Workers’ comp insurance cost for restaurants in Montana

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

Direct answer: Montana full-service restaurants pay a filed workers’-comp manual rate of $1.10 per $100 of payroll (2024 filed rate) — the 25th-highest of 51 US jurisdictions. Modeled on real payrolls, most 20–49-employee full-service restaurants land around $5.1k–$12k/yr, before experience mods and schedule credits.

28% of MT full-service restaurants have 20–49 employees — the chart below prices every size band from its own observed payroll.
Montana sits 25th of 51: SC pays more ($1.24), KS less ($1.04).
Workers’ comp is one of several coverages — see everything your restaurant needs in Montana →

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

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

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

typical · most MT full-service restaurants

▼

5–9 emp

≈$1.6k/yr

10–19 emp

≈$3.4k/yr

20–49 emp

≈$8.1k/yr

50–99 emp

≈$18k/yr

SMALLER

MID-SIZE

LARGER

A 20–49-employee MT restaurant: modeled $5.1k–$12k/yr in workers’-comp premium (that band’s own average wage, before experience mods and schedule credits). Bar heights show how many of the 1,060 MT full-service restaurants fall in each size band.

Cohort: size distribution of 1,060 MT full-service restaurants (Census CBP 2023); premiums modeled from one filed rate ($1.10/$100 payroll, 2024). Bands shown cover 776 of 1,060 establishments (73.2%) — 284 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 (MT)

$1.10 / $100 payroll

as of 2024

Typical 20–49-employee restaurant (28% of MT)

$5.1k–$12k / 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 Montana 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
21	Florida	$1.22
22	Minnesota	$1.19
23	Washington	$1.17
24	Colorado	$1.10
25	Montana	$1.10
26	Delaware	$1.09
27	South Dakota	$1.09
28	Connecticut	$1.09
29	Nebraska	$1.06

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 Montana?

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $1.10 per $100 of payroll: a 20–49-employee restaurant lands around $5.1k–$12k 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: Colorado ($1.10) · Delaware ($1.09) · Connecticut ($1.09) · Minnesota ($1.19)

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Illustrative benchmark — not a quote or coverage recommendation. Figures are modeled from public filings and Census data for 1,060 Montana full-service restaurants; your premium depends on your payroll, claims history, and carrier.