West Virginia Workers' Compensation Cost Calculator
Key facts: workers' comp in West Virginia
- Who must be covered
- Mandatory starting at 1 employeeOfficial agency: OIC
- Average rate
- $0.54 per $100 of payrollRank #49 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
Every West Virginia employer is required by statute to maintain workers' comp. Since the state privatized workers' comp in 2006, coverage comes from a market of over 350 carriers; the Insurance Commissioner's Employer Coverage Unit enforces compliance.
Rates in effect November 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 West 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
$5,400
per year at an EMR of 1.00
At an average mod
$5,400
per year at an EMR of 1.00
Your EMR's impact
$0
no adjustment
Effective cost: $0.54 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 West Virginia?
Mandatory starting at 1 employee
Employers can apply to the Insurance Commissioner's Employer Coverage Unit for an exemption.
Official agency
West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC)
Market: Private insurers
West Virginia workers' comp rates by business type
Rate per $100 of payroll for common class codes in West Virginia, against the median of the 51 jurisdictions in the study.
| Business type (NCCI code) | West Virginia | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office and clerical staff (8810) | $0.09 | $0.11 | −18% |
| Retail store (8017) | $0.56 | $1.20 | −53% |
| Restaurant (full service) (9082) | $0.53 | $1.09 | −51% |
| Restaurant (fast food) (9083) | $0.42 | $1.09 | −61% |
| Hotel (all other employees) (9052) | $0.73 | $1.79 | −59% |
| Assisted living / retirement center (care staff) (8824) | $1.09 | $2.03 | −46% |
| Hospital (professional staff) (8833) | $0.34 | $0.82 | −59% |
| Electrical contractor (5190) | $0.98 | $2.37 | −59% |
| Plumbing contractor (5183) | $0.96 | $2.70 | −64% |
| Residential carpentry (up to 3 stories) (5645) | $4.78 | $8.71 | −45% |
| Roofing (5551) | $4.94 | $9.64 | −49% |
| Trucking (7219) | $3.23 | $5.72 | −44% |
West Virginia uses NCCI class codes. Your insurer applies the rate for your own classes, then your EMR.
What a bad EMR costs in West Virginia
Take $500,000 of payroll at West Virginia's $0.54 index rate: $2,700 a year at an average mod of 1.00.
- EMR 0.85
- $2,295/yr
- EMR 1.25
- $3,375/yr
- Difference
- +$1,080/yr
A claim year usually stays in the mod for three renewals, so the gap adds up to about $3,240. 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 accountWest Virginia workers' comp FAQ
Is workers' comp insurance mandatory in West Virginia?
Yes. West Virginia requires workers' compensation coverage from the first employee. Employers can apply to the Insurance Commissioner's Employer Coverage Unit for an exemption. Source: West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner.
How are workers' comp rates set in West Virginia?
Employers buy coverage from private insurance companies. The Oregon DCBS study lists NCCI (the National Council on Compensation Insurance) as West 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 West Virginia?
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's 2024 study puts West Virginia's all-industry index rate at $0.54 per $100 of payroll for rates in effect on November 1, 2023, 49% of the study's national median of $1.09. That ranks West Virginia #49 of 51 jurisdictions, where #1 is the most expensive (#50 in the 2022 study). Your own rate depends on your class codes.
Sources
Official texts behind this page (2 quotes)
“The Employer Coverage Unit (ECU) is responsible for WV employer compliance with state workers’ compensation law. All WV employers are statutorily required to maintain workers’ compensation insurance coverage. Compliance related activities include reviewing employer applications for exemption from workers’ compensation insurance and issuing an opinion on the exemption.”
Employer coverage — West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“The West Virginia workers’ compensation market has over 350 carriers offering workers’ compensation insurance to West Virginia employers. Since the workers’ compensation privatization legislation went into effect in 2006”
Workers' compensation — West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner (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.