California workers' comp costs vary ~100× by trade — 2025 pure premiums

In workers' compensation, your class code sets your cost far more than your carrier does — and California's own numbers make the point. Across the advisory pure premium rates approved for California effective September 1, 2025 (WCIRB), the rate a clerical office pays is $0.20 per $100 of payroll (class 8810), while roofing runs all the way up to $21.22 (class 5552) — about a 106× spread, all before a carrier applies its own multiplier.

Across recognizable trades the climb is steady: barber shops & salons $1.16 (9586), full-service restaurants $2.53 (9080), retail stores $2.74 (8017), landscape gardening $5.30 (0042), trucking $6.12 (7219), and painting $8.49 (5474). California splits many construction trades into high- and low-wage tiers, so roofing is actually two classes — $13.60 high-wage (5553) and $21.22 low-wage (5552); the low-wage rate is higher because the same claim cost is spread over lower payroll.

For scale, the full California list ranges from $0.02 (computer programming, 8859) to $368.47 (volunteer firefighting, 7707). These are advisory pure premiums, not final rates — every carrier files its own multiplier on top. Class descriptions here are California's official phraseology (California uses its own classification system, not NCCI's). See how workers'-comp loss costs compare across states in our Workers' Comp Loss Costs by State study.

Rates are WCIRB California advisory pure premium rates approved effective 9/1/2025 (per $100 of payroll, pre carrier multiplier). Class descriptions were verified against the California DWC “2025 Valid Class Codes” list — California uses its own classification system, not NCCI. California splits many construction trades into high- and low-wage tiers (e.g. roofing 5553 high-wage / 5552 low-wage).

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