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15 highest-rate workers compensation class codes nationwide (2025)

Ranked list of the highest-rate NCCI workers compensation class codes. Logging, roofing, demolition, and high-hazard construction. Rates per $100 of payroll, sourced from state DOI filings.

Published January 14, 2025 · 9 min read

15 highest-rate workers compensation class codes nationwide

The highest-rate workers compensation class codes are concentrated in mining, logging, demolition, and high-elevation construction. The combination of high claim frequency (workers in motion in hazardous conditions) and high claim severity (catastrophic injuries and fatalities are not rare) produces rates 50x to 100x higher than office classifications.

The list below covers the 15 highest-rate codes in our dataset, with national medians and approximate state ranges drawn from 25 state filings [cells/cells-summary.json, industries/industries-summary.json].

1. Logging (NCCI 2702)

National median: approximately $3.77 per $100 of payroll. State range: $2.50 to over $40 in some high-loss states.

The logging classification is the most consistently high-rated code in our dataset. The exposures: chainsaw injuries, falling-timber strikes, equipment rollovers, and the inherent hazard of working in remote forested terrain with limited emergency-response access. OSHA’s Logging Standard (29 CFR 1910.266) drives engineering controls but cannot eliminate the structural hazard of the work.

The logging industry’s median rate of $3.77 across 23 states puts it at the top of our 22-industry index [industries/industries-summary.json]. State ranges run 5x to 10x the median in some jurisdictions where loss experience has been particularly poor.

2. Underground coal mining

National range: approximately $15 to $40+ per $100 of payroll across NCCI states.

Underground coal mining produces the highest single-code rates in many state filings. The exposures are catastrophic-loss-driven: cave-ins, gas explosions, equipment failures, and respiratory diseases (black lung) that produce long-tail benefit obligations. The federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) regulates the operation, but workers comp rates remain exceptional.

Underground coal mining policies are typically written by specialty carriers or excess-and-surplus markets; few standard-market carriers will write the class.

3. Roofing (NCCI 5551)

National range: approximately $8 to $25 per $100 of payroll.

Roofing is the highest-rated standard construction code. Fall-from-height is the dominant exposure: OSHA’s fall-protection standards (29 CFR 1926.501) require fall protection above six feet in residential construction and above varying thresholds in commercial work. Severe and fatal falls remain a leading cause of construction worker deaths.

The roofing rate variation is substantial. State filings range from approximately $8 in lower-loss states to $25 in states with poor recent loss experience. Carrier appetite for roofing is variable; specialty markets dominate.

4. Tree pruning and removal

National range: approximately $8 to $20 per $100.

Similar to logging in exposure but typically rated separately for residential and commercial tree-care operations. Chainsaw injuries, falls from elevated work, and chipper-feed accidents are the primary loss drivers. Tree-care operations are often written under NCCI 0106 or state-specific tree-care codes.

5. Demolition (NCCI 5213)

National range: approximately $7 to $18 per $100.

Demolition operations carry catastrophic-loss potential: structural collapses, falling-debris strikes, and confined-space exposures. The class also has high frequency of moderate-severity claims (cuts, strains, slip-and-fall). The combination produces consistently high rates across states.

6. Iron and steel erection (NCCI 5040)

National range: approximately $7 to $16 per $100.

Steel-erection operations on commercial and industrial structures involve high-elevation work, heavy lifts (cranes, rigging), and welding hazards. The fatality rate in steel erection has historically been among the highest in construction. OSHA’s steel-erection standard (29 CFR 1926 Subpart R) sets engineering controls.

7. Excavation (NCCI 6217)

National range: approximately $5 to $14 per $100.

Excavation and trenching operations carry collapse exposure (cave-ins are a leading cause of excavation fatalities), heavy-equipment exposure, and underground-utility-strike risk. OSHA’s excavation standard (29 CFR 1926 Subpart P) requires shoring or sloping for trenches over five feet.

8. Underground transmission line construction

National range: approximately $6 to $15 per $100.

Utility-line installation underground (telecom, power, water) involves trenching, confined-space entry, and energized-utility exposure. The class is typically separate from outside line work (NCCI 7600).

9. Outside line work (NCCI 7600)

National range: approximately $6 to $14 per $100.

Power-line installation and maintenance on utility distribution systems. Electrocution and fall-from-height are the primary exposures. The work is typically performed at significant elevation on energized circuits, with severe consequences when controls fail.

National range: approximately $5 to $13 per $100.

Concrete formwork, finishing, and structural concrete operations. The exposures: heavy-material handling, slip-and-fall on wet surfaces, and equipment exposure (concrete-pumping, troweling machines).

11. Carpentry, multi-story dwellings (NCCI 5645)

National range: approximately $5.50 to $11 per $100.

Carpentry on dwellings of more than three stories. The high-elevation exposure pushes the rate above standard residential carpentry (NCCI 5403). Most multi-family construction projects use 5645 for the framing and exterior trim crews.

12. Trucking, long-haul / over-the-road (NCCI 7229)

National range: approximately $6 to $11 per $100.

Long-haul trucking with overnight stays. The driver-fatigue exposure and catastrophic-loss potential from highway accidents push the rate above local trucking (NCCI 7228). Loading and unloading injuries are also a factor.

For full coverage of trucking classifications, see /articles/class-code-7228-trucking.

13. Trucking, local hauling (NCCI 7228)

National range: approximately $5.10 to $9.60 per $100.

Local trucking and hauling. Lower than 7229 but still high relative to most service classifications. Driver-injury frequency drives the rate.

14. Painting, NOC (NCCI 5474)

National range: approximately $4.20 to $7.80 per $100.

Painting operations, including industrial and commercial painting at elevation. Ladder and overhead exposure produces fall and shoulder-injury claims. The class is competitive at the lower end of high-rate codes.

15. Carpentry, residential (NCCI 5403)

National range: approximately $4.80 to $9.20 per $100.

Residential carpentry. Falls, cuts, and back injuries are the main loss drivers. The rate sits at the boundary of high-rate construction codes; smaller residential operations may price below the national median.

For full coverage, see /articles/class-code-5403-carpentry.

What drives variation across states

Three factors explain why the same class code can rate at $8 in one state and $25 in another:

1. State loss experience. The bureau calculates loss costs from actual carrier-reported claims in the state. A state with poor recent loss experience produces higher loss costs for the affected classifications.

2. State benefit structure. Higher max weekly benefit caps, longer TTD-week limits, and broader eligibility produce higher claim costs and higher loss costs. California’s $1,659.23 max weekly cap [state-facts/CA.json] contributes to higher rates than New York’s $1,196 cap [state-facts/NY.json].

3. State medical-cost trends. Workers compensation medical is paid 100% with no deductibles, and medical-cost trends in the state translate directly to loss costs. States with high medical inflation see rates rise faster.

How to manage premium on high-rate codes

For employers in high-rate classifications, the management levers:

1. Document loss-control rigorously. OSHA-compliant training, written safety programs, pre-task hazard assessment, and incident-tracking systems support schedule credit and EMR.

2. Manage claims aggressively. Open claims drive EMR. Return-to-work programs reduce TTD weeks; medical-cost containment reduces medical claim spend; aggressive subrogation reduces net claim costs.

3. Get multiple carrier quotes. Carrier appetites vary substantially in high-hazard classes. AmTrust, ICW Group, W.R. Berkley, and specialty markets often produce different pricing on the same account.

4. Consider state-specific structures. For high-hazard operations, the difference between operating in a low-loss state and a high-loss state is more substantial than in standard classifications. State selection (where operationally feasible) is a meaningful lever.

5. Verify classification accuracy. A small percentage of high-rate code premium differences come from misclassification at the margin. A roofing crew that does occasional general-construction work may have pricing levers around payroll allocation.

How to read the rate ranges

The ranges in this list are approximations from our dataset. They represent what the bureau loss cost looks like before carrier loss-cost multipliers and modifiers. Final policy premium is typically 1.5x to 2.5x the bureau loss cost after LCM, EMR, and schedule credit.

For exact state-specific rates on any of these codes, navigate to the state page at /state/[code]/ and search for the class code. Each state page lists the rate ranges for the most-common codes filed in that state.

This is general information, not legal or insurance advice. Workers compensation rates vary substantially within and across states. Verify against the most current state DOI filing for your specific class code and state. Consult a licensed broker for your specific situation.

Frequently asked questions

What is the highest workers comp class code?

Underground coal mining and timber-falling operations regularly publish rates above $20 per $100 of payroll in NCCI states, with some state filings exceeding $40. Logging (NCCI 2702) carries a national median of $3.77 per $100 across 23 states in our dataset. The single highest published rate often varies by state and policy year.

Why are some workers comp rates so high?

Loss-cost economics. The rate is built from claim frequency multiplied by claim severity, divided by payroll. High-hazard occupations have both more claims and more severe claims (catastrophic injuries, fatalities). The combination produces rates 100x higher than office classifications.

Are these rates the same in every state?

No. Rates vary by state's loss experience, benefit caps, and bureau filing. A class code that runs $10 per $100 in one state may run $25 in another based on the state's specific loss data. The list below uses national medians and approximate ranges.

Can high-rate codes be reduced through loss control?

Yes, through EMR and schedule credit. Documented loss-control programs, claim-management systems, and three-year claim-free histories can reduce final policy premium by 25% to 40% even on high-rate classifications. The bureau loss cost is the floor; modifiers determine actual premium.

Are there carriers that specialize in high-hazard codes?

Yes. AmTrust, ICW Group, and W.R. Berkley write specialty programs for high-hazard classifications [carriers/carriers.json]. Some Lloyd's syndicates and excess-and-surplus carriers write high-hazard accounts when standard markets decline. Specialty placement typically requires broker expertise.

What is the highest-rate clerical class code?

Clerical classifications (NCCI 8810 and similar) are the lowest-rated standard codes. The highest-rate non-clerical classifications are concentrated in mining, logging, demolition, and high-elevation work. Office work classifications never appear in high-rate rankings.