What workers compensation costs in Maine depends on your payroll, the kind of work your team does, and your claims history, so there is no single price. The starting point is a benchmark cost for each type of work, and Maine's benchmarks have been trending down: as of mid-2026, the most recent approved change was a 9.6 percent average decrease in advisory loss costs effective April 1, 2025, following a roughly 19 percent decrease the year before. Those benchmarks are not final prices, though; each carrier adjusts them up or down, so shopping still matters.
Who this is for: Maine owners budgeting for workers comp or trying to understand why their quote looks the way it does. Figures below are illustrative, not quotes.
The short version
- Price is driven mainly by payroll, the category your work falls into for pricing, and your claims history.
- Maine uses advisory benchmark loss costs by type of work, and each carrier applies its own adjustment on top.
- Those benchmark loss costs have fallen sharply, including a 9.6 percent average cut effective April 2025 as of mid-2026.
- Higher-risk trades like roofing cost far more per payroll dollar than office work.
- MEMIC competes for your business and is also the guaranteed backstop if you are hard to place.
What actually drives your price
Three things move a workers comp premium more than anything else. The first is payroll, because price is calculated per hundred dollars of payroll in each job category. The second is the category your work falls into for pricing, sometimes called the class code, which reflects how risky the work is; a roofer and a bookkeeper are priced worlds apart. The third is your own claims record, captured in a score that raises or lowers your price based on your past claims compared with similar businesses, known as the experience modification rate. Larger employers earn that score and can push it below average with a clean safety record.
| Factor | How it affects price | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll | Priced per hundred dollars of payroll in each job category | Report payroll accurately by role |
| Category of work (class code) | Higher-risk work costs more per payroll dollar | Make sure each worker is in the right category |
| Claims history (the experience score) | A better score lowers the price, a worse one raises it | Invest in safety and return-to-work |
| Carrier adjustment | Each carrier adjusts the state benchmark up or down | Shop more than one carrier, including MEMIC |
Illustrative ranges by business type
These are illustrative annual ranges for small Maine businesses, not quotes. Your real price depends on payroll, the exact work, and claims history, and the benchmark cost behind each range shifts as the state adjusts loss costs.
| Business type | Lower-payroll estimate | Higher-payroll estimate |
|---|---|---|
| Office or professional services | 800 dollars | 3,000 dollars |
| Retail store | 1,500 dollars | 6,000 dollars |
| Restaurant or cafe | 3,000 dollars | 12,000 dollars |
| Landscaper or small contractor | 4,000 dollars | 16,000 dollars |
| Roofer or higher-risk trade | Much higher per payroll dollar | Priced on the risk of the work |
A Portland example
Illustrative, not a quote. A Portland landscaping company with about 190,000 dollars in payroll gets a quote that lands in the four to sixteen thousand dollar range because hands-on landscaping is higher-risk work. The owner is surprised until we walk through the drivers: the payroll, the higher-risk category the crew falls into, and the claims score. We spot that a part-time office worker had been lumped in with the field crew at the higher rate, fix the category, and shop the account, including MEMIC, to bring the price down. The recent benchmark cuts help a little too. See our workers comp for landscapers page.
Real questions Maine owners ask
How much does workers comp cost in Maine?
It depends on your payroll, the kind of work, and your claims history, so there is no flat price. Price is calculated per hundred dollars of payroll, with riskier work costing more per dollar.
What makes my workers comp premium go up or down?
The three biggest drivers are your payroll, the category your work falls into for pricing, and your claims history. A cleaner safety record and correct job categories both lower the price.
Are Maine workers comp prices going up or down?
Down, recently. As of mid-2026, the most recent approved change was a 9.6 percent average decrease in advisory loss costs effective April 2025, after a roughly 19 percent cut the year before.
Why does a roofer pay so much more than an office job?
Because the price depends on the category your work falls into, called the class code, which reflects how risky the job is. A roofer and an office worker sit in very different categories, so a wrong category can make you overpay for years.
How does my claims history change my price?
Your past claims feed a score called the experience modification rate, which compares your claims with similar businesses and raises or lowers your price. A clean safety record over time pushes it below average.
Does Maine set one fixed rate for everyone?
No. The state approves advisory benchmark loss costs by type of work, and each carrier adjusts them up or down with its own multiplier, so the same business can get different quotes from different carriers.
Can shopping carriers actually lower my price?
Yes. Because each carrier applies its own adjustment to the state benchmark, prices vary, and MEMIC competes alongside private carriers, so comparing more than one is usually worth it.
Why Maine owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. In Maine you buy workers' comp on the open market from any carrier licensed in the state, with the state-created MEMIC competing alongside private insurers and also standing as the guaranteed insurer of last resort, so we can shop your price freely and still have a fallback if you are hard to place.
- We catch pricing mistakes. Your price depends heavily on the category your work falls into for pricing (the class code). Put people in the wrong category and you overpay for years. We review your payroll and classifications before you buy.
- Proof of coverage, fast. Need a certificate (proof of coverage) for a general contractor or a landlord before Monday? We turn those around the same business day for most carriers.
- We help lower the score that drives your price. Insurers give you a score based on your past claims that raises or lowers your cost (the experience modification rate). We review it each year, flag errors, and connect you with return-to-work and safety resources that bring it down.
- Real people when a claim happens. When someone gets hurt, we stay involved through the life of the claim, not just at renewal.
Related Maine guides
Every Maine business is set up a little differently. These companion guides answer the same question for other situations, plus the national explainers behind the terms used here.
- Business insurance in Maine (start here)
- Workers comp: the owner's overview
- I own an LLC: do I need workers comp?
- I'm a sole proprietor: do I need workers comp?
- I own a corporation (C-corp or S-corp): do I need it?
- We're a partnership: do we need workers comp?
- We're a nonprofit: do we need workers comp?
- My workers are 1099: do I still need it?
- Only part-time or seasonal staff: do I need it?
- I only employ family: do I need workers comp?
- Remote or out-of-state staff: do I need coverage?
- What happens if I don't carry workers comp?
- How do I get workers comp (even if turned down)?
- What insurance do I need for a contractor license?
- Workers compensation insurance, explained
- What workers comp costs (national guide)
- Glossary: workers comp class code
- What is an experience mod, and how do I lower it?
- Maine landscaper workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Maine rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with Maine Workers' Compensation Board (WCB) or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.