Workers comp cost in Vermont comes down to three things: how much payroll you run, the type of work your employees do, and your claims history. Vermont does not set one fixed rate that every insurer must charge. The rating bureau NCCI files advisory loss costs, the Department of Financial Regulation reviews them, and each insurer then adds its own factor on top, so shopping matters. As of mid-2026, Vermont loss costs have been falling for several years, so it is a good time to compare carriers.
Who this is for: Vermont employers who have to carry workers comp and want to understand what sets the price and how to keep it down.
The short version
- Premium is roughly your payroll, divided into 100-dollar units, times a rate for each type of work.
- The category your work falls into for pricing, often called the class code, moves the price the most.
- A score built from your past claims, the experience modification rate, raises or lowers your price.
- Insurers file their own multiplier on top of the bureau's loss costs, so two carriers can quote you differently.
- As of mid-2026, Vermont loss costs have been trending down, the latest in a long run of yearly cuts.
What drives your price
| Factor | What it means | Effect on cost |
|---|---|---|
| Payroll | Your total wages, counted in 100-dollar units | More payroll, more premium |
| Type of work (class code) | A category for the risk of your work | Roofing costs far more than clerical |
| Claims history (experience modification rate) | A score from your past claims | A good record lowers it, a bad one raises it |
| Carrier | Each insurer files its own multiplier on the loss costs | Shopping can change the price meaningfully |
How Vermont sets rates
Vermont is a private, competitive market with no state fund. It uses the national rating bureau, NCCI, which files advisory loss costs that the Department of Financial Regulation reviews and approves, not the Department of Labor. Those loss costs are the starting point for the risk of each kind of work; each insurer then applies its own multiplier and files its own final rates, competing openly, which is why quotes vary between carriers. As of mid-2026, the state approved a 7.4 percent reduction in voluntary loss costs and an 11.3 percent cut in assigned risk rates effective April 1, 2025, and the April 1, 2026 filing continued the downward trend. Treat exact percentages as a moving target and confirm the current filing when you shop.
How to keep the cost down
The two levers you control most are your classification and your claims. Making sure each employee is placed in the correct type-of-work category matters, because a wrong category can overcharge you for years. Keeping claims down improves the score built from your history, which directly lowers your rate. Reporting your payroll accurately at audit avoids surprise bills. And because insurers price differently on top of the same loss costs, comparing carriers at renewal is one of the simplest ways to make sure you are not overpaying, especially while loss costs are drifting down.
A Newport trucking example
Illustrative, not a quote. A trucking company near Newport with a dozen drivers gets a renewal that looks high. When we review it, part of the payroll for office staff was rated at the higher driving category by mistake, inflating the premium. We correct the classification, confirm the company's claims score is applied correctly, and shop the account against several carriers. The corrected classes and a fresh set of quotes bring the price down without cutting any coverage, helped by loss costs that have been falling. See our workers comp for trucking page.
Real questions Vermont owners ask
How is workers comp priced in Vermont?
It is based on your payroll counted in 100-dollar units, a rate for your type of work, and a score from your claims history. Each Vermont insurer files its own multiplier, so prices vary between carriers.
Why is my price so different from the shop next door?
Usually your type of work and who you buy from. The category your business falls into for pricing, often called the class code, captures how risky the work is and moves the price most, so a roofer pays far more than an office. Each insurer also files its own rate.
If I have a claim, does my price go up next year?
It can. A score built from your past claims, called the experience modification rate, raises or lowers your price. A clean history pulls it below average and lowers your cost, while claims push it up the following year.
Are Vermont workers comp rates going up or down?
As of mid-2026, they have been trending down. The state approved a 7.4 percent cut in voluntary loss costs and an 11.3 percent cut in assigned risk rates for 2025, and the 2026 filing continued the downward trend.
Does Vermont set one rate all insurers must charge?
No. The rating bureau NCCI files advisory loss costs and the Department of Financial Regulation approves them, but each insurer sets its own multiplier on top. That is why two carriers can quote the same business differently.
How can I lower my workers comp cost?
Make sure employees are in the correct type-of-work category, keep claims down to improve your score, report payroll accurately at audit, and compare carriers at renewal since insurers price differently.
I got a bill after my policy year ended, why did my price change?
At the end of the year your insurer checks your actual payroll against your estimate, that check is called the audit. If you paid out more wages than expected, the price goes up to match. Keeping your classifications right and your payroll estimate accurate reduces audit surprises.
Why Vermont owners choose Morrow
- We shop the right market for you. In Vermont you buy workers' comp on the open market from any private carrier licensed in the state, because there is no state fund, and if no carrier will take you the NCCI-run Vermont Workers' Compensation Insurance Plan (the assigned risk pool) is the guaranteed fallback, so we can shop your rate freely and still have a backstop for hard-to-place work.
- 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 Vermont guides
Every Vermont 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 Vermont (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?
- Vermont trucking workers comp
This guide is general information, not legal advice. Vermont rules and penalty amounts can change, so verify current requirements with Vermont Department of Labor, Workers' Compensation and Safety Division or a licensed advisor before you rely on them. Last updated: July 2026.