Workers' Compensation Rates in Massachusetts (2026)

Last verified: 2026-07-22 · Reviewed against NCCI and state rating-bureau filings — how we verify

State Overview

WC Requirement

Mandatory

Minimum Employees

1

Effective Date

2024-07-01

Still the rates in force — Massachusetts is an administered-rate state and no revision has taken effect since. The Division of Insurance rejected WCRIBMA's 7.1% increase on May 15, 2025, and WCRIBMA has made no rate filing for 2026, so the July 1, 2024 manual rates remain the ones in force.

Massachusetts has its own independent rating bureau (WCRIBMA) and uses administered (fixed) rates rather than loss costs, so rates change only when a general revision is approved. The current rates took effect July 1, 2024, when the Commissioner ordered a 14.6% decrease; the Division of Insurance then rejected WCRIBMA's proposed 7.1% increase for July 1, 2025 (Docket R2024-01), leaving those rates unchanged. On July 7, 2026 the Supreme Judicial Court remanded the 2024 and 2025 decisions for a fuller explanation of the 14.6% cut, so the figures here may be revised. The state has relatively high workers' comp costs due to generous benefits.

Average Rate (All Class Codes)

$6.25

per $100 of payroll

Least Expensive Class Codes

  • 8815Bank - All Employees$0.18
  • 8865Court Reporter$0.18
  • 8801Credit Union - All Employees$0.18

Most Expensive Class Codes

Understanding Massachusetts Workers' Comp Rates

Massachusetts runs its own workers' comp rating system outside NCCI. The Workers' Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau of Massachusetts (WCRIBMA) is the state's licensed rating organization, and Massachusetts is an administered-rate state: WCRIBMA files a single set of manual rates that, once approved by the Commissioner of the Division of Insurance, apply uniformly to all insurers, rather than each carrier filing its own. Insurers can compete through dividend plans, scheduled credits, and the Massachusetts deductible programs, but the base manual rate per class code is the same across carriers — a structurally different model from competitive states like Texas.

Rate changes in Massachusetts are decided through a contested filing before the Division of Insurance, and the Commissioner can reject the bureau's request. On May 15, 2025, Commissioner Michael Caljouw rejected WCRIBMA's proposed 7.1% average increase and held rates flat, a decision the Division estimated would save Massachusetts employers roughly $80 million over the following year. The State Rating Bureau and the Attorney General's Office had argued the bureau leaned too heavily on two years of pandemic-era loss data instead of a longer five-year window. WCRIBMA has since made no rate filing for 2026, so the manual rates that took effect July 1, 2024 are still the ones in force — which is why the filing date on this page is more than two years old rather than out of date. On July 7, 2026 the Supreme Judicial Court remanded the 2024 and 2025 rate decisions, holding that the Commissioner had not adequately explained the 14.6% decrease ordered for 2024 when WCRIBMA had proposed 7.6%; that remand could change the approved rates, so employers should confirm the current manual rate for their class code with their carrier or WCRIBMA. The figures on this page are filing-based benchmarks, not binding quotes.

Administered Rates: What It Means for Shoppers

In an administered-rate state, the manual rate attached to each class code is set by the approved WCRIBMA filing and is identical no matter which licensed carrier you buy from. That removes base-rate shopping, but it does not remove price differences entirely: Massachusetts insurers compete on dividend plans, schedule rating credits and debits, the all-risk and other deductible programs, and underwriting appetite for particular industries. Your experience modification factor — also calculated by WCRIBMA — still multiplies the manual rate, so loss history remains the biggest lever on a Massachusetts premium.

Because rates are uniform, the most productive Massachusetts shopping questions are about classification accuracy and credits, not the headline rate. Confirm that each employee is assigned to the correct WCRIBMA class code, that clerical and outside-sales standard exceptions are applied where they qualify, and ask each carrier what dividend or schedule credit it can offer for your loss experience and safety program.

Who Must Carry Coverage in Massachusetts

Massachusetts has one of the broadest coverage mandates in the country. Under M.G.L. c. 152, virtually every employer must carry workers' compensation for its employees, including part-time workers, with only narrow exceptions — most notably domestic servants working fewer than 16 hours per week. There is no small-employer headcount threshold the way NCCI states like Georgia (three employees) or Alabama (five) use; a single covered employee generally triggers the requirement. Corporate officers of Massachusetts corporations are generally covered employees, though they may elect to exclude themselves under specific conditions.

The Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) administers the benefit system and enforces coverage, and the Division of Insurance regulates the rates. Failing to carry required coverage exposes a Massachusetts employer to stop-work orders and penalties from the DIA, in addition to liability for an injured worker's benefits. As with rates, classification and corporate-officer election questions should be confirmed with WCRIBMA or the carrier rather than assumed from another state's rules.

All Class Codes & Rates in Massachusetts

CodePhraseologyHazard GroupRate per $100
8823Accountant - CPAA$0.21
8862Advertising AgencyA$0.26
7403Aircraft Operation - NOCE$10.92
7605Alarm Installation or RepairD$5.61
5047Aluminum InstallationE$9.15
8836Ambulance Service - All EmployeesC$6.49
7398Ambulette/Medical TransportD$6.49
9067Amusement Park - Mechanical RidesD$6.19
9016Amusement Park or Exhibition Operation & DriversD$4.84
7520Amusement Ride OperationD$6.78
8831Animal Hospital - VeterinaryC$2.66
8861Architect or Engineer - ConsultingB$0.47
5473Asphalt PavingF$12.10
9625Assisted Living FacilityD$5.31
9182Athletic Teams - AmateurE$8.56
9180Athletic Teams - ProfessionalF$14.75
8820Attorney - All Employees & ClericalA$0.24
8803Auditing, Accounting or Management ConsultingA$0.24
8046Auto Accessories StoreB$1.48
5188Automatic Sprinkler InstallationE$9.26
8393Automobile Body Repair & DriversC$8.56
8748Automobile Dealer - All EmployeesD$4.43
3821Automobile Recycling & DriversD$8.02
8380Automobile Service or Repair Center & DriversD$5.31
7225Automobile Towing & DriversE$10.03
7422Aviation - Ground CrewE$8.56
2003BakeryC$4.13
3724Bakery - ManufacturingD$5.01
8815Bank - All EmployeesA$0.18
8855Banks and Trust Companies - All EmployeesA$0.20
9586Barber Shop or Beauty ParlorC$1.77
7337Boat Building - MetalF$11.51
7335Boat Building - WoodE$8.85
3027Boiler ManufacturingE$9.15
8072Book StoreA$0.59
2157BottlingC$3.84
9071Bowling Alley - All EmployeesC$2.89
9070Bowling Center - AllC$2.95
2065BreweryC$3.84
9650Building InspectionC$2.66
8232Building Material Yard & DriversE$6.78
8058Building Materials DealerD$6.19
9015Building Operation - All Other EmployeesC$3.66
9012Building or Property Management - Property Managers and Leasing Agents & Clerical, SalespersonsB$0.89
8385Bus Co - Garage EmployeesE$9.56
7382Bus Company - All EmployeesD$8.85
8850Bus/Taxi - DispatchingA$0.53
5148Cabinet Manufacturing & InstallD$7.08
2812Cabinet/Wood Products ManufacturingD$7.38
9055Camps - Day/OvernightC$3.84
2095Candy ManufacturingC$3.54
2111CanneryD$6.19
9602Car WashC$2.95
5645Carpentry - Detached One or Two Family DwellingsF$14.75
5432Carpentry - Detached One/Two FamilyE$10.92
5436Carpentry - Finish DetachedD$7.67
5404Carpentry - Install CabinetsD$8.26
5437Carpentry - Installation of Cabinet Work or Interior TrimF$16.81
2802Carpentry - Shop OnlyD$6.49
5403Carpentry NOCG$13.27
9536Carpet CleaningC$3.54
9519Catering NOCC$4.13
5020Ceiling InstallationE$10.03
9610Cemetery - AllD$4.13
5348Ceramic Tile, Indoor Stone, Marble, or Mosaic WorkE$6.49
2131Cereal ManufacturingC$3.42
7405Charter AircraftF$15.05
8826Chiropractic OfficeB$1.06
8812Clerical - Drafting EmployeesA$0.26
8810Clerical Office EmployeesA$0.30
8871Clerical Telecommuter EmployeesB$0.35
2501Clothing ManufacturingB$2.66
8008Clothing or Wearing Apparel Store - RetailC$2.18
9061Club NOC - All EmployeesC$3.30
8844Collection AgencyA$0.26
8868College or University - Professional EmployeesB$0.53
7380Commercial DriversD$10.03
8859Computer Programming or Software DevelopmentA$0.21
5201Concrete Block ManufacturingE$9.44
5213Concrete Construction NOCF$11.51
5214Concrete NOC - PouredF$12.10
5221Concrete or Cement Work - Floors, Driveways, YardsF$10.50
5070Concrete Products ManufacturingE$7.67
5215Concrete WorkF$13.57
5222Concrete/Cement - FloorsE$9.74
8227Construction Material - UsedD$6.78
8019Convenience StoreC$2.66
7715Corrections OfficersG$10.92
9558Courier/Document DeliveryC$3.84
7719Court EmployeesB$1.48
8865Court ReporterA$0.18
2070Creamery/Dairy ProductsC$4.43
8801Credit Union - All EmployeesA$0.18
8805Credit Union/SavingsA$0.18
9059Day SpaB$1.77
8854Daycare CenterC$2.95
8822Dental LaboratoryB$0.89
8824Dental Office - All EmployeesB$0.65
8039Department Store - RetailC$2.36
2102DistilleryC$3.66
5108Door/Window InstallationD$7.38
5152Drilling NOCF$15.93
8047Drug StoreB$1.12
2688Dry CleaningC$3.84
8866Election CampaignB$1.00
7539Electric Light/Power CompaniesF$12.39
3082Electrical Apparatus ManufacturingD$5.31
5140Electrical Installation - InteriorD$6.19
5193Electrical Wiring - AlarmD$6.49
5190Electrical Wiring - Within BuildingsE$7.38
9653Elevator InspectionC$2.36
5160Elevator InstallationF$12.39
5162Elevator Service/MaintenanceE$9.74
8858Employment AgencyA$0.24
7711EMT/ParamedicsF$8.85
6217Excavation NOCF$12.74
8809Executive Officers NOC - Not Foremen, Workers or SalespersonsA$0.24
0035Farm - DairyE$10.33
0005Farm - Field CropsE$11.21
0016Farm - LivestockF$12.10
0050Farm - Orchard or GroveE$9.20
8116Farm Machinery Dealer - All Operations & DriversC$3.84
8841Financial AdvisorA$0.20
7710Firefighters and DriversD$7.67
2161Fish ProcessingE$7.67
8032Florist - RetailB$1.36
2130Flour MillingD$5.01
7350Freight HandlingE$8.56
2143Fruit ProcessingD$4.72
9620Funeral Directors - All EmployeesC$2.07
2883Furniture ManufacturingD$6.49
8293Furniture Moving & Storage, DriversE$5.61
5146Furniture or Fixtures Installation - Portable NOCD$7.97
8044Furniture Store - Wholesale or Retail & DriversC$3.24
7590Garbage/Ash CollectionF$11.51
2913Glass ManufacturingE$8.85
2915Glass MerchantD$6.19
5462GlazierE$10.03
9056Golf ClubC$2.95
8811Government ClericalA$0.26
8304Grain ElevatorE$8.26
2041Grain MillingD$5.31
8006Grocery Store - RetailC$2.95
9585Hair SalonB$1.48
8010Hardware Store - Wholesale or RetailC$3.07
5137Heating Equipment InstallationD$6.78
5185Heating System InstallationD$6.49
5537Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and RefrigerationE$6.78
8851Home for Aged - AllD$6.19
8835Home Health Care ServicesC$4.90
9040Hospital - All Other EmployeesB$6.49
8833Hospital - Professional EmployeesC$3.36
9058Hotel - Restaurant EmployeesC$4.13
9052Hotel NOC - All Other Employees & DriversC$4.31
9529House CleaningC$3.84
9033Housing AuthorityB$1.77
2039Ice Cream ManufacturingC$4.13
8215Ice DealerC$3.54
8203Ice ManufacturingD$5.31
5479Insulation WorkE$8.85
8845Investigator/DetectiveC$2.66
8840Investment CompanyA$0.18
5038Iron Doors/Gates InstallationF$17.11
5057Iron or Steel Erection - NOCG$20.36
5102Iron or Steel Erection - StructuralG$21.83
5069Iron/Steel - NOCG$24.78
5059Iron/Steel - OrnamentalF$14.46
5040Iron/Steel Erection - FrameG$28.91
8106Iron/Steel MerchantD$6.49
6229Irrigation Works - All OperationsE$7.67
9014Janitorial Services - By ContractorC$5.01
8013Jewelry StoreB$1.00
8263Junk DealerD$6.49
0917Landscape Gardening - NOCD$6.19
5443LathingE$10.33
2660Laundry NOCC$4.13
2586Leather Goods ManufacturingC$3.54
9034Library - All EmployeesA$0.77
7716LifeguardsD$4.43
7317Longshore WorkersG$22.42
8061Lumber DealerD$6.78
3632Machine Shop NOCD$5.61
3030Machinery ManufacturingD$6.49
3685Machinist NOCD$6.02
7327Marine TransportationF$14.75
5029Masonry - DecorativeE$11.21
5027Masonry - FireproofF$12.98
5028Masonry - StoneF$15.05
5022Masonry NOCF$12.39
8031Meat Market - RetailC$3.24
2001Meat PackingF$10.33
8033Meat, Fish or Poultry Dealer - RetailC$3.84
8021Meat, Fish or Poultry Dealer - WholesaleC$2.95
8838Medical LabB$0.89
7360Messenger ServiceC$4.13
3581Metal Stamping - NOCE$7.26
9410Municipal, Township, County or State Employees - NOCC$4.13
9587Nail SalonB$1.18
8860Newspaper - DeliveryC$4.43
8869Newspaper or Magazine Publishing - All EmployeesB$0.41
8807Newspaper PublishingB$1.00
0042Nursery EmployeesE$7.38
9046Nursing - Home/VisitingD$6.78
9049Nursing Home - AllD$6.49
8829Nursing Home - All EmployeesC$6.19
5191Office Machine Installation, Inspection, Adjustment, or RepairE$5.01
8825Optometry OfficeA$0.47
8742Outside Sales PersonnelB$0.65
8055Packaging - Contract - Retail Size PackagesC$2.95
8037Paint StoreB$1.18
5474Painting NOC & Shop Operations, DriversE$8.85
7721Park RangersD$4.13
8821Patent/Copyright AttorneyA$0.24
4361Pest Control ServicesD$5.31
9549Pet GroomingC$2.07
8099Pet StoreB$1.36
8846Pharmaceutical SalesB$0.65
8839Pharmacy - RetailB$1.06
7600Phone/Telegraph InstallationE$8.26
8832Physician & ClericalB$0.53
2110Pickle ManufacturingC$3.36
7313Pier/Wharf OperationF$13.27
5480Plastering NOCE$8.56
8111Plumber - CommercialE$7.08
5183Plumbing NOCE$7.97
7723Police Officers - MountedF$12.68
7720Police Officers and DriversD$6.78
8816Post OfficeC$3.24
2002Poultry ProcessingF$10.03
3076Printing - Offset or DigitalD$3.66
8843Psychiatric HospitalD$5.31
8015Quick PrintingB$1.18
8857Radio Station - ClericalA$0.21
7610Radio/TV BroadcastingB$1.48
7855Railroad OperationE$8.85
8856Real Estate Agency - All EmployeesC$1.42
8817Real Estate ManagementB$1.48
9077Recreation CenterC$2.95
3060Refrigerator ManufacturingD$5.61
8849Research Lab - AnalyticalB$1.30
9079Restaurant - Fast FoodC$3.84
9083Restaurant - Fast Food - Including DeliveryD$4.84
9082Restaurant NOCD$4.43
8045Retail Store - Cannabis/DispensaryC$2.54
8017Retail Store NOCC$2.48
5551Roofing - All EmployeesG$29.50
5606Roofing ContractorG$26.55
7724Sanitation WorkersF$10.03
9101School - All EmployeesB$2.18
9008Schools - VocationalC$3.24
9060Senior CenterB$2.07
5538Sheet Metal Work - HVAC DuctworkE$8.02
8090Shoe StoreA$0.65
5119Siding InstallationE$8.85
9554Sign Installation, Maintenance, Repair, Removal or Replacement NOC - Away From Shop & DriversF$9.74
9072Skating RinkC$3.24
8864Social Services OrganizationB$1.48
2105Soft Drink ManufacturingC$3.24
8078Sporting Goods StoreB$1.48
8279Stable/Riding AcademyD$6.19
7309StevedoringG$21.83
5506Street/Road ConstructionF$13.86
5507Street/Road Construction - ClearingF$11.80
8804Substance Use Disorder Recovery HomesC$5.31
2021Sugar ManufacturingD$5.01
5223Swimming Pool ConstructionF$10.92
9064Swimming Pool OperationC$3.24
2623TanningD$6.49
7370Taxi/RideshareD$7.97
7390Taxicab Company - All EmployeesD$9.20
8814Telephone Company - ClericalA$0.21
5037Tile RoofingG$25.96
2121Tobacco ManufacturingC$2.95
7229Trucking - HazmatG$17.40
7228Trucking - Local Hauling OnlyD$10.33
7219Trucking - Long HaulE$13.57
7232Trucking - Mail, Parcel or Package Delivery - Under Contract With USPSF$12.39
7231Trucking - Mail, Parcel, or Package DeliveryD$10.74
7202Trucking - NOCE$11.21
7227Trucking - RefrigeratedE$12.10
8847Trust CompanyA$0.18
9522UpholsteryC$3.24
9068Veterans HomeD$5.01
8842Veterinary Office - All EmployeesC$1.30
5180Water Main ConstructionF$14.16
3365Welding or Cutting NOCE$9.74
8018Wholesale Store NOCC$2.83
5196Wiring - Fire Detection SystemsD$5.61
2841Woodworking NOCD$6.78
2286Wool ProcessingC$3.72
8802Writer/AuthorA$0.24
2220Yarn/Thread ManufacturingC$3.54
9063YMCA, YWCA, or Health Club - All EmployeesC$3.36

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