Workers’ comp insurance cost for electricians in New Jersey

Q: What does workers' comp cost electrical contractors in New Jersey?

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $4.75 per $100 of payroll: a <5-employee electrical shop lands around $2.7k–$11k per year before experience mods and schedule credits.

Q: 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. Electrical wiring work is NCCI class 5190 — it covers electrical wiring within buildings, including installation of fixtures and appliances.

Published 2026-06-05 · Updated 2026-06-11 · by Brokly

Direct answer: New Jersey electrical contractors pay a filed workers’-comp manual rate of $4.75 per $100 of payroll (2024 filed rate) — the 2nd-highest of 51 US jurisdictions. Modeled on real payrolls, most <5-employee electrical contractors land around $2.7k–$11k/yr, before experience mods and schedule credits.

60% of NJ electrical contractors have <5 employees — the chart below prices every size band from its own observed payroll.
New Jersey sits 2nd of 51: NY pays more ($5.96), MT less ($3.22).
Workers’ comp is one of several coverages — see everything your electrical shop needs in New Jersey →

What do New Jersey electrical contractors pay for workers’ comp?

Modeled annual premium across the real size distribution of NJ electrical contractors

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

typical · most NJ electrical contractors

▼

<5 emp

≈$5k/yr

5–9 emp

≈$20k/yr

10–19 emp

≈$47k/yr

20–49 emp

≈$110k/yr

50–99 emp

≈$350k/yr

100–249 emp

≈$690k/yr

SMALLER

MID-SIZE

LARGER

A <5-employee NJ electrical shop: modeled $2.7k–$11k/yr in workers’-comp premium (that band’s own average wage, before experience mods and schedule credits). Bar heights show how many of the 2,641 NJ electrical contractors fall in each size band.

Cohort: size distribution of 2,641 NJ electrical contractors (Census CBP 2023); premiums modeled from one filed rate ($4.75/$100 payroll, 2024). Bands shown cover 2,631 of 2,641 establishments (99.6%) — 10 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 (NJ)

$4.75 / $100 payroll

as of 2024

Typical <5-employee electrical shop (60% of NJ)

$2.7k–$11k / 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 (Electrical contractors (NAICS 238210)) (as of 2023, retrieved 2026-06-05)

How does New Jersey compare to nearby ranks?

Calculated manual rates, $ per $100 payroll, NCCI class 5190 (Electrical Wiring — Within Buildings), 2024. See all 51 jurisdictions →

Rank	State	Rate / $100 payroll
1	New York	$5.96
2	New Jersey	$4.75
3	Hawaii	$4.46
4	Illinois	$3.38
5	Wyoming	$3.32
6	Florida	$3.23

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 electrical contractors in New Jersey?

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $4.75 per $100 of payroll: a <5-employee electrical shop lands around $2.7k–$11k 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. Electrical wiring work is NCCI class 5190 — it covers electrical wiring within buildings, including installation of fixtures and appliances.

Electricians in nearby-ranked states: Hawaii ($4.46) · New York ($5.96) · Illinois ($3.38) · Florida ($3.23)

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Illustrative benchmark — not a quote or coverage recommendation. Figures are modeled from public filings and Census data for 2,641 New Jersey electrical contractors; your premium depends on your payroll, claims history, and carrier.