Workers’ comp insurance cost for restaurants in Iowa

Q: What does workers' comp cost full-service restaurants in Iowa?

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $0.99 per $100 of payroll: a <5-employee restaurant lands around $460–$1.8k 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. Full-service restaurants fall under NCCI class 9082 (Restaurant NOC) — table-service establishments; fast food (class 9083) and bars (9084) are rated separately.

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

Direct answer: Iowa full-service restaurants pay a filed workers’-comp manual rate of $0.99 per $100 of payroll (2024 filed rate) — the 32nd-highest of 51 US jurisdictions. Modeled on real payrolls, most <5-employee full-service restaurants land around $460–$1.8k/yr, before experience mods and schedule credits.

27% of IA full-service restaurants have <5 employees — the chart below prices every size band from its own observed payroll.
Iowa sits 32nd of 51: SD pays more ($1.09), MI less ($0.82).
Workers’ comp is one of several coverages — see everything your restaurant needs in Iowa →

What do Iowa full-service restaurants pay for workers’ comp?

Modeled annual premium across the real size distribution of IA full-service restaurants

bar height = how many full-service restaurants are that size · figures = modeled annual cost

typical · most IA full-service restaurants

▼

<5 emp

≈$740/yr

5–9 emp

≈$1.2k/yr

10–19 emp

≈$2.6k/yr

20–49 emp

≈$6.3k/yr

50–99 emp

≈$12k/yr

SMALLER

MID-SIZE

LARGER

A <5-employee IA restaurant: modeled $460–$1.8k/yr in workers’-comp premium (that band’s own average wage, before experience mods and schedule credits). Bar heights show how many of the 2,459 IA full-service restaurants fall in each size band.

Cohort: size distribution of 2,459 IA full-service restaurants (Census CBP 2023); premiums modeled from one filed rate ($0.99/$100 payroll, 2024). Bands shown cover 2,434 of 2,459 establishments (99.0%) — 25 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 (IA)

$0.99 / $100 payroll

as of 2024

Typical <5-employee restaurant (27% of IA)

$460–$1.8k / 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 (Full-service restaurants (NAICS 722511)) (as of 2023, retrieved 2026-06-05)

How does Iowa compare to nearby ranks?

Calculated manual rates, $ per $100 payroll, NCCI class 9082 (Restaurant NOC), 2024. See all 51 jurisdictions →

Rank	State	Rate / $100 payroll
28	Connecticut	$1.09
29	Nebraska	$1.06
30	Kansas	$1.04
31	New Mexico	$1.01
32	Iowa	$0.99
33	Mississippi	$0.99
34	Oregon	$0.92
35	North Carolina	$0.87
36	Virginia	$0.87

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 full-service restaurants in Iowa?

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $0.99 per $100 of payroll: a <5-employee restaurant lands around $460–$1.8k 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. Full-service restaurants fall under NCCI class 9082 (Restaurant NOC) — table-service establishments; fast food (class 9083) and bars (9084) are rated separately.

Restaurants in nearby-ranked states: Mississippi ($0.99) · New Mexico ($1.01) · Kansas ($1.04) · Oregon ($0.92)

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Illustrative benchmark — not a quote or coverage recommendation. Figures are modeled from public filings and Census data for 2,459 Iowa full-service restaurants; your premium depends on your payroll, claims history, and carrier.