Pennsylvania Workers' Compensation Cost Calculator
Key facts: workers' comp in Pennsylvania
- Who must be covered
- Mandatory starting at 1 employeeOfficial agency: BWC
- Average rate
- $1.14 per $100 of payrollRank #21 of 51 (#1 = most expensive), above the $1.09 national median
- Rating organization
- PCRBPennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau (PCRB) · independent rating bureau · Private insurers and a state-created carrier
- Verified from official records
- October 3, 2026Rates: Oregon DCBS study, June 2025
Pennsylvania generally makes workers' comp mandatory for every employer with one or more employees, part-time or full-time, family included. Alongside private insurers, the State Workers' Insurance Fund (SWIF), a state agency, must provide coverage to all businesses, especially those that private insurers turn down.
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 Pennsylvania. 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
$11,400
per year at an EMR of 1.00
At an average mod
$11,400
per year at an EMR of 1.00
Your EMR's impact
$0
no adjustment
Effective cost: $1.14 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 Pennsylvania?
Mandatory starting at 1 employee
Part-time and full-time employees count, including family members.
Official agency
Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC)
Market: Private insurers and a state-created carrier
Pennsylvania workers' comp rates by business type
Rate per $100 of payroll for common class codes in Pennsylvania, against the median of the 51 jurisdictions in the study.
| Business type (NCCI code) | Pennsylvania | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office and clerical staff (8810) | $0.10 | $0.11 | −9% |
| Retail store (8017) | $1.92 | $1.20 | +60% |
| Restaurant (full service) (9082) | $1.30 | $1.09 | +19% |
| Restaurant (fast food) (9083) | $1.25 | $1.09 | +15% |
| Hotel (all other employees) (9052) | $2.26 | $1.79 | +26% |
| Assisted living / retirement center (care staff) (8824) | $1.76 | $2.03 | −13% |
| Hospital (professional staff) (8833) | $0.90 | $0.82 | +10% |
| Electrical contractor (5190) | $2.72 | $2.37 | +15% |
| Plumbing contractor (5183) | $3.52 | $2.70 | +30% |
| Residential carpentry (up to 3 stories) (5645) | $14.71 | $8.71 | +69% |
| Roofing (5551) | $3.43 | $9.64 | −64% |
| Trucking (7219) | $3.00 | $5.72 | −48% |
Pennsylvania doesn't use NCCI class codes; the study maps each class to the closest Pennsylvania equivalent. Your insurer applies the rate for your own classes, then your EMR.
What a bad EMR costs in Pennsylvania
Take $500,000 of payroll at Pennsylvania's $1.14 index rate: $5,700 a year at an average mod of 1.00.
- EMR 0.85
- $4,845/yr
- EMR 1.25
- $7,125/yr
- Difference
- +$2,280/yr
A claim year usually stays in the mod for three renewals, so the gap adds up to about $6,840. 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 accountPennsylvania workers' comp FAQ
Is workers' comp insurance mandatory in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Pennsylvania requires workers' compensation coverage from the first employee. Part-time and full-time employees count, including family members. Source: Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry, Bureau of Workers' Compensation.
How are workers' comp rates set in Pennsylvania?
Employers can buy coverage from private insurers or from a carrier created by the state that competes with them. Pennsylvania doesn't use NCCI: the Oregon DCBS study lists an independent bureau, the Pennsylvania Compensation Rating Bureau (PCRB), 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 Pennsylvania?
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's 2024 study puts Pennsylvania's all-industry index rate at $1.14 per $100 of payroll for rates in effect on April 1, 2023, 105% of the study's national median of $1.09. That ranks Pennsylvania #21 of 51 jurisdictions, where #1 is the most expensive (#26 in the 2022 study). Your own rate depends on your class codes.
Sources
Official texts behind this page (4 quotes)
“Generally, workers’ compensation insurance coverage is mandatory for all employers who have one or more employees, whether they’re part-time or full-time, including family members.”
Purchasing workers' compensation insurance — Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“As a state agency, SWIF is required to provide coverage to all businesses, especially those having difficulty obtaining coverage from private-sector insurers.”
Purchasing workers' compensation insurance — Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“SWIF was established by law to provide a quality workers' compensation program for Pennsylvania businesses that choose the Fund to meet their required obligation under the Workers' Compensation Act, and to contribute to a progressive, stable workers' compensation market in Pennsylvania.”
State Workers' Insurance Fund — Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“The statute charges the Department of Labor & Industry (department) and the Bureau of Workers' Compensation (bureau) with carrying out the administrative and appeal obligations defined in the act”
Workers' compensation — Pennsylvania Department of Labor & Industry (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.