North Carolina Workers' Compensation Cost Calculator
Key facts: workers' comp in North Carolina
- Who must be covered
- Mandatory starting at 3 employeesOfficial agency: NCIC
- Average rate
- $0.95 per $100 of payrollRank #33 of 51 (#1 = most expensive), below the $1.09 national median
- Rating organization
- NCRBNorth Carolina Rate Bureau (NCRB) · independent rating bureau · Private insurers
- Verified from official records
- October 3, 2026Rates: Oregon DCBS study, June 2025
North Carolina's Workers' Compensation Act generally covers businesses that regularly employ three or more people, counting corporate officers, and any employer whose staff work with radiation. Covered businesses must buy insurance through an agent or qualify as self-insured.
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 North Carolina. 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
$9,500
per year at an EMR of 1.00
At an average mod
$9,500
per year at an EMR of 1.00
Your EMR's impact
$0
no adjustment
Effective cost: $0.95 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 North Carolina?
Mandatory starting at 3 employees
Corporate officers count toward the three. Employers whose staff work with radiation need coverage from one employee.
Official agency
North Carolina Industrial Commission (NCIC)
Market: Private insurers · Law: N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 97
North Carolina workers' comp rates by business type
Rate per $100 of payroll for common class codes in North Carolina, against the median of the 51 jurisdictions in the study.
| Business type (NCCI code) | North Carolina | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office and clerical staff (8810) | $0.09 | $0.11 | −18% |
| Retail store (8017) | $1.09 | $1.20 | −9% |
| Restaurant (full service) (9082) | $0.87 | $1.09 | −20% |
| Restaurant (fast food) (9083) | $0.86 | $1.09 | −21% |
| Hotel (all other employees) (9052) | $1.16 | $1.79 | −35% |
| Assisted living / retirement center (care staff) (8824) | $1.69 | $2.03 | −17% |
| Hospital (professional staff) (8833) | $0.77 | $0.82 | −6% |
| Electrical contractor (5190) | $2.71 | $2.37 | +14% |
| Plumbing contractor (5183) | $2.60 | $2.70 | −4% |
| Residential carpentry (up to 3 stories) (5645) | $12.59 | $8.71 | +45% |
| Roofing (5551) | $13.50 | $9.64 | +40% |
| Trucking (7219) | $6.96 | $5.72 | +22% |
North Carolina doesn't use NCCI class codes; the study maps each class to the closest North Carolina equivalent. Your insurer applies the rate for your own classes, then your EMR.
What a bad EMR costs in North Carolina
Take $500,000 of payroll at North Carolina's $0.95 index rate: $4,750 a year at an average mod of 1.00.
- EMR 0.85
- $4,038/yr
- EMR 1.25
- $5,938/yr
- Difference
- +$1,900/yr
A claim year usually stays in the mod for three renewals, so the gap adds up to about $5,700. 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 accountNorth Carolina workers' comp FAQ
Is workers' comp insurance mandatory in North Carolina?
Yes, once a business has 3 employees or more (N.C. Gen. Stat. Chapter 97). Corporate officers count toward the three. Employers whose staff work with radiation need coverage from one employee. Source: North Carolina Industrial Commission.
How are workers' comp rates set in North Carolina?
Employers buy coverage from private insurance companies. North Carolina doesn't use NCCI: the Oregon DCBS study lists an independent bureau, the North Carolina Rate Bureau (NCRB), 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 North Carolina?
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's 2024 study puts North Carolina's all-industry index rate at $0.95 per $100 of payroll for rates in effect on April 1, 2023, 87% of the study's national median of $1.09. That ranks North Carolina #33 of 51 jurisdictions, where #1 is the most expensive (#30 in the 2022 study). Your own rate depends on your class codes.
Sources
Official texts behind this page (4 quotes)
“A business covered by the North Carolina Workers' Compensation Act, Chapter 97 of the North Carolina General Statutes, is required by law to obtain workers’ compensation insurance or qualify as a self-insured employer. In general, all businesses employing three or more employees on a regular basis are covered by the Act.”
Employers: workers' compensation insurance requirements — North Carolina Industrial Commission (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Employers of one or more employees who are employed in activities which involve the use or presence of radiation are required to have coverage. Corporate officers are counted in determining whether the corporation has three or more employees.”
Employers: workers' compensation insurance requirements — North Carolina Industrial Commission (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“To obtain workers' compensation insurance, contact an insurance agent about your coverage needs”
Employers: workers' compensation insurance requirements — North Carolina Industrial Commission (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“North Carolina Industrial Commission Main Phone Number: 919-807-2501 or 800-688-8349”
Employers: workers' compensation insurance requirements — North Carolina Industrial Commission (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.