
New York doesn't use NCCI class codes; the study maps each class to the closest New York equivalent. Your insurer applies the rate for your own classes, then your EMR.
What a bad EMR costs in New York
Take $500,000 of payroll at New York's $1.98 index rate: $9,900 a year at an average mod of 1.00.
- EMR 0.85
- $8,415/yr
- EMR 1.25
- $12,375/yr
- Difference
- +$3,960/yr
A claim year usually stays in the mod for three renewals, so the gap adds up to about $11,880. 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 accountNew York workers' comp FAQ
Is workers' comp insurance mandatory in New York?
Yes. New York requires workers' compensation coverage from the first employee (N.Y. Workers' Compensation Law §§ 2 and 3). The Workers' Compensation Board says virtually all employers must provide it. Source: New York State Workers' Compensation Board.
How are workers' comp rates set in New York?
Employers can buy coverage from private insurers or from a carrier created by the state that competes with them. New York doesn't use NCCI: the Oregon DCBS study lists an independent bureau, the New York Compensation Insurance Rating Board (NYCIRB), 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 New York?
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's 2024 study puts New York's all-industry index rate at $1.98 per $100 of payroll for rates in effect on October 1, 2023, 182% of the study's national median of $1.09. That ranks New York #3 of 51 jurisdictions, where #1 is the most expensive (#4 in the 2022 study). Your own rate depends on your class codes.
Sources
Official texts behind this page (3 quotes)
“It is a separate and distinct entity from the New York State Workers’ Compensation Board. NYSIF must provide insurance to any employer seeking coverage”
Workers' compensation insurance — NY Workers' Compensation Board (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Virtually all employers in New York State must provide workers' compensation coverage for their employees (WCL §2 and 3).”
Is workers' compensation coverage required? — NY Workers' Compensation Board (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Insurance policies can be obtained through a private insurance carrier, State Insurance Fund, or becoming self-insured.”
Workers' compensation insurance — NY Workers' Compensation Board (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.