New York Electrical Workers Comp Rates (2026)
The published New York loss cost for electrical workers comp, class 5190 (Electrical Wiring - Within Buildings - All Operations to Completion & Drivers), is $2.847 per $100 of payroll (effective October 1, 2026). Carriers multiply it by their own filed multiplier, so a typical premium is about $4.27.
A loss cost covers expected claims only. Each carrier files its own multiplier for expenses; in the states that publish the full list, the median is about 1.5, which is what the typical premium here uses. Your quote can be lower or higher. Source.
New York class code for electrical
- 5190: Electrical Wiring - Within Buildings - All Operations to Completion & Drivers
New York is an independent bureau state: it uses 4-digit codes that look like NCCI codes, but several NCCI classes do not exist in New York (no 5551, 5537, 5478 or 5436), roofing is split by roof pitch, and carpentry is split by building type and height.
Electrical work carries shock, arc flash and fall hazards. Outside power line construction is a separate class, 7538.
What comp costs per electrician in New York
The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 40,130 electricians on payrolls in New York (May 2025), the 4th largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $37.86 an hour, 25% above the US median of $30.38.
Electricians make up about the same share of New York jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 0.85).
At a typical New York premium of about $4.27 per $100 of payroll (the published loss cost of $2.85 for class 5190 times a 1.5 carrier multiplier), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $1.62 for every hour worked, or $3,363 a year full time. A 2-person crew comes to roughly $6,725 a year in premium before any experience mod.
Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. New York pay runs from $21.99 an hour at the 10th percentile to $63.29 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.94 an hour on a new hire and $2.70 on a senior hand.
Workers comp requirements in New York
- Coverage required: 1 employee
- Owners and sole proprietors: A sole proprietor with no employees is exempt; adding one employee triggers the full requirement
- State fund: Competitive state fund (New York State Insurance Fund)
- Waiting period: 7 days; retroactive to day one if disability extends beyond 14 days
- Penalty for going without: $2,000 per 10-day period (under 10 employees), $5,000 for larger, plus criminal exposure
New York uses the independent NYCIRB (not NCCI) and separately mandates statutory Disability Benefits Law coverage alongside workers comp.
New York vs neighboring states
- Connecticut: about $2.75 per $100 of payroll
- Massachusetts: about $1.47 per $100 of payroll
- New Jersey: about $3.84 per $100 of payroll
- Pennsylvania: about $2.04 per $100 of payroll
- Vermont: about $2.86 per $100 of payroll
New York has the highest electrical comp rate in its region; every neighboring state charges less per $100 of payroll.
If your crews work across the line, list those states under item 3.A or 3.C of your policy before the job starts. Rates follow the state where the work is done, not where your office is.
What moves a electrical comp bill
- Electrical is one of the cheaper construction classes, so overstated payroll often costs more than the rate itself. Estimate payroll honestly at renewal and true it up at audit.
- Ladder falls and shocks are the typical claims. Lockout and tagout procedures that are actually followed are what keep the experience mod under 1.0.
- Low-voltage, alarm, and solar work can carry different class codes in some states. Ask your agent before you add those lines to the business.
- Office staff and estimators who stay out of the field can usually be rated as clerical. Keep their hours off the field timesheets.