Ohio Workers' Compensation Cost Calculator
Key facts: workers' comp in Ohio
- Who must be covered
- Mandatory starting at 1 employeeOfficial agency: BWC
- Average rate
- $0.68 per $100 of payrollRank #47 of 51 (#1 = most expensive), below the $1.09 national median
- Rating organization
- State fund (BWC)Exclusive state fund
- Verified from official records
- October 3, 2026Rates: Oregon DCBS study, June 2025
Ohio requires workers' comp as soon as you have one employee. The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation is the exclusive provider of that insurance, so coverage comes from BWC rather than a private carrier.
Rates in effect July 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 Ohio. 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
$6,800
per year at an EMR of 1.00
At an average mod
$6,800
per year at an EMR of 1.00
Your EMR's impact
$0
no adjustment
Effective cost: $0.68 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 Ohio?
Mandatory starting at 1 employee
Official agency
Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC)
Market: Exclusive state fund
Ohio workers' comp rates by business type
Rate per $100 of payroll for common class codes in Ohio, against the median of the 51 jurisdictions in the study.
| Business type (NCCI code) | Ohio | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office and clerical staff (8810) | $0.06 | $0.11 | −45% |
| Retail store (8017) | $0.72 | $1.20 | −40% |
| Restaurant (full service) (9082) | $0.59 | $1.09 | −46% |
| Restaurant (fast food) (9083) | $0.72 | $1.09 | −34% |
| Hotel (all other employees) (9052) | $1.11 | $1.79 | −38% |
| Assisted living / retirement center (care staff) (8824) | $1.73 | $2.03 | −15% |
| Hospital (professional staff) (8833) | $0.68 | $0.82 | −17% |
| Electrical contractor (5190) | $1.59 | $2.37 | −33% |
| Plumbing contractor (5183) | $1.54 | $2.70 | −43% |
| Residential carpentry (up to 3 stories) (5645) | $7.10 | $8.71 | −18% |
| Roofing (5551) | $1.90 | $9.64 | −80% |
| Trucking (7219) | $1.75 | $5.72 | −69% |
Ohio doesn't use NCCI class codes; the study maps each class to the closest Ohio equivalent. Your insurer applies the rate for your own classes, then your EMR.
What a bad EMR costs in Ohio
Take $500,000 of payroll at Ohio's $0.68 index rate: $3,400 a year at an average mod of 1.00.
- EMR 0.85
- $2,890/yr
- EMR 1.25
- $4,250/yr
- Difference
- +$1,360/yr
A claim year usually stays in the mod for three renewals, so the gap adds up to about $4,080. 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 accountOhio workers' comp FAQ
Is workers' comp insurance mandatory in Ohio?
Yes. Ohio requires workers' compensation coverage from the first employee. Source: Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.
How are workers' comp rates set in Ohio?
Ohio has an exclusive (monopolistic) state fund run by Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC), and the Oregon DCBS study lists that fund as the state's rating organization, so the fund sets the rates. 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 Ohio?
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's 2024 study puts Ohio's all-industry index rate at $0.68 per $100 of payroll for rates in effect on July 1, 2023, 63% of the study's national median of $1.09. That ranks Ohio #47 of 51 jurisdictions, where #1 is the most expensive (unchanged from the 2022 study). Your own rate depends on your class codes.
Sources
Official texts behind this page (2 quotes)
“As an Ohio employer with one or more employees, Ohio law requires you to have workers’ compensation coverage.”
Getting coverage — Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Established in 1912, the Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation is the exclusive provider of workers’ compensation insurance in Ohio”
Agency overview — Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (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.