Maryland HVAC Workers Comp Rates (2026)

Maryland does not publish its HVAC class figures online. Across the 26 states that do, the median typical premium is about $2.74 per $100 of payroll. Ask a carrier or the state's rating bureau for the current Maryland figure.

No official Maryland figure is available online, so the numbers below use the US median of the states that publish one.

Maryland class code for HVAC

5537: Heating, Ventilation, Air-Conditioning and Refrigeration Systems - Installation, Service and Repair & Drivers
5535 (Sheet Metal Work - Installation & Drivers)
5183 (Plumbing NOC & Drivers)

HVAC technicians work in attics and on roofs and handle electrical circuits and refrigerants.

What comp costs per hvac technician in Maryland

The Bureau of Labor Statistics counts 8,560 heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers on payrolls in Maryland (May 2025), the 16th largest workforce among the 50 states and DC. The median wage is $33.67 an hour, 15% above the US median of $29.33.

Heating, air conditioning, and refrigeration mechanics and installers make up about the same share of Maryland jobs as they do nationally (location quotient 1.18).

At the US median of $2.74 per $100 of payroll (Maryland does not publish its figure online), comp on one worker at that wage costs about $0.92 for every hour worked, or $1,919 a year full time. A 2-person crew comes to roughly $3,838 a year in premium before any experience mod.

Because premium is charged on payroll, who you hire moves the bill. Maryland pay runs from $22.20 an hour at the 10th percentile to $51.32 at the 90th, so the same rate costs $0.61 an hour on a new hire and $1.41 on a senior hand.

Workers comp requirements in Maryland

Coverage required: 1 employee
Owners and sole proprietors: Sole proprietors, partners, and genuine independent contractors excluded; may elect in
State fund: Competitive state fund (Chesapeake Employers' Insurance)
Waiting period: 3 days; retroactive if disability lasts more than 14 days
Penalty for going without: Fine up to $10,000, with responsible corporate officers personally liable

Maryland's CCPAP program gives a premium credit to construction employers who pay above-average hourly wages.

Maryland vs neighboring states

Delaware: about $2.39 per $100 of payroll
Pennsylvania: about $2.71 per $100 of payroll
West Virginia: about $1.41 per $100 of payroll

Maryland does not publish its figure, so the first row is the US median. Among neighbors that publish, West Virginia is the cheapest for HVAC comp at about $1.41 and Pennsylvania the most expensive at about $2.71 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 HVAC comp bill

Service techs and install crews usually share one class, so the rate is driven by your claim history: back strains from lifting condensers and falls from ladders and roofs are the typical losses.
If you also do sheet-metal fabrication or duct work outside buildings, ask how your bureau classifies it. Some of that work rates differently from installation and service.
Dispatchers, office staff, and outside salespeople can be rated as clerical or sales when their duties keep them out of the field. Keep their timesheets separate.
Company vehicles put a lot of miles on service crews. A driving policy and clean MVRs help on the auto side and with comp, because vehicle accidents on the job are comp claims.