Workers’ comp insurance cost for electricians in Tennessee

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

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $2.00 per $100 of payroll: a <5-employee electrical shop lands around $1.5k–$5.8k 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: Tennessee electrical contractors pay a filed workers’-comp manual rate of $2.00 per $100 of payroll (2024 filed rate) — the 36th-highest of 51 US jurisdictions. Modeled on real payrolls, most <5-employee electrical contractors land around $1.5k–$5.8k/yr, before experience mods and schedule credits.

50% of TN electrical contractors have <5 employees — the chart below prices every size band from its own observed payroll.
Tennessee sits 36th of 51: ID pays more ($2.11), KY less ($1.73).
Workers’ comp is one of several coverages — see everything your electrical shop needs in Tennessee →

What do Tennessee electrical contractors pay for workers’ comp?

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

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

typical · most TN electrical contractors

▼

<5 emp

≈$2.5k/yr

5–9 emp

≈$6.5k/yr

10–19 emp

≈$17k/yr

20–49 emp

≈$38k/yr

50–99 emp

≈$100k/yr

100–249 emp

≈$190k/yr

SMALLER

MID-SIZE

LARGER

A <5-employee TN electrical shop: modeled $1.5k–$5.8k/yr in workers’-comp premium (that band’s own average wage, before experience mods and schedule credits). Bar heights show how many of the 1,315 TN electrical contractors fall in each size band.

Cohort: size distribution of 1,315 TN electrical contractors (Census CBP 2023); premiums modeled from one filed rate ($2.00/$100 payroll, 2024). Bands shown cover 1,308 of 1,315 establishments (99.5%) — 7 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 (TN)

$2.00 / $100 payroll

as of 2024

Typical <5-employee electrical shop (50% of TN)

$1.5k–$5.8k / 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 Tennessee 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
32	Delaware	$2.09
33	Washington	$2.07
34	Colorado	$2.06
35	Massachusetts	$2.02
36	Tennessee	$2.00
37	Arizona	$1.81
38	Kansas	$1.78
39	Iowa	$1.76
40	Michigan	$1.73

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 Tennessee?

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $2.00 per $100 of payroll: a <5-employee electrical shop lands around $1.5k–$5.8k 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: Arizona ($1.81) · Massachusetts ($2.02) · Colorado ($2.06) · Kansas ($1.78)

Stay informed

We’ll notify you when we’re ready to benchmark your electrical shop’s coverage.

No spam — one email.

Illustrative benchmark — not a quote or coverage recommendation. Figures are modeled from public filings and Census data for 1,315 Tennessee electrical contractors; your premium depends on your payroll, claims history, and carrier.