Workers' Comp Rates for Radio/TV Broadcasting (Class Code 7610)
Last verified: 2026-07-21 · Reviewed against NCCI and state rating-bureau filings — how we verify
Description
Covers employees of radio and television broadcasting stations including technical and production staff.
Common Businesses
Hazard Group
B
National Avg Rate
$1.34
per $100 payroll
Most Expensive States
- New York$1.81
- Alaska$1.78
- California$1.69
Rates by State for Class Code 7610
47 jurisdictions rate this code per $100 of payroll. North Dakota, Ohio, Washington and Wyoming are not included. Each is a monopolistic state fund that sets premium on its own basis rather than on an NCCI class-code rate per $100 of payroll, so there is no comparable figure to average or rank.
| State | Rate per $100 | vs. National Avg | Effective |
|---|---|---|---|
| Indiana | $0.98 | -0.36 | 2026-01-01 |
| Texas | $0.99 | -0.35 | 2026-07-01 |
| Virginia | $1.04 | -0.30 | 2026-04-01 |
| Utah | $1.06 | -0.28 | 2026-02-01 |
| Arkansas | $1.10 | -0.24 | 2026-07-01 |
| Colorado | $1.11 | -0.23 | 2026-01-01 |
| Tennessee | $1.14 | -0.20 | 2026-03-01 |
| Arizona | $1.15 | -0.19 | 2026-01-01 |
| South Dakota | $1.16 | -0.18 | 2026-07-01 |
| Nebraska | $1.17 | -0.17 | 2026-02-01 |
| North Carolina | $1.17 | -0.17 | 2026-04-01 |
| Idaho | $1.19 | -0.15 | 2026-01-01 |
| Kansas | $1.20 | -0.14 | 2026-01-01 |
| Mississippi | $1.21 | -0.13 | 2026-03-01 |
| New Mexico | $1.23 | -0.11 | 2026-01-01 |
| South Carolina | $1.24 | -0.10 | 2025-04-01 |
| Kentucky | $1.25 | -0.09 | 2026-01-01 |
| Iowa | $1.27 | -0.07 | 2026-01-01 |
| Missouri | $1.29 | -0.05 | 2026-01-01 |
| Nevada | $1.30 | -0.04 | 2026-03-01 |
| Georgia | $1.31 | -0.03 | 2026-03-01 |
| Maryland | $1.31 | -0.03 | 2026-01-01 |
| Oregon | $1.33 | -0.01 | 2026-01-01 |
| West Virginia | $1.34 | +0.00 | 2026-01-01 |
| Alabama | $1.35 | +0.01 | 2026-03-01 |
| Minnesota | $1.35 | +0.01 | 2026-01-01 |
| New Hampshire | $1.35 | +0.01 | 2026-01-01 |
| Delaware | $1.38 | +0.04 | 2025-12-01 |
| Maine | $1.38 | +0.04 | 2025-04-01 |
| Wisconsin | $1.38 | +0.04 | 2025-10-01 |
| Michigan | $1.40 | +0.06 | 2026-01-01 |
| Vermont | $1.40 | +0.06 | 2026-04-01 |
| Rhode Island | $1.42 | +0.08 | 2026-08-01 |
| Florida | $1.44 | +0.10 | 2026-01-01 |
| Montana | $1.44 | +0.10 | 2026-07-01 |
| District of Columbia | $1.48 | +0.14 | 2026-01-01 |
| Massachusetts | $1.48 | +0.14 | 2024-07-01 |
| Oklahoma | $1.48 | +0.14 | 2026-01-01 |
| Illinois | $1.50 | +0.16 | 2026-01-01 |
| Connecticut | $1.53 | +0.19 | 2026-01-01 |
| Louisiana | $1.56 | +0.22 | 2026-05-01 |
| Hawaii | $1.60 | +0.26 | 2026-01-01 |
| Pennsylvania | $1.60 | +0.26 | 2026-04-01 |
| New Jersey | $1.63 | +0.29 | 2026-01-01 |
| California | $1.69 | +0.35 | 2025-09-01 |
| Alaska | $1.78 | +0.44 | 2026-01-01 |
| New York | $1.81 | +0.47 | 2025-10-01 |
How Class Code 7610 Rates Are Spread Across the States
Across 47 states, the estimated workers' comp rate for NCCI class code 7610 (Radio/TV Broadcasting) ranges from $0.98 to $1.81 per $100 of payroll, with a national average of $1.34 and a median of $1.34. Each bar counts the states whose estimated rate falls in that range — shaded cheaper (green) to pricier (red). The dashed line marks the national average.
Distribution across 47 states. Rates are illustrative estimates (NCCI base rate × state rate multiplier) derived from published NCCI loss costs and state rating-bureau filings (retrieved 2026-07-21). They are estimates, not quotes — see our rate disclaimer.
View the rate distribution as a data table
| Rate range / $100 | States | Which states |
|---|---|---|
| $0.98–$1.08 | 4 | Indiana, Texas, Virginia, Utah |
| $1.08–$1.19 | 7 | Arkansas, Colorado, Tennessee, Arizona, South Dakota, Nebraska, North Carolina |
| $1.19–$1.29 | 8 | Idaho, Kansas, Mississippi, New Mexico, South Carolina, Kentucky, Iowa, Missouri |
| $1.29–$1.40 | 11 | Nevada, Georgia, Maryland, Oregon, West Virginia, Alabama, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Delaware, Maine, Wisconsin |
| $1.40–$1.50 | 8 | Michigan, Vermont, Rhode Island, Florida, Montana, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Oklahoma |
| $1.50–$1.60 | 5 | Illinois, Connecticut, Louisiana, Hawaii, Pennsylvania |
| $1.60–$1.71 | 2 | New Jersey, California |
| $1.71–$1.81 | 2 | Alaska, New York |
| Summary | 47 | Min $0.98 · Median $1.34 · Avg $1.34 · Max $1.81 |
The rates above are manual rates — step 1 of the eight-step rating-bureau premium algorithm. See what your carrier applies after that, or estimate premium for code 7610 with your own payroll and experience mod.
Related Class Codes
9014
Janitorial Services - By Contractor
Hazard Group: C
7720
Police Officers and Drivers
Hazard Group: D
7710
Firefighters and Drivers
Hazard Group: D
9410
Municipal, Township, County or State Employees - NOC
Hazard Group: C
4361
Pest Control Services
Hazard Group: D
About Class Code 7610: Scope, Inclusions, and Common Misclassifications
As of July 21, 2026, workers' comp class code 7610 is the radio or television broadcasting-station classification for the employees who make and transmit station programming — including studio and field crews, clerical staff, outside salespeople, drivers, announcers, entertainers, and musicians. New York's current 7610 record lists a 0.181 loss cost effective October 1, 2025, while California's public classification page lists a $0.51 pure premium rate effective September 1, 2024; those bureau figures are state-specific filing benchmarks, not interchangeable quotes.
The code follows the broadcasting operation, not a generic media job title. NYCIRB includes control and lighting operators, camera and boom-microphone personnel, engineers, technicians, scriptwriters, announcers, players, entertainers, and musicians whether they work inside the studio or at outside broadcast locations. California uses the same 7610 number for FCC-licensed radio, television, and commercial wireless broadcasting stations, but expressly routes internet-only programming, connectivity services, contract post-production, and motion-picture production to other classifications. Use the state rate directory to compare filing-based estimates, then confirm the governing bureau before treating any 7610 figure as a quote.
What Workers' Comp Class Code 7610 Includes
Class code 7610 covers the station's inside and field workforce. NYCIRB's published scope includes control-room and lighting operators, camera and boom-microphone crews, broadcast engineers and technicians, scriptwriters, announcers, on-air talent, entertainers, musicians, clerical office employees, outside salespeople, and drivers. Field engineers who inspect transmitters or make remote-broadcast connections at ballparks, auditoriums, and similar locations remain within the station operation rather than becoming a separate contractor merely because they leave the studio.
California's WCIRB phraseology likewise includes all employees, clerical office employees, clerical telecommuters, and outside salespersons. Its rule applies to FCC-licensed stations and also reaches contract video duplication, cable-company television studios, and music recording studios. The broad all-employees wording is the important audit point: a station should not automatically split ordinary production, sales, clerical, or field-broadcast payroll into lower-looking codes when the state manual includes those employees in 7610.
7610 vs Streaming, Post-Production, Connectivity, and Film Work
A podcast, streaming channel, or other operation that distributes audio or video exclusively over the internet is not automatically a broadcasting station. WCIRB directs internet-only programming to its web-application classification, while FCC-licensed radio, television, and commercial wireless stations stay in 7610. A traditional station that also simulcasts online is different from a digital-only publisher; preserve the FCC license, distribution agreements, and revenue records that show which operation the employer actually conducts.
California also separates cable or satellite connectivity providers, contract video or audio post-production performed for other concerns, and motion-picture production from 7610. The same practical boundary applies outside California even when the code numbers differ: operating the station and creating its live or recorded broadcast programming is one exposure; installing communications infrastructure, editing media for outside clients, or producing a film as a separate business is another. Check the current state manual rather than borrowing California's code mapping for an NCCI or independent-bureau state.
For related low-hazard office and digital work, compare clerical office employees 8810, clerical telecommuter employees 8871, and computer programming or web-based development 8859. These are boundary references, not automatic payroll splits: the governing bureau decides whether the station's own clerical, remote, or digital employees remain included in 7610.
Audit Records That Support a 7610 Assignment
Keep the FCC license, station ownership and network agreements, employee job descriptions, studio and remote-broadcast schedules, transmitter-service logs, and payroll records for on-air talent. Those records show that the insured operates a broadcasting station and identify the employees included by the all-employees phraseology. Contracts and invoices should separately identify any stand-alone post-production, connectivity-installation, motion-picture, or internet-only operation that may need another classification.
Payroll limitations for entertainers and on-air personalities are state-specific. California's public 7610 page applies an annual remuneration cap to on-air personalities, entertainers, and musicians, while New York applies its own maximum-average-weekly-wage rule. Do not transfer either cap to another state. The class code directory and workers' comp calculator provide comparison estimates, but the carrier audit must use the current rule, rate, and payroll limitation published for the policy state and effective date.
Sources
- NYCIRB Classification Digest — Class 7610 phraseology and description (retrieved 2026-07-21)
- NYCIRB Classification Digest — Class 7610 dashboard and current rating values (retrieved 2026-07-21)
- WCIRB California — Radio, Television or Commercial Broadcasting Stations (Classification 7610) (retrieved 2026-07-21)
- Wisconsin Compensation Rating Bureau — Class Code Order (7610 phraseology and inclusions) (retrieved 2026-07-21)
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is workers' comp class code 7610?
- Workers' comp class code 7610 covers radio or television broadcasting-station employees. Public bureau descriptions include studio and field crews, control and lighting operators, camera and boom-microphone personnel, engineers, technicians, scriptwriters, announcers, entertainers, musicians, clerical staff, outside salespeople, and drivers. The exact phraseology and rate are state-specific, so confirm the current bureau manual before binding coverage.
- How much is workers' comp insurance for class code 7610?
- The national average rate for class code 7610 is $1.34 per $100 of payroll, across the 47 jurisdictions rated on that basis. Cheapest states: Indiana ($0.98), Texas ($0.99), Virginia ($1.04). Most expensive: New York ($1.81), Alaska ($1.78), California ($1.69). Actual premium depends on your state, payroll, experience modifier, and carrier. North Dakota, Ohio, Washington and Wyoming are not included. Each is a monopolistic state fund that sets premium on its own basis rather than on an NCCI class-code rate per $100 of payroll, so there is no comparable figure to average or rank.
- What businesses use workers' comp class code 7610?
- Class code 7610 typically applies to Radio stations, TV stations, Broadcasting networks, Media production companies.
- Does class code 7610 include on-air personalities and musicians?
- Yes. NYCIRB and WCIRB both include announcers, players, entertainers, or musicians in the broadcasting-station classification. Some states cap the remuneration used to calculate premium for those employees, but the cap and effective date differ by state. Apply only the limitation published by the bureau governing the policy.
- Are clerical employees and outside salespeople included in 7610?
- They can be. New York's 7610 phraseology expressly includes clerical employees, outside salespersons, and drivers, and California includes clerical office employees, clerical telecommuters, and outside salespersons. Do not automatically split them to 8810, 8871, or 8742 when the station classification includes them; verify the policy state's manual.
- Is an internet-only podcast or streaming channel class code 7610?
- Not automatically. California expressly routes audio or video programming distributed exclusively over the internet away from 7610 and into its web-based application classification. An FCC-licensed station that also streams its broadcasts is different from a digital-only publisher. Other states may use different code numbers, so classify from the actual operation and local manual.
- What is the workers' comp rate for class code 7610?
- There is no single national 7610 rate. New York currently publishes a 0.181 loss cost effective October 1, 2025, while California's public page lists a $0.51 pure premium rate effective September 1, 2024. Those are state-specific bureau benchmarks, not quotes; carrier multipliers, payroll, experience modification, schedule rating, and the applicable policy-year filing determine actual premium.