Workers’ comp insurance cost for restaurants in Texas

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

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $0.81 per $100 of payroll: a <5-employee restaurant lands around $490–$1.9k 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.

Q: Why do quotes for the same business differ so much between insurers?

Each carrier files its own pricing with the Texas Department of Insurance — across 300+ filings, loss-cost multipliers span 0.09×–5.93× (special programs included) and filed schedule-rating credits/debits reach ±40%. Same class code, very different filed prices — which is why brokers shop the market.

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

Direct answer: Texas full-service restaurants pay a filed workers’-comp manual rate of $0.81 per $100 of payroll (2024 filed rate) — the 38th-highest of 51 US jurisdictions. Modeled on real payrolls, most <5-employee full-service restaurants land around $490–$1.9k/yr, before experience mods and schedule credits.

27% of TX full-service restaurants have <5 employees — the chart below prices every size band from its own observed payroll.
Texas sits 38th of 51: MS pays more ($0.99), UT less ($0.72).
Workers’ comp is one of several coverages — see everything your restaurant needs in Texas →

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

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

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

typical · most TX full-service restaurants

▼

<5 emp

≈$770/yr

5–9 emp

≈$1.3k/yr

10–19 emp

≈$2.7k/yr

20–49 emp

≈$6.4k/yr

50–99 emp

≈$14k/yr

100–249 emp

≈$29k/yr

SMALLER

MID-SIZE

LARGER

A <5-employee TX restaurant: modeled $490–$1.9k/yr in workers’-comp premium (that band’s own average wage, before experience mods and schedule credits). Bar heights show how many of the 20,819 TX full-service restaurants fall in each size band.

Cohort: size distribution of 20,819 TX full-service restaurants (Census CBP 2023); premiums modeled from one filed rate ($0.81/$100 payroll, 2024). Bands shown cover 20,804 of 20,819 establishments (99.9%) — 15 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 (TX)

$0.81 / $100 payroll

as of 2024

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

$490–$1.9k / yr modeled

as of 2024 · CBP 2023

Carrier multipliers (TX filings)

0.09×–5.93× 300+ filings, special programs incl.

as of 2026-05-28

Schedule credits / debits

±40% most carriers

as of 2026-05-28

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) · Texas Dept. of Insurance — WC insurance-company rate filings (LCMs + schedule rating) (as of 2026-05-28, retrieved 2026-06-05)

How does Texas 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
34	Oregon	$0.92
35	North Carolina	$0.87
36	Virginia	$0.87
37	Michigan	$0.82
38	Texas	$0.81
39	Massachusetts	$0.81
40	Indiana	$0.78
41	Arizona	$0.74
42	District of Columbia	$0.74

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 Texas?

Modeled from the 2024 filed manual rate of $0.81 per $100 of payroll: a <5-employee restaurant lands around $490–$1.9k 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.

Why do quotes for the same business differ so much between insurers?

Each carrier files its own pricing with the Texas Department of Insurance — across 300+ filings, loss-cost multipliers span 0.09×–5.93× (special programs included) and filed schedule-rating credits/debits reach ±40%. Same class code, very different filed prices — which is why brokers shop the market.

Restaurants in nearby-ranked states: Massachusetts ($0.81) · Michigan ($0.82) · Indiana ($0.78) · Virginia ($0.87)

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Illustrative benchmark — not a quote or coverage recommendation. Figures are modeled from public filings and Census data for 20,819 Texas full-service restaurants; your premium depends on your payroll, claims history, and carrier.