Workers’ comp insurance cost for fast food in New Jersey

Q: What does workers' comp cost fast-food restaurants in New Jersey?

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $2.54 per $100 of payroll: a <5-employee fast-food restaurant lands around $880–$3.5k 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. Fast-food restaurants fall under NCCI class 9083 (Restaurant: Fast Food); full-service restaurants (class 9082) and bars (9084) are rated separately.

Published 2026-06-11 · by Brokly

Direct answer: New Jersey fast-food restaurants pay a filed workers’-comp manual rate of $2.54 per $100 of payroll (2024 filed rate) — the 3rd-highest of 51 US jurisdictions. Modeled on real payrolls, most <5-employee fast-food restaurants land around $880–$3.5k/yr, before experience mods and schedule credits.

45% of NJ fast-food restaurants have <5 employees — the chart below prices every size band from its own observed payroll.
New Jersey sits 3rd of 51: CA pays more ($3.11), OK less ($1.42).
Workers’ comp is one of several coverages — see everything your fast-food restaurant needs in New Jersey →

What do New Jersey fast-food restaurants pay for workers’ comp?

Modeled annual premium across the real size distribution of NJ fast-food restaurants

bar height = how many fast-food restaurants are that size · figures = modeled annual cost

typical · most NJ fast-food restaurants

▼

<5 emp

≈$1.6k/yr

5–9 emp

≈$4k/yr

10–19 emp

≈$8.2k/yr

20–49 emp

≈$17k/yr

50–99 emp

≈$34k/yr

100–249 emp

≈$71k/yr

SMALLER

MID-SIZE

LARGER

A <5-employee NJ fast-food restaurant: modeled $880–$3.5k/yr in workers’-comp premium (that band’s own average wage, before experience mods and schedule credits). Bar heights show how many of the 7,670 NJ fast-food restaurants fall in each size band.

Cohort: size distribution of 7,670 NJ fast-food restaurants (Census CBP 2023); premiums modeled from one filed rate ($2.54/$100 payroll, 2024). Bands shown cover 7,667 of 7,670 establishments (100.0%) — 3 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)

$2.54 / $100 payroll

as of 2024

Typical <5-employee fast-food restaurant (45% of NJ)

$880–$3.5k / 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 (Limited-service restaurants (NAICS 722513)) (as of 2023, retrieved 2026-06-05)

How does New Jersey compare to nearby ranks?

Calculated manual rates, $ per $100 payroll, NCCI class 9083 (Restaurant: Fast Food), 2024. See all 51 jurisdictions →

Rank	State	Rate / $100 payroll
1	California	$3.11
2	Hawaii	$2.64
3	New Jersey	$2.54
4	New York	$1.87
5	Rhode Island	$1.68
6	Vermont	$1.63
7	Wyoming	$1.48

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 fast-food restaurants in New Jersey?

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $2.54 per $100 of payroll: a <5-employee fast-food restaurant lands around $880–$3.5k 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. Fast-food restaurants fall under NCCI class 9083 (Restaurant: Fast Food); full-service restaurants (class 9082) and bars (9084) are rated separately.

Fast food in nearby-ranked states: Hawaii ($2.64) · New York ($1.87) · California ($3.11) · Vermont ($1.63)

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Illustrative benchmark — not a quote or coverage recommendation. Figures are modeled from public filings and Census data for 7,670 New Jersey fast-food restaurants; your premium depends on your payroll, claims history, and carrier.