Bar coverage guide
Workers’ comp rates for bars, state by state
Updated 2026-06-11 · by Brokly
Direct answer: workers’ comp is required in nearly every state once bars and taverns have employees — each state sets its own threshold and files its own rates. For NCCI class 9084 they span $0.49 to $3.11 per $100 of payroll (2024 filed) — California is the most expensive, West Virginia the cheapest, and the median state pays $1.14. Pick your state below for its mandate and modeled dollar costs by business size.
Requirement: NAIC — Small Business Insurance. Thresholds vary by state — your state’s guide below has the statute.
How much is workers’ comp for bars in each state?
Calculated manual rates, $ per $100 payroll, NCCI class 9084 (Bar, Lounge, Tavern), 2024. The study notes rates “may include loss cost multipliers and assessments.” Alphabetical; rank 1 = most expensive of 51. Linked state names open the state’s coverage guide; linked rates open the cost breakdown.
| State | Rate / $100 payroll | Typical bar, modeled $/yr | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $1.42 | ≈$940 | 13 |
| Alaska | $1.33 | — | 15 |
| Arizona | $0.88 | ≈$1.4k | 35 |
| Arkansas | $0.63 | — | 49 |
| California | $3.11 | ≈$2.3k | 1 |
| Colorado | $1.23 | ≈$850 | 22 |
| Connecticut | $1.48 | — | 8 |
| Delaware | $0.85 | — | 39 |
| District of Columbia | $0.74 | — | 44 |
| Florida | $1.12 | ≈$820 | 27 |
| Georgia | $1.31 | — | 16 |
| Hawaii | $2.67 | — | 2 |
| Idaho | $1.48 | — | 9 |
| Illinois | $1.26 | ≈$650 | 20 |
| Indiana | $0.76 | — | 42 |
| Iowa | $0.98 | ≈$360 | 31 |
| Kansas | $0.87 | ≈$340 | 36 |
| Kentucky | $0.64 | ≈$300 | 48 |
| Louisiana | $1.28 | ≈$650 | 18 |
| Maine | $1.50 | — | 7 |
| Maryland | $0.85 | ≈$550 | 38 |
| Massachusetts | $0.81 | ≈$760 | 41 |
| Michigan | $0.87 | ≈$500 | 37 |
| Minnesota | $1.26 | ≈$680 | 19 |
| Mississippi | $0.99 | — | 30 |
| Missouri | $1.45 | ≈$800 | 12 |
| Montana | $1.29 | ≈$600 | 17 |
| Nebraska | $1.06 | ≈$420 | 28 |
| Nevada | $0.69 | — | 46 |
| New Hampshire | $1.34 | — | 14 |
| New Jersey | $2.54 | ≈$1.8k | 3 |
| New Mexico | $1.18 | — | 25 |
| New York | $1.14 | ≈$750 | 26 |
| North Carolina | $0.93 | ≈$550 | 33 |
| North Dakota † | $0.68 | — | 47 |
| Ohio † | $0.52 | — | 50 |
| Oklahoma | $1.52 | — | 6 |
| Oregon | $0.92 | ≈$1.5k | 34 |
| Pennsylvania | $1.00 | ≈$440 | 29 |
| Rhode Island | $1.55 | — | 5 |
| South Carolina | $1.24 | ≈$860 | 21 |
| South Dakota | $1.22 | ≈$580 | 24 |
| Tennessee | $0.72 | ≈$670 | 45 |
| Texas | $0.81 | ≈$600 | 40 |
| Utah | $0.75 | — | 43 |
| Vermont | $1.47 | — | 11 |
| Virginia | $0.95 | — | 32 |
| Washington † | $1.22 | — | 23 |
| West Virginia | $0.49 | ≈$190 | 51 |
| Wisconsin | $1.63 | ≈$600 | 4 |
| Wyoming † | $1.48 | — | 10 |
† monopolistic state — workers’ comp must be bought from the state fund; a private policy can’t satisfy the requirement there. Other unlinked states lack a published rate or a defensible business-size cohort. Modeled — not quotes: each figure prices that state’s most common bar size band from the state’s own observed payroll (CBP 2023), so dollar order can differ from rate rank.
Sources: Oregon DCBS workers' compensation premium rate ranking study, June 2025 (calendar-year 2024 rates) (as of calendar year 2024, retrieved 2026-06-04) · US Census County Business Patterns 2023, state file (Drinking places, alcoholic beverages (NAICS 722410)) (as of 2023, retrieved 2026-06-05)
Frequently asked questions
Why do rates for the same trade differ several-fold between states?
Each state approves its own rates from its own claims experience — benefit levels, medical costs, and litigation environments differ. The rate is per $100 of payroll, so state wage levels move the dollar premium too.
Is the rate what I’ll actually pay?
No — it’s the filed starting point. Your payroll sets the base, your claims history (experience mod) scales it, and insurer schedule credits move it further. Illustrative benchmark — not a quote or coverage recommendation.