Wisconsin Workers' Compensation Cost Calculator
Key facts: workers' comp in Wisconsin
- Who must be covered
- Mandatory from 3 employees, or $500 of wages in a calendar quarterOfficial agency: DWD
- Average rate
- $1.42 per $100 of payrollRank #7 of 51 (#1 = most expensive), above the $1.09 national median
- Rating organization
- WCRBWisconsin Compensation Rating Bureau (WCRB) · independent rating bureau · Private insurers
- Verified from official records
- October 3, 2026Rates: Oregon DCBS study, June 2025
Wisconsin requires worker's comp from the day you employ a third person, or once you pay $500 or more in gross wages in a calendar quarter to even one employee for work done in Wisconsin. Coverage comes from an insurance company licensed to write worker's comp in the state.
Rates in effect October 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 Wisconsin. 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
$14,200
per year at an EMR of 1.00
At an average mod
$14,200
per year at an EMR of 1.00
Your EMR's impact
$0
no adjustment
Effective cost: $1.42 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 Wisconsin?
Mandatory from 3 employees, or $500 of wages in a calendar quarter
Farmers need coverage once they employ 6 or more workers on the same day for any 20 days in a calendar year.
Official agency
Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Worker's Compensation Division (DWD)
Market: Private insurers
Wisconsin workers' comp rates by business type
Rate per $100 of payroll for common class codes in Wisconsin, against the median of the 51 jurisdictions in the study.
| Business type (NCCI code) | Wisconsin | U.S. median | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Office and clerical staff (8810) | $0.17 | $0.11 | +55% |
| Retail store (8017) | $1.69 | $1.20 | +41% |
| Restaurant (full service) (9082) | $1.46 | $1.09 | +34% |
| Restaurant (fast food) (9083) | $1.26 | $1.09 | +16% |
| Hotel (all other employees) (9052) | $1.70 | $1.79 | −5% |
| Assisted living / retirement center (care staff) (8824) | $2.51 | $2.03 | +24% |
| Hospital (professional staff) (8833) | $0.76 | $0.82 | −7% |
| Electrical contractor (5190) | $2.53 | $2.37 | +7% |
| Plumbing contractor (5183) | $2.76 | $2.70 | +2% |
| Residential carpentry (up to 3 stories) (5645) | $9.75 | $8.71 | +12% |
| Roofing (5551) | $17.81 | $9.64 | +85% |
| Trucking (7219) | $6.63 | $5.72 | +16% |
Wisconsin doesn't use NCCI class codes; the study maps each class to the closest Wisconsin equivalent. Your insurer applies the rate for your own classes, then your EMR.
What a bad EMR costs in Wisconsin
Take $500,000 of payroll at Wisconsin's $1.42 index rate: $7,100 a year at an average mod of 1.00.
- EMR 0.85
- $6,035/yr
- EMR 1.25
- $8,875/yr
- Difference
- +$2,840/yr
A claim year usually stays in the mod for three renewals, so the gap adds up to about $8,520. 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 accountWisconsin workers' comp FAQ
Is workers' comp insurance mandatory in Wisconsin?
Yes, from 3 employees, or from a single employee once you pay $500 or more in wages in a calendar quarter. Farmers need coverage once they employ 6 or more workers on the same day for any 20 days in a calendar year. Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Worker's Compensation Division.
How are workers' comp rates set in Wisconsin?
Employers buy coverage from private insurance companies. Wisconsin doesn't use NCCI: the Oregon DCBS study lists an independent bureau, the Wisconsin Compensation Rating Bureau (WCRB), 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 Wisconsin?
The Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services's 2024 study puts Wisconsin's all-industry index rate at $1.42 per $100 of payroll for rates in effect on October 1, 2023, 130% of the study's national median of $1.09. That ranks Wisconsin #7 of 51 jurisdictions, where #1 is the most expensive (#8 in the 2022 study). Your own rate depends on your class codes.
Sources
Official texts behind this page (6 quotes)
“You must carry worker's compensation insurance if you meet any of these conditions:”
Worker's compensation insurance requirements in Wisconsin — DWD (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Employ 3 or more full-time or part-time employees.”
Worker's compensation insurance requirements in Wisconsin — DWD (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Pay gross wages of $500 or more in any quarter for 1 or more employees for work done in Wisconsin.”
Worker's compensation insurance requirements in Wisconsin — DWD (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Are a farmer and you employ 6 or more workers on the same day for any 20 days during the calendar year.”
Worker's compensation insurance requirements in Wisconsin — DWD (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Contact an insurance company licensed to write worker's compensation in Wisconsin.”
Worker's compensation insurance requirements in Wisconsin — DWD (opens in a new tab) · checked October 3, 2026
“Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Worker's Compensation Division”
Worker's compensation insurance requirements in Wisconsin — DWD (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.