Is Workers' Compensation Insurance Profitable in 2026? Loss Ratios by State
Workers' Comp is consistently one of the most profitable commercial lines, with low loss ratios — a big reason class-code-driven WC pricing has stayed comparatively soft.
Source: NAIC 2023 Report on Profitability by Line by State (public regulator data). Loss ratio = incurred losses ÷ premiums earned; lower is more profitable for carriers.
Workers' Compensation profitability by state (2023)
| State | Loss ratio | Premiums earned | Underwriting profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| ND | 72.8% | $6.0M | -20.4% |
| SD | 65.3% | $194.1M | -4.2% |
| OR | 64.4% | $788.8M | -14.6% |
| NE | 60.5% | $405.3M | 2.5% |
| NV | 59.2% | $499.4M | 0.4% |
| ID | 57.4% | $518.5M | 7.9% |
| IL | 55.9% | $2.6B | 6.7% |
| IA | 55.5% | $711.3M | 6.0% |
| VT | 54.0% | $185.1M | 9.5% |
| MA | 53.7% | $1.4B | 8.9% |
| MO | 53.0% | $1.1B | 9.3% |
| MT | 52.8% | $308.9M | 5.4% |
| WI | 52.5% | $2.0B | 5.3% |
| KS | 50.5% | $441.5M | 12.7% |
| AR | 49.7% | $283.4M | 12.1% |
| FL | 49.4% | $3.5B | 8.5% |
| CT | 49.2% | $760.7M | 12.9% |
| RI | 48.5% | $235.0M | 7.0% |
| WV | 47.3% | $265.3M | 13.8% |
| NC | 46.8% | $1.5B | 17.2% |
| NY | 45.7% | $5.3B | 14.9% |
| HI | 45.7% | $348.0M | 14.8% |
| AK | 45.4% | $189.3M | 18.5% |
| IN | 44.7% | $871.7M | 22.1% |
| MN | 44.6% | $1.0B | 20.8% |
| SC | 44.1% | $898.3M | 19.2% |
| CO | 43.7% | $1.1B | 15.9% |
| GA | 43.5% | $1.9B | 18.5% |
| ME | 43.4% | $291.6M | 16.4% |
| NH | 42.6% | $237.8M | 17.2% |
| AL | 42.5% | $456.1M | 19.4% |
| PA | 42.3% | $2.6B | 23.2% |
| NJ | 41.9% | $2.7B | 16.3% |
| CA | 41.5% | $12.0B | 16.5% |
| DC | 41.4% | $166.6M | 17.1% |
| DE | 40.9% | $187.5M | 15.5% |
| MI | 40.8% | $1.1B | 21.8% |
| MS | 40.5% | $367.6M | 22.3% |
| TN | 40.1% | $860.2M | 23.4% |
| WY | 39.2% | $5.6M | 29.7% |
| OK | 38.2% | $661.1M | 24.5% |
| NM | 35.4% | $311.7M | 30.2% |
| TX | 35.0% | $2.7B | 16.1% |
| KY | 34.4% | $589.4M | 29.9% |
| VA | 32.8% | $1.0B | 34.1% |
| UT | 31.9% | $520.5M | 35.4% |
| WA | 31.6% | $61.9M | 39.8% |
| LA | 30.6% | $943.3M | 13.9% |
| AZ | 30.0% | $907.3M | 33.8% |
| MD | 28.6% | $952.1M | 31.2% |
| OH | -3.9% | $100.8M | 69.2% |
All 51 states/territories with 2023 NAIC data for this line, sorted by loss ratio (highest first). A high loss ratio means carriers pay out more in claims relative to premium — often a signal that rates are rising.
Who actually files this line
71 carrier groups hold an active filing footprint for this line across 47 states — 68,855 filings observed in the public SERFF record. The most active groups: Liberty Mutual, Hartford, CNA, Old Republic, ACE American, Accident Fund.
Filing breadth measures market participation — not a price or a rate. Comparison sites cannot legally publish this data; it comes from the public regulatory record.
What this means for your business
Loss ratios and underwriting profit shape what carriers charge. Learn how Workers' Compensation coverage works in our Workers' Compensation guide, then compare real quotes for your business.
Compare Workers' Compensation Quotes →