Workers’ comp insurance cost for restaurants in Tennessee

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

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $0.65 per $100 of payroll: a 20–49-employee restaurant lands around $3.3k–$8.1k 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: Tennessee full-service restaurants pay a filed workers’-comp manual rate of $0.65 per $100 of payroll (2024 filed rate) — the 47th-highest of 51 US jurisdictions. Modeled on real payrolls, most 20–49-employee full-service restaurants land around $3.3k–$8.1k/yr, before experience mods and schedule credits.

26% of TN full-service restaurants have 20–49 employees — the chart below prices every size band from its own observed payroll.
Tennessee sits 47th of 51: DC pays more ($0.74).
Workers’ comp is one of several coverages — see everything your restaurant needs in Tennessee →

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

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

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

typical · most TN full-service restaurants

▼

<5 emp

≈$670/yr

5–9 emp

≈$1.1k/yr

10–19 emp

≈$2.4k/yr

20–49 emp

≈$5.1k/yr

50–99 emp

≈$12k/yr

100–249 emp

≈$22k/yr

SMALLER

MID-SIZE

LARGER

A 20–49-employee TN restaurant: modeled $3.3k–$8.1k/yr in workers’-comp premium (that band’s own average wage, before experience mods and schedule credits). Bar heights show how many of the 4,962 TN full-service restaurants fall in each size band.

Cohort: size distribution of 4,962 TN full-service restaurants (Census CBP 2023); premiums modeled from one filed rate ($0.65/$100 payroll, 2024). Bands shown cover 4,960 of 4,962 establishments (100.0%) — 2 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)

$0.65 / $100 payroll

as of 2024

Typical 20–49-employee restaurant (26% of TN)

$3.3k–$8.1k / 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 Tennessee 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
43	Utah	$0.72
44	Maryland	$0.70
45	Kentucky	$0.69
46	North Dakota	$0.68
47	Tennessee	$0.65
48	Ohio	$0.59
49	Nevada	$0.55
50	West Virginia	$0.53
51	Arkansas	$0.48

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 full-service restaurants in Tennessee?

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $0.65 per $100 of payroll: a 20–49-employee restaurant lands around $3.3k–$8.1k 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: Kentucky ($0.69) · Nevada ($0.55) · Maryland ($0.70) · West Virginia ($0.53)

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Illustrative benchmark — not a quote or coverage recommendation. Figures are modeled from public filings and Census data for 4,962 Tennessee full-service restaurants; your premium depends on your payroll, claims history, and carrier.