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Workers’ comp rates for restaurants, state by state
Published 2026-06-05 · Updated 2026-06-11 · by Brokly
Direct answer: workers’ comp is required in nearly every state once full-service restaurants have employees — each state sets its own threshold and files its own rates. For NCCI class 9082 they span $0.48 to $3.11 per $100 of payroll (2024 filed) — California is the most expensive, Arkansas the cheapest, and the median state pays $1.09. Pick your state below for its mandate and modeled dollar costs by business size.
Requirement: NAIC — Small Business Insurance. Thresholds vary by state — your state’s guide below has the statute.
How much is workers’ comp for restaurants in each state?
Calculated manual rates, $ per $100 payroll, NCCI class 9082 (Restaurant NOC), 2024. The study notes rates “may include loss cost multipliers and assessments.” Alphabetical; rank 1 = most expensive of 51. Linked state names open the state’s coverage guide; linked rates open the cost breakdown.
† state-fund jurisdiction — workers’ comp is purchased through the state, not a private market. Unlinked states lack a published rate or a defensible business-size cohort. Modeled — not quotes: each figure prices that state’s most common restaurant size band from the state’s own observed payroll (CBP 2023), so dollar order can differ from rate rank.
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)
Frequently asked questions
Why do rates for the same trade differ several-fold between states?
Each state approves its own rates from its own claims experience — benefit levels, medical costs, and litigation environments differ. The rate is per $100 of payroll, so state wage levels move the dollar premium too.
Is the rate what I’ll actually pay?
No — it’s the filed starting point. Your payroll sets the base, your claims history (experience mod) scales it, and insurer schedule credits move it further. Illustrative benchmark — not a quote or coverage recommendation.
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