Workers' Compensation Rates in Ohio (2026)
Last verified: 2026-07-18 · Reviewed against NCCI and state rating-bureau filings — how we verify
State Overview
WC Requirement
Mandatory
Minimum Employees
1
Effective Date
2026-07-01
Ohio operates a monopoly state fund through the Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC); private employers buy coverage from the BWC rather than from private carriers, and base rates are set annually effective July 1. The BWC cut private-employer base rates by an average of 6% effective July 1, 2025, and its Board of Directors approved a further 1% average cut effective July 1, 2026. Individual premium changes vary by class, payroll, and claims history.
How Ohio Actually Prices Workers' Comp
Ohio is the one monopolistic state that does classify employers by NCCI manual number and does rate per $100 of payroll — but the rate attached to each code is BWC's own filed base rate, not an NCCI loss cost, and the two diverge sharply.
Rate basis
Per $100 of payroll
Classification system
NCCI manual classifications
How BWC calculates your premium
BWC computes premium as (payroll ÷ 100) × the base rate BWC has filed for your manual classification, then applies your experience modifier and any rating-plan credits or discounts. Base rates for private employers are set annually and take effect July 1.
Why there is no NCCI class-code rate table on this page
This site's rate table is built from NCCI loss costs. Applying a state factor to an NCCI loss cost does not reproduce a BWC base rate, so any per-code Ohio number here would be a modelled figure wearing BWC's name. Rather than print one, we publish BWC's own filed base rates further down this page, transcribed from the rule that sets them — that is the number your premium is actually built from.
Ohio BWC — employer rate and manual classification lookup →
For the states that are rated on NCCI class codes, see our class-code directory and state rate comparison.
Sources
- Ohio BWC — Calculating your premium (retrieved 2026-07-28)
- Ohio Administrative Code Rule 4123-17-08 — employer classification rates (retrieved 2026-07-28)
- Ohio Administrative Code Rule 4123-17-06 — private employer contributions to the state insurance fund (Appendix A sets the base rates) (retrieved 2026-08-06)
Ohio BWC Filed Base Rates by Manual Classification
These are the base rates Ohio BWC itself filed for private employers, per $100 of payroll, effective July 1, 2026. They are transcribed from Ohio Administrative Code 4123-17-06, Appendix A — not modelled from NCCI loss costs, and not the average-rate figure this site publishes for the states that are rated on NCCI class codes.
Effective
July 1, 2026
Rate unit
per $100 of payroll
Classifications rated
501
BWC re-promulgates rule 4123-17-06 every year with a July 1 effective date. These rates apply to the payroll reporting period July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027.
What a base rate is not
A base rate is the starting point, not the bill. BWC computes premium as (payroll / 100) x the base rate for your manual classification, then applies your experience modifier and any rating-plan credits or discounts you qualify for. An employer in a group-rating or other alternative-rating program can pay well below the base rate.
Appendix A states on its face that these base rates do NOT include the Disabled Workers' Relief Fund (DWRF) assessment or the additional DWRF assessment. Administrative-cost and other assessments are billed separately as well, so a base rate is not the whole of what an Ohio employer pays.
| Code | Classification | Base rate |
|---|---|---|
| 0005 | Farm - Field Crops | $1.0564 |
| 0008 | — | $0.8642 |
| 0016 | Farm - Livestock | $1.1361 |
| 0034 | — | $2.0186 |
| 0035 | Farm - Dairy | $0.6827 |
| 0036 | — | $0.8453 |
| 0037 | — | $1.4344 |
| 0042 | Nursery Employees | $2.7014 |
| 0050 | Farm - Orchard or Grove | $2.2292 |
| 0079 | — | $1.8421 |
| 0083 | — | $1.8334 |
| 0106 | — | $6.7604 |
| 0113 | — | $0.3427 |
| 0170 | — | $0.5709 |
| 0251 | — | $0.3248 |
| 0401 | — | $0.8598 |
| 0917 | Landscape Gardening - NOC | $1.0477 |
| 1005 | — | $1.4145 |
| 1016 | — | $4.6961 |
| 1164 | — | $3.1284 |
| 1165 | — | $0.9712 |
| 1320 | — | $0.9476 |
| 1322 | — | $1.8537 |
| 1430 | — | $3.1676 |
| 1438 | — | $2.1514 |
| 1452 | — | $4.9551 |
| 1463 | — | $1.0316 |
| 1472 | — | $2.9604 |
| 1624 | — | $1.5789 |
| 1642 | — | $1.6226 |
| 1654 | — | $0.8684 |
| 1699 | — | $6.1914 |
| 1701 | — | $1.3744 |
| 1710 | — | $5.0072 |
| 1747 | — | $1.8060 |
| 1748 | — | $2.4838 |
| 1803 | — | $3.8434 |
| 1924 | — | $2.1730 |
| 1925 | — | $1.4206 |
| 2002 | Poultry Processing | $1.2984 |
| 2003 | Bakery | $1.6894 |
| 2014 | — | $1.5268 |
| 2016 | — | $2.3192 |
| 2021 | Sugar Manufacturing | $2.8469 |
| 2039 | Ice Cream Manufacturing | $3.2990 |
| 2041 | Grain Milling | $1.1887 |
| 2065 | Brewery | $0.5383 |
| 2070 | Creamery/Dairy Products | $2.8864 |
| 2081 | — | $1.3673 |
| 2089 | — | $3.3612 |
| 2095 | Candy Manufacturing | $1.3209 |
| 2105 | Soft Drink Manufacturing | $1.4342 |
| 2110 | Pickle Manufacturing | $0.4614 |
| 2111 | Cannery | $0.9216 |
| 2112 | — | $0.7965 |
| 2114 | — | $0.6081 |
| 2121 | Tobacco Manufacturing | $0.8054 |
| 2130 | Flour Milling | $0.5867 |
| 2131 | Cereal Manufacturing | $0.4516 |
| 2143 | Fruit Processing | $1.0560 |
| 2157 | Bottling | $1.4306 |
| 2172 | — | $0.2252 |
| 2174 | — | $0.9234 |
| 2211 | — | $5.1205 |
| 2220 | Yarn/Thread Manufacturing | $1.5567 |
| 2288 | — | $2.9203 |
| 2302 | — | $1.0935 |
| 2305 | — | $3.2928 |
| 2361 | — | $0.6081 |
| 2362 | — | $0.2879 |
| 2380 | — | $4.4337 |
| 2388 | — | $0.2136 |
| 2402 | — | $2.6508 |
| 2413 | — | $0.5502 |
| 2416 | — | $0.6081 |
| 2417 | — | $0.3265 |
| 2501 | Clothing Manufacturing | $1.0798 |
| 2503 | — | $0.0901 |
| 2570 | — | $1.7506 |
| 2585 | — | $1.5003 |
| 2586 | Leather Goods Manufacturing | $0.7079 |
| 2587 | — | $2.1952 |
| 2589 | — | $0.7298 |
| 2600 | — | $0.4165 |
| 2623 | Tanning | $0.6320 |
| 2651 | — | $1.4458 |
| 2660 | Laundry NOC | $0.3265 |
| 2683 | — | $0.8598 |
| 2688 | Dry Cleaning | $0.6222 |
| 2701 | — | $5.9673 |
| 2702 | — | $11.2599 |
| 2709 | — | $2.3541 |
| 2710 | — | $1.6145 |
| 2714 | — | $1.6006 |
| 2731 | — | $0.6367 |
| 2735 | — | $2.9981 |
| 2759 | — | $2.3724 |
| 2790 | — | $1.0674 |
| 2797 | — | $1.7998 |
| 2799 | — | $2.2880 |
| 2802 | Carpentry - Shop Only | $1.3247 |
| 2835 | — | $6.2504 |
| 2836 | — | $1.1682 |
| 2841 | Woodworking NOC | $1.1435 |
| 2881 | — | $1.5375 |
| 2883 | Furniture Manufacturing | $0.8762 |
| 2915 | Glass Merchant | $0.3941 |
| 2916 | — | $1.3699 |
| 2923 | — | $0.7619 |
| 2960 | — | $0.5150 |
| 3004 | — | $3.3773 |
| 3018 | — | $1.8292 |
| 3022 | — | $3.5087 |
| 3027 | Boiler Manufacturing | $2.0776 |
| 3028 | — | $2.4302 |
| 3030 | Machinery Manufacturing | $2.0965 |
| 3040 | — | $2.1629 |
| 3041 | — | $1.5142 |
| 3042 | — | $0.2528 |
| 3064 | — | $1.7149 |
| 3076 | Printing - Offset or Digital | $1.9314 |
| 3081 | — | $4.2428 |
| 3082 | Electrical Apparatus Manufacturing | $3.7645 |
| 3085 | — | $3.3806 |
| 3110 | — | $1.9392 |
| 3111 | — | $1.1408 |
| 3113 | — | $0.8294 |
| 3114 | — | $1.9169 |
| 3118 | — | $0.9288 |
| 3119 | — | $0.6081 |
| 3122 | — | $0.9038 |
| 3126 | — | $1.0783 |
| 3131 | — | $0.9600 |
| 3132 | — | $1.1966 |
| 3145 | — | $1.5013 |
| 3146 | — | $1.2732 |
| 3169 | — | $1.6163 |
| 3179 | — | $0.6130 |
| 3180 | — | $1.0905 |
| 3188 | — | $0.9820 |
| 3220 | — | $0.9118 |
| 3224 | — | $2.2589 |
| 3227 | — | $2.3054 |
| 3241 | — | $3.5676 |
| 3255 | — | $0.5544 |
| 3257 | — | $1.5505 |
| 3270 | — | $1.7674 |
| 3300 | — | $1.6517 |
| 3303 | — | $1.3390 |
| 3307 | — | $1.1833 |
| 3315 | — | $0.6661 |
| 3334 | — | $0.4183 |
| 3336 | — | $2.0949 |
| 3365 | Welding or Cutting NOC | $2.5163 |
| 3372 | — | $1.7757 |
| 3373 | — | $0.7675 |
| 3383 | — | $0.3793 |
| 3385 | — | $0.1468 |
| 3400 | — | $1.9341 |
| 3507 | — | $1.0832 |
| 3515 | — | $0.3828 |
| 3548 | — | $0.4840 |
| 3559 | — | $0.6493 |
| 3574 | — | $0.4097 |
| 3581 | Metal Stamping - NOC | $0.2315 |
| 3612 | — | $0.8579 |
| 3620 | — | $1.9268 |
| 3629 | — | $0.6591 |
| 3632 | Machine Shop NOC | $1.2648 |
| 3634 | — | $0.9049 |
| 3635 | — | $0.9399 |
| 3638 | — | $0.9250 |
| 3642 | — | $1.3038 |
| 3643 | — | $1.2555 |
| 3647 | — | $1.8841 |
| 3648 | — | $0.8236 |
| 3681 | — | $0.3340 |
| 3685 | Machinist NOC | $0.3519 |
| 3719 | — | $2.3485 |
| 3724 | Bakery - Manufacturing | $2.0362 |
| 3726 | — | $0.8660 |
| 3803 | — | $0.6586 |
| 3807 | — | $3.7369 |
| 3808 | — | $1.0024 |
| 3821 | Automobile Recycling & Drivers | $2.0617 |
| 3822 | — | $1.0944 |
| 3824 | — | $1.4047 |
| 3826 | — | $0.3348 |
| 3827 | — | $0.4451 |
| 3830 | — | $0.4157 |
| 3851 | — | $0.6300 |
| 3865 | — | $3.1947 |
| 3881 | — | $1.7535 |
| 4000 | — | $1.7545 |
| 4021 | — | $1.4812 |
| 4024 | — | $2.5078 |
| 4034 | — | $2.7363 |
| 4036 | — | $0.7462 |
| 4038 | — | $0.1351 |
| 4062 | — | $1.6365 |
| 4101 | — | $1.1945 |
| 4109 | — | $0.6314 |
| 4110 | — | $1.4992 |
| 4111 | — | $3.2576 |
| 4114 | — | $0.4117 |
| 4130 | — | $1.7293 |
| 4131 | — | $0.8676 |
| 4133 | — | $0.2932 |
| 4149 | — | $0.6756 |
| 4206 | — | $1.7168 |
| 4207 | — | $2.7053 |
| 4239 | — | $2.2462 |
| 4240 | — | $1.2494 |
| 4243 | — | $1.2626 |
| 4244 | — | $1.7896 |
| 4250 | — | $1.0996 |
| 4251 | — | $1.3158 |
| 4263 | — | $0.9248 |
| 4273 | — | $1.7126 |
| 4279 | — | $2.3214 |
| 4283 | — | $1.1763 |
| 4299 | — | $0.9111 |
| 4304 | — | $1.4310 |
| 4307 | — | $0.2280 |
| 4351 | — | $0.1226 |
| 4352 | — | $0.7260 |
| 4361 | Pest Control Services | $0.1607 |
| 4410 | — | $1.9400 |
| 4420 | — | $5.1582 |
| 4431 | — | $0.5215 |
| 4432 | — | $10.8228 |
| 4452 | — | $1.3534 |
| 4459 | — | $1.1885 |
| 4470 | — | $0.8036 |
| 4484 | — | $1.3796 |
| 4493 | — | $2.3253 |
| 4511 | — | $0.4147 |
| 4557 | — | $0.7929 |
| 4558 | — | $2.3654 |
| 4568 | — | $0.2703 |
| 4581 | — | $0.6081 |
| 4583 | — | $2.8597 |
| 4611 | — | $0.7229 |
| 4635 | — | $1.5476 |
| 4653 | — | $1.0915 |
| 4665 | — | $3.9100 |
| 4683 | — | $0.4306 |
| 4686 | — | $0.6379 |
| 4692 | — | $0.2701 |
| 4693 | — | $0.4350 |
| 4703 | — | $1.7385 |
| 4717 | — | $0.2703 |
| 4720 | — | $1.1136 |
| 4740 | — | $0.2362 |
| 4741 | — | $0.6438 |
| 4751 | — | $0.5924 |
| 4771 | — | $0.8382 |
| 4777 | — | $4.4479 |
| 4825 | — | $0.4477 |
| 4828 | — | $1.3303 |
| 4829 | — | $0.6151 |
| 4902 | — | $1.0531 |
| 4923 | — | $0.1384 |
| 5020 | Ceiling Installation | $2.4292 |
| 5022 | Masonry NOC | $3.1818 |
| 5037 | Tile Roofing | $5.8110 |
| 5040 | Iron/Steel Erection - Frame | $4.3971 |
| 5057 | Iron or Steel Erection - NOC | $1.7597 |
| 5059 | Iron/Steel - Ornamental | $2.1645 |
| 5102 | Iron or Steel Erection - Structural | $2.7896 |
| 5146 | Furniture or Fixtures Installation - Portable NOC | $2.4962 |
| 5160 | Elevator Installation | $2.9243 |
| 5183 | Plumbing NOC | $1.4612 |
| 5188 | Automatic Sprinkler Installation | $1.1776 |
| 5190 | Electrical Wiring - Within Buildings | $1.0889 |
| 5191 | Office Machine Installation, Inspection, Adjustment, or Repair | $0.6313 |
| 5192 | — | $1.8202 |
| 5213 | Concrete Construction NOC | $2.1817 |
| 5215 | Concrete Work | $1.7813 |
| 5221 | Concrete or Cement Work - Floors, Driveways, Yards | $2.0358 |
| 5222 | Concrete/Cement - Floors | $3.2858 |
| 5223 | Swimming Pool Construction | $0.9915 |
| 5348 | Ceramic Tile, Indoor Stone, Marble, or Mosaic Work | $1.8065 |
| 5402 | — | $6.9471 |
| 5403 | Carpentry NOC | $1.7131 |
| 5437 | Carpentry - Installation of Cabinet Work or Interior Trim | $1.7832 |
| 5443 | Lathing | $4.9681 |
| 5445 | — | $2.0501 |
| 5462 | Glazier | $1.6283 |
| 5472 | — | $3.9887 |
| 5473 | Asphalt Paving | $3.0119 |
| 5474 | Painting NOC & Shop Operations, Drivers | $2.0794 |
| 5478 | — | $1.6695 |
| 5479 | Insulation Work | $2.1108 |
| 5480 | Plastering NOC | $1.3739 |
| 5491 | — | $1.7603 |
| 5506 | Street/Road Construction | $2.6483 |
| 5507 | Street/Road Construction - Clearing | $1.6268 |
| 5535 | — | $3.2916 |
| 5537 | Heating, Ventilation, Air Conditioning and Refrigeration | $2.1540 |
| 5551 | Roofing - All Employees | $5.7709 |
| 5606 | Roofing Contractor | $0.5930 |
| 5610 | — | $12.5153 |
| 5645 | Carpentry - Detached One or Two Family Dwellings | $3.4595 |
| 5703 | — | $6.3466 |
| 5705 | — | $0.9563 |
| 5951 | — | $0.2695 |
| 6003 | — | $1.2561 |
| 6005 | — | $1.6636 |
| 6018 | — | $0.3916 |
| 6045 | — | $0.5070 |
| 6204 | — | $2.9480 |
| 6206 | — | $1.3610 |
| 6213 | — | $2.7696 |
| 6214 | — | $0.6686 |
| 6216 | — | $3.0140 |
| 6217 | Excavation NOC | $1.6721 |
| 6229 | Irrigation Works - All Operations | $1.5927 |
| 6233 | — | $2.4152 |
| 6235 | — | $0.9778 |
| 6236 | — | $1.7820 |
| 6237 | — | $0.8256 |
| 6251 | — | $1.9469 |
| 6252 | — | $1.7115 |
| 6306 | — | $1.7545 |
| 6319 | — | $1.6993 |
| 6325 | — | $1.6797 |
| 6400 | — | $1.4675 |
| 6503 | — | $2.8141 |
| 6504 | — | $1.0701 |
| 6704 | — | $1.4854 |
| 6811 | — | $0.2703 |
| 6834 | — | $3.6410 |
| 6836 | — | $1.9048 |
| 6854 | — | $0.9234 |
| 6882 | — | $0.4054 |
| 6884 | — | $0.6081 |
| 7133 | — | $4.9662 |
| 7219 | Trucking - Long Haul | $4.2527 |
| 7222 | — | $5.3004 |
| 7225 | Automobile Towing & Drivers | $3.6593 |
| 7230 | — | $7.5780 |
| 7231 | Trucking - Mail, Parcel, or Package Delivery | $6.5566 |
| 7232 | Trucking - Mail, Parcel or Package Delivery - Under Contract With USPS | $9.6324 |
| 7360 | Messenger Service | $1.9528 |
| 7370 | Taxi/Rideshare | $4.4249 |
| 7380 | Commercial Drivers | $3.3032 |
| 7382 | Bus Company - All Employees | $3.4388 |
| 7390 | Taxicab Company - All Employees | $4.3174 |
| 7402 | — | $0.0190 |
| 7403 | Aircraft Operation - NOC | $2.0042 |
| 7405 | Charter Aircraft | $0.8393 |
| 7420 | — | $3.7596 |
| 7421 | — | $0.2267 |
| 7422 | Aviation - Ground Crew | $1.8645 |
| 7425 | — | $0.8720 |
| 7431 | — | $0.6480 |
| 7502 | — | $0.6032 |
| 7515 | — | $0.4163 |
| 7520 | Amusement Ride Operation | $1.0002 |
| 7538 | — | $2.7877 |
| 7539 | Electric Light/Power Companies | $0.7362 |
| 7540 | — | $1.0030 |
| 7580 | — | $1.6500 |
| 7590 | Garbage/Ash Collection | $1.2961 |
| 7600 | Phone/Telegraph Installation | $1.8861 |
| 7605 | Alarm Installation or Repair | $1.1058 |
| 7610 | Radio/TV Broadcasting | $0.1639 |
| 7705 | — | $3.7825 |
| 7710 | Firefighters and Drivers | $2.2833 |
| 7711 | EMT/Paramedics | $23.0369 |
| 7720 | Police Officers and Drivers | $2.1586 |
| 7855 | Railroad Operation | $1.3642 |
| 8001 | — | $1.0862 |
| 8002 | — | $1.1439 |
| 8006 | Grocery Store - Retail | $0.7478 |
| 8008 | Clothing or Wearing Apparel Store - Retail | $0.7348 |
| 8010 | Hardware Store - Wholesale or Retail | $1.0389 |
| 8013 | Jewelry Store | $0.2259 |
| 8015 | Quick Printing | $0.3726 |
| 8017 | Retail Store NOC | $0.6188 |
| 8018 | Wholesale Store NOC | $1.2748 |
| 8021 | Meat, Fish or Poultry Dealer - Wholesale | $2.1524 |
| 8031 | Meat Market - Retail | $1.1442 |
| 8032 | Florist - Retail | $1.2944 |
| 8033 | Meat, Fish or Poultry Dealer - Retail | $1.1936 |
| 8037 | Paint Store | $2.1672 |
| 8039 | Department Store - Retail | $1.1775 |
| 8044 | Furniture Store - Wholesale or Retail & Drivers | $1.1329 |
| 8045 | Retail Store - Cannabis/Dispensary | $0.1712 |
| 8046 | Auto Accessories Store | $1.9038 |
| 8047 | Drug Store | $0.2380 |
| 8058 | Building Materials Dealer | $1.4397 |
| 8072 | Book Store | $0.2490 |
| 8102 | — | $0.4256 |
| 8103 | — | $1.5404 |
| 8106 | Iron/Steel Merchant | $2.3572 |
| 8107 | — | $1.0280 |
| 8111 | Plumber - Commercial | $1.5171 |
| 8116 | Farm Machinery Dealer - All Operations & Drivers | $0.7935 |
| 8203 | Ice Manufacturing | $1.5693 |
| 8204 | — | $2.2584 |
| 8209 | — | $0.4916 |
| 8215 | Ice Dealer | $1.5066 |
| 8227 | Construction Material - Used | $2.4866 |
| 8232 | Building Material Yard & Drivers | $2.6356 |
| 8233 | — | $2.3186 |
| 8235 | — | $1.7463 |
| 8263 | Junk Dealer | $3.0063 |
| 8264 | — | $4.2800 |
| 8265 | — | $2.3656 |
| 8279 | Stable/Riding Academy | $3.2140 |
| 8288 | — | $2.8823 |
| 8291 | — | $1.8984 |
| 8292 | — | $2.5553 |
| 8293 | Furniture Moving & Storage, Drivers | $3.1497 |
| 8304 | Grain Elevator | $2.2818 |
| 8350 | — | $3.1066 |
| 8380 | Automobile Service or Repair Center & Drivers | $1.3523 |
| 8381 | — | $0.9113 |
| 8385 | Bus Co - Garage Employees | $3.0097 |
| 8392 | — | $2.0388 |
| 8393 | Automobile Body Repair & Drivers | $0.8428 |
| 8500 | — | $3.7098 |
| 8601 | — | $0.0677 |
| 8602 | — | $0.9916 |
| 8603 | — | $0.0129 |
| 8606 | — | $0.7697 |
| 8720 | — | $0.7784 |
| 8721 | — | $0.1450 |
| 8723 | — | $0.0407 |
| 8725 | — | $1.7264 |
| 8742 | Outside Sales Personnel | $0.0996 |
| 8745 | — | $2.0264 |
| 8748 | Automobile Dealer - All Employees | $0.1121 |
| 8755 | — | $0.0821 |
| 8799 | — | $0.3200 |
| 8800 | — | $0.3574 |
| 8803 | Auditing, Accounting or Management Consulting | $0.0312 |
| 8810 | Clerical Office Employees | $0.0466 |
| 8820 | Attorney - All Employees & Clerical | $0.0374 |
| 8824 | Dental Office - All Employees | $1.4167 |
| 8826 | Chiropractic Office | $1.6885 |
| 8831 | Animal Hospital - Veterinary | $0.7498 |
| 8832 | Physician & Clerical | $0.1896 |
| 8833 | Hospital - Professional Employees | $0.4137 |
| 8835 | Home Health Care Services | $1.2567 |
| 8842 | Veterinary Office - All Employees | $1.4654 |
| 8855 | Banks and Trust Companies - All Employees | $0.0584 |
| 8856 | Real Estate Agency - All Employees | $0.1291 |
| 8864 | Social Services Organization | $0.8856 |
| 8868 | College or University - Professional Employees | $0.1716 |
| 8869 | Newspaper or Magazine Publishing - All Employees | $0.5945 |
| 8871 | Clerical Telecommuter Employees | $0.0549 |
| 8901 | — | $0.0458 |
| 8989 | — | $0.6385 |
| 9012 | Building or Property Management - Property Managers and Leasing Agents & Clerical, Salespersons | $0.1891 |
| 9014 | Janitorial Services - By Contractor | $1.3559 |
| 9015 | Building Operation - All Other Employees | $1.9960 |
| 9016 | Amusement Park or Exhibition Operation & Drivers | $1.3665 |
| 9019 | — | $0.1615 |
| 9033 | Housing Authority | $1.2304 |
| 9040 | Hospital - All Other Employees | $3.3762 |
| 9044 | — | $1.0342 |
| 9052 | Hotel NOC - All Other Employees & Drivers | $0.8653 |
| 9058 | Hotel - Restaurant Employees | $1.2892 |
| 9060 | Senior Center | $0.5706 |
| 9061 | Club NOC - All Employees | $0.6388 |
| 9062 | — | $0.8412 |
| 9063 | YMCA, YWCA, or Health Club - All Employees | $0.4133 |
| 9082 | Restaurant NOC | $0.5338 |
| 9083 | Restaurant - Fast Food - Including Delivery | $0.6834 |
| 9084 | — | $0.4271 |
| 9088 | — | $0.5898 |
| 9089 | — | $0.3662 |
| 9093 | — | $0.5416 |
| 9101 | School - All Employees | $1.2063 |
| 9102 | — | $1.1410 |
| 9154 | — | $0.9387 |
| 9156 | — | $0.7153 |
| 9170 | — | $4.8702 |
| 9178 | — | $2.0194 |
| 9179 | — | $37.0869 |
| 9180 | Athletic Teams - Professional | $1.5736 |
| 9182 | Athletic Teams - Amateur | $0.7457 |
| 9186 | — | $1.7528 |
| 9220 | — | $2.6483 |
| 9402 | — | $3.2070 |
| 9403 | — | $3.8690 |
| 9501 | — | $1.3679 |
| 9505 | — | $0.7851 |
| 9516 | — | $1.6568 |
| 9519 | Catering NOC | $2.8230 |
| 9521 | — | $1.5958 |
| 9522 | Upholstery | $0.9233 |
| 9534 | — | $2.1317 |
| 9554 | Sign Installation, Maintenance, Repair, Removal or Replacement NOC - Away From Shop & Drivers | $4.8363 |
| 9586 | Barber Shop or Beauty Parlor | $0.1758 |
| 9600 | — | $0.1507 |
| 9620 | Funeral Directors - All Employees | $0.6928 |
| 9984 | — | $0.1822 |
Ohio BWC publishes classification numbers and rates only. 172 of the 501 classifications above also appear in this site's NCCI class-code catalogue and carry its description; the rest show the filed number and rate alone, marked with a dash. Descriptions are this site's own, not the fund's. The fund rates only the classifications in its own manual, so an NCCI code you know from another state may have no Ohio BWC base rate at all — if your code is not in the table above, it is not one Ohio BWC rates. Confirm your own manual classification with Ohio BWC before relying on any rate.
Source
- Ohio Administrative Code 4123-17-06, Appendix A - BWC private employer base rates effective July 1, 2026 (filed 2026-05-26) (retrieved 2026-08-06)
Rates for Ohio are reset annually by rule. If you are reading this after the next July 1, check Ohio Administrative Code 4123-17-06, Appendix A for the current rate year.
Understanding Ohio Workers' Comp Rates
Ohio is one of only four monopolistic states (with North Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming) where you cannot buy workers' compensation from a private insurer. Coverage comes directly from the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC), the state-run insurance fund. Because there are no competing carriers, there is no loss-cost multiplier (LCM) and no insurer-by-insurer pricing to shop — the BWC publishes a single base rate for each manual classification, and every private employer in the state pays off that same schedule. The Ohio Industrial Commission is a separate agency that hears disputed claims and appeals; the BWC sets rates, collects premium, and pays benefits.
The BWC sets private-employer base rates once a year, effective July 1 (public-employer taxing districts renew on a January 1 cycle). For the policy year beginning July 1, 2026, the BWC Board of Directors approved a 1% average base-rate reduction for private employers — an estimated $10 million in premium savings — following a 6% average cut the prior year. The BWC reports that private-employer rates have fallen roughly 50% since 2019. As always, the announced percentage is a statewide average across all class codes; your own change depends on your classification, payroll, claims history, and which BWC discount programs you participate in.
How Ohio Class Codes and Rates Are Set
Ohio conforms its manual classifications to the NCCI system under Ohio Administrative Code Rule 4123-17-08, which adopts NCCI's classification rules (Rule 1, Classification Assignment) with Ohio-specific modifications. In practice that means Ohio uses the same four-digit codes you see elsewhere — 8810 Clerical Office Employees, 8017 Retail Store NOC, 8010 Hardware Store — Wholesale or Retail, workers comp code 5213 Concrete Construction NOC, and hundreds of others. That includes the clerical pair: the same rule assigns 8871 Clerical Telecommuter Employees rather than 8810 when an employee works more than fifty per cent of the time from a residence office separate and distinct from the employer's location, so an Ohio employer reporting remote office payroll is choosing between two different BWC base rates, not one. The difference is the price attached to each code: instead of an NCCI advisory loss cost that private carriers mark up with their own multiplier, the BWC publishes a single Ohio base rate per $100 of payroll for each manual classification, and that published base rate is the authoritative figure. For a side-by-side sense of how the state-fund model differs, compare Arizona workers' compensation rates in an NCCI market and Pennsylvania workers' compensation rates or New York workers' compensation rates in independent-bureau markets.
Your Ohio premium is the class-code base rate × payroll/100 × your experience modifier (EM), then adjusted by whichever BWC programs you qualify for. Unlike an NCCI-state experience mod calculated by a rating bureau and applied by a private carrier, the BWC itself calculates your EM by comparing your actual claim costs to the expected losses for your manual classification. The biggest Ohio-specific cost lever is group rating — trade associations and third-party administrators sponsor group-rating and group-retrospective-rating programs that can cut premium substantially for employers with clean claim histories. Deductible plans and the BWC's safety and return-to-work incentives (historically branded Destination: Excellence) offer additional discounts. Two otherwise-identical Ohio businesses can pay very different premiums based purely on which group or program they join.
Coverage, Payroll True-Up, and Compliance in Ohio
Ohio requires workers' compensation coverage for essentially every employer with one or more employees, and because the state is monopolistic that coverage must come from the BWC — an out-of-state or other-states policy from a private carrier does not satisfy Ohio for Ohio payroll. Large, financially-qualified employers may apply to self-insure instead. Sole proprietors, partners, individuals incorporated as a corporation, and family-farm corporate officers are not automatically covered but can elect coverage on themselves through the BWC.
Ohio's most common compliance surprise is the payroll true-up. Private employers estimate payroll at the start of the July 1 policy year, pay premium against that estimate (often in installments), and then must file a true-up report reconciling actual payroll after the policy year closes — typically due in mid-August. Missing the true-up deadline can strip away program discounts such as group rating, so a business that thought it had locked in a large discount can lose it entirely by skipping a single online report. Employers moving into Ohio, or adding Ohio payroll for the first time, should open a BWC policy before work begins, because Ohio's exclusive-remedy protection depends on active BWC coverage.
Sources
- Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation — NCCI Classification Codes (manual classification) (retrieved 2026-07-18)
- Ohio Administrative Code Rule 4123-17-08 — Classification of occupations or industries (adopts NCCI Rule 1) (retrieved 2026-07-18)
- Ohio BWC Announces Private Employer Rate Reduction In Effect (1% average, effective July 1, 2026) (retrieved 2026-07-18)
- Ohio BWC Board of Directors Approves 1% Workers' Comp Rate Cut (March 2026) (retrieved 2026-07-18)
- Ohio BWC — History of Rate Changes, Private Employers (Falling Rates) (retrieved 2026-07-18)
Popular Workers' Comp Rate Guides by State
California workers' compensation rates · Pennsylvania workers' compensation rates · Florida workers' compensation rates · Texas workers' compensation rates · New York workers' compensation rates · New Jersey workers' compensation rates
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Guides for Ohio Employers
- The Complete Guide to Workers' Comp Costs in 2026
National benchmarks, the 2026 state rate-change table, and how to budget your premium.
- Compare Workers' Comp Rates by State
Rank the states that are rated on NCCI class codes per $100 of payroll. Ohio is not among them — see the pricing model above.
- Workers' Comp Premium Calculator
Walks through the standard rating-bureau premium algorithm step by step. It works from an NCCI class-code rate per $100 of payroll, so it does not model BWC premium — use it to understand the mechanics, not to price a Ohio policy.
- Workers' Comp Class Codes Explained
How NCCI assigns a code to each job and why it creates a 10–25× swing in your rate.
- NCCI Class Code Lookup & Directory
Search workers' comp class codes by keyword to find the four-digit NCCI (or Ohio bureau) code for your business — then see how it is rated above.
- Experience Modification Rate (EMR) Explained
How your claims history becomes a multiplier that raises or lowers your Ohio premium.
- 5 Proven Ways to Lower Your Workers' Comp Premium
Tactics any small business can use to reduce cost at next renewal — from classification audits to return-to-work programs.
- How Rates Are Calculated: NCCI vs Independent States
Whether Ohio uses NCCI or an independent bureau — and why the difference changes how your premium is set.
Coverage in Ohio Comes From the State Fund
Private carriers cannot write workers' compensation in Ohio, so there is no market to shop. Buy coverage and get your own rate from BWC directly.
Go to BWC