Carpentry shop coverage guide
Workers’ comp rates for carpenters, state by state
Updated 2026-06-11 · by Brokly
Direct answer: workers’ comp is required in nearly every state once carpentry contractors have employees — each state sets its own threshold and files its own rates. For NCCI class 5437 they span $1.99 to $10.11 per $100 of payroll (2024 filed) — Minnesota is the most expensive, West Virginia the cheapest, and the median state pays $4.75. 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 carpenters in each state?
Calculated manual rates, $ per $100 payroll, NCCI class 5437 (Carpentry — Cabinet and Trim Work), 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 carpentry shop, modeled $/yr | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $4.79 | — | 25 |
| Alaska | $5.21 | — | 20 |
| Arizona | $2.90 | ≈$2.3k | 46 |
| Arkansas | $2.76 | — | 48 |
| California | $5.42 | ≈$5.1k | 18 |
| Colorado | $4.94 | ≈$3.7k | 23 |
| Connecticut | $6.32 | — | 14 |
| Delaware | $3.74 | — | 38 |
| District of Columbia | $3.89 | — | 35 |
| Florida | $4.48 | ≈$2.5k | 28 |
| Georgia | $7.12 | ≈$5k | 6 |
| Hawaii | $6.69 | — | 9 |
| Idaho | $4.54 | ≈$3k | 27 |
| Illinois | $8.47 | ≈$5.9k | 4 |
| Indiana | $2.32 | ≈$2k | 50 |
| Iowa | $3.97 | — | 34 |
| Kansas | $3.88 | — | 36 |
| Kentucky | $3.52 | — | 39 |
| Louisiana | $6.72 | — | 8 |
| Maine | $6.11 | — | 15 |
| Maryland | $4.40 | ≈$3.7k | 30 |
| Massachusetts | $3.07 | ≈$2.7k | 44 |
| Michigan | $5.13 | ≈$4.1k | 21 |
| Minnesota | $10.11 | ≈$7.4k | 1 |
| Mississippi | $4.84 | — | 24 |
| Missouri | $5.37 | ≈$4k | 19 |
| Montana | $6.96 | — | 7 |
| Nebraska | $4.30 | — | 32 |
| Nevada | $3.26 | — | 42 |
| New Hampshire | $6.35 | — | 13 |
| New Jersey | $9.71 | ≈$7.7k | 2 |
| New Mexico | $4.46 | — | 29 |
| New York | $8.28 | ≈$5.9k | 5 |
| North Carolina | $4.38 | ≈$3.1k | 31 |
| North Dakota † | $2.78 | — | 47 |
| Ohio † | $2.41 | — | 49 |
| Oklahoma | $5.57 | ≈$3.4k | 17 |
| Oregon | $4.09 | ≈$2.8k | 33 |
| Pennsylvania | $6.59 | ≈$5.4k | 11 |
| Rhode Island | $6.61 | — | 10 |
| South Carolina | $6.36 | ≈$4.7k | 12 |
| South Dakota | $5.01 | — | 22 |
| Tennessee | $3.15 | ≈$2.9k | 43 |
| Texas | $2.93 | ≈$2.5k | 45 |
| Utah | $3.27 | ≈$2.2k | 41 |
| Vermont | $6.00 | — | 16 |
| Virginia | $3.76 | ≈$2.7k | 37 |
| Washington † | $4.75 | — | 26 |
| West Virginia | $1.99 | — | 51 |
| Wisconsin | $8.67 | ≈$6.6k | 3 |
| Wyoming † | $3.32 | — | 40 |
† 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 carpentry shop 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 (Finish carpentry contractors (NAICS 238350)) (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.