Workers’ comp insurance cost for carpenters in New York

Published 2026-06-11 · by Brokly

Direct answer: New York carpentry contractors pay a filed workers’-comp manual rate of $8.28 per $100 of payroll (2024 filed rate) — the 5th-highest of 51 US jurisdictions. Modeled on real payrolls, most <5-employee carpentry contractors land around $3.8k–$15k/yr, before experience mods and schedule credits.

What do New York carpentry contractors pay for workers’ comp?

Modeled annual premium across the real size distribution of NY carpentry contractors

bar height = how many carpentry contractors are that size · figures = modeled annual cost

typical · most NY carpentry contractors
<5 emp
$5.9k/yr
5–9 emp
$29k/yr
10–19 emp
$70k/yr
20–49 emp
$200k/yr
50–99 emp
$470k/yr
SMALLER
MID-SIZE
LARGER
A <5-employee NY carpentry shop: modeled $3.8k–$15k/yr in workers’-comp premium (that band’s own average wage, before experience mods and schedule credits). Bar heights show how many of the 2,675 NY carpentry contractors fall in each size band.

Cohort: size distribution of 2,675 NY carpentry contractors (Census CBP 2023); premiums modeled from one filed rate ($8.28/$100 payroll, 2024). Bands shown cover 2,667 of 2,675 establishments (99.7%) 8 establishments in larger, very small-count, or data-suppressed size bands are not shown. 2023 payroll dollars, not inflation-adjusted. Illustrative benchmark — not a quote or coverage recommendation.

Filed manual rate (NY)
$8.28 / $100 payroll
as of 2024
Typical <5-employee carpentry shop (80% of NY)
$3.8k–$15k / yr modeled
as of 2024 · CBP 2023

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 (Finish carpentry contractors (NAICS 238350)) (as of 2023, retrieved 2026-06-05)

How does New York compare to nearby ranks?

Calculated manual rates, $ per $100 payroll, NCCI class 5437 (Carpentry — Cabinet and Trim Work), 2024. See all 51 jurisdictions →

RankStateRate / $100 payroll
1Minnesota$10.11
2New Jersey$9.71
3Wisconsin$8.67
4Illinois$8.47
5New York$8.28
6Georgia$7.12
7Montana$6.96
8Louisiana$6.72
9Hawaii$6.69

Sources: Oregon DCBS workers' compensation premium rate ranking study, June 2025 (calendar-year 2024 rates) (as of calendar year 2024, retrieved 2026-06-04)

Frequently asked questions

What does workers' comp cost carpentry contractors in New York?

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $8.28 per $100 of payroll: a <5-employee carpentry shop lands around $3.8k–$15k per year before experience mods and schedule credits.

What drives the rate up or down?

Three levers: payroll (the exposure base), claims history (the experience modifier), and schedule credits/debits the insurer applies. Finish carpentry work is NCCI class 5437 (Carpentry — Cabinet and Trim Work) — jobsite installation of cabinetry, interior trim, stairs, and millwork; framing and general carpentry (class 5403) and new-dwelling construction are rated separately.

Carpenters in nearby-ranked states: Georgia ($7.12) · Illinois ($8.47) · Wisconsin ($8.67) · New Jersey ($9.71)

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Illustrative benchmark — not a quote or coverage recommendation. Figures are modeled from public filings and Census data for 2,675 New York carpentry contractors; your premium depends on your payroll, claims history, and carrier.