Virginia Workers' Compensation Cost Calculator
Key facts: workers' comp in Virginia
- Who must be covered
- Mandatory starting at 3 employeesOfficial agency: VWC
- Average rate
- $0.73 per $100 of payrollRank #44 of 51 (#1 = most expensive), below the $1.09 national median
- Rating organization
- NCCINational Council on Compensation Insurance · Private insurers
- Verified from official records
- October 3, 2026Rates: Oregon DCBS study, June 2025
Virginia requires workers' comp once an employer regularly employs more than two part-time or full-time employees, counting subcontractors' employees who do the business's work. For employers over that line there are no waivers or exceptions. Commercial coverage comes from an insurance agent or carrier.
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 Virginia. 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
$7,300
per year at an EMR of 1.00
At an average mod
$7,300
per year at an EMR of 1.00
Your EMR's impact
$0
no adjustment
Effective cost: $0.73 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 Virginia?
Mandatory starting at 3 employees
Part-time employees count, and so do the employees of subcontractors doing the business's work.
Official agency
Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission (VWC)
Market: Private insurers
Virginia workers' comp rates by business type
Rate per $100 of payroll for common class codes in Virginia, against the median of the 51 jurisdictions in the study.
| Business type (NCCI code) | Virginia | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office and clerical staff (8810) | $0.07 | $0.11 | −36% |
| Retail store (8017) | $0.96 | $1.20 | −20% |
| Restaurant (full service) (9082) | $0.87 | $1.09 | −20% |
| Restaurant (fast food) (9083) | $0.74 | $1.09 | −32% |
| Hotel (all other employees) (9052) | $1.07 | $1.79 | −40% |
| Assisted living / retirement center (care staff) (8824) | $1.21 | $2.03 | −40% |
| Hospital (professional staff) (8833) | $0.65 | $0.82 | −21% |
| Electrical contractor (5190) | $1.38 | $2.37 | −42% |
| Plumbing contractor (5183) | $1.95 | $2.70 | −28% |
| Residential carpentry (up to 3 stories) (5645) | $6.70 | $8.71 | −23% |
| Roofing (5551) | $8.79 | $9.64 | −9% |
| Trucking (7219) | The study reports no rate (N/A) | $5.72 | — |
Virginia uses NCCI class codes. Your insurer applies the rate for your own classes, then your EMR.
What a bad EMR costs in Virginia
Take $500,000 of payroll at Virginia's $0.73 index rate: $3,650 a year at an average mod of 1.00.
- EMR 0.85
- $3,103/yr
- EMR 1.25
- $4,563/yr
- Difference
- +$1,460/yr
A claim year usually stays in the mod for three renewals, so the gap adds up to about $4,380. 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 accountVirginia workers' comp FAQ
Is workers' comp insurance mandatory in Virginia?
Yes, once a business has 3 employees or more. Part-time employees count, and so do the employees of subcontractors doing the business's work. Source: Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission.
How are workers' comp rates set in Virginia?
Employers buy coverage from private insurance companies. The Oregon DCBS study lists NCCI (the National Council on Compensation Insurance) as Virginia's 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 Virginia?
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's 2024 study puts Virginia's all-industry index rate at $0.73 per $100 of payroll for rates in effect on April 1, 2023, 67% of the study's national median of $1.09. That ranks Virginia #44 of 51 jurisdictions, where #1 is the most expensive (#36 in the 2022 study). Your own rate depends on your class codes.
Sources
Official texts behind this page (4 quotes)
“Virginia law requires that an employer who regularly employs more than two part-time or full-time employees carry Virginia workers' compensation coverage.”
Workers' compensation insurance information for employers — Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“If a business hires subcontractors to perform the same trade, business or occupation, or to fulfill a contract of the business, the subcontractor’s employees are included in determining the total number of employees. For those employers required to have coverage, it is mandatory; there are no waivers and no exceptions.”
Workers' compensation insurance information for employers — Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Commercial coverage is available from an insurance agent or carrier.”
Workers' compensation insurance information for employers — Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Virginia Workers' Compensation Commission An official website of the Commonwealth of Virginia”
Workers' compensation insurance information for employers — Virginia Workers' Compensation 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.