2025 Annual Report · Updated October 2025
Workers' Compensation in America:
What the Data Actually Shows
We compiled workers' compensation settlement data, claim costs, and benefit rates from NCCI, the National Safety Council, and the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This page is updated annually and is free to cite for non-commercial purposes.
Key findings — 2022–2024 data
Five numbers every injured worker should know
Average cost per workers' comp claim (2022–23)
Source: NCCI Workers Compensation Statistical Plan, via NSC Injury Facts 2024
Average workers' comp settlement (2024)
Source: National Safety Council, Injury Facts 2024
Average cost — motor vehicle crash injuries
Source: NCCI via NSC Injury Facts 2024 · Highest of all injury causes
Indemnity claim severity increase (2024)
Source: NCCI 2025 State of the Line Report · Medical severity also +6%
Total workers' comp premiums paid (2024)
Source: NCCI 2025 State of the Line Report
Claim costs by cause of injury
What your injury type costs — and what that means for your settlement
NCCI data from accidents occurring in 2022–2023, valued as of October 2025. These are average total claim costs, not settlement amounts.
| Cause of Injury | Avg Claim Cost | vs. Overall Avg | Note | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Motor Vehicle | $91,433 | +93% | Highest cost category | NCCI via NSC 2024 |
| Burns | $64,973 | +37% | High medical costs | NCCI via NSC 2024 |
| Falls or Slips | $54,499 | +15% | Most common lost-time injury | NCCI via NSC 2024 |
| Caught In/Between | $47,749 | +1% | Near overall average | NCCI via NSC 2024 |
| All Claims Average | $47,316 | — | 2022–2023 baseline | NCCI via NSC 2024 |
| Overexertion | $38,000 | -20% | Most frequent claim type(est.) | NCCI 2024 (estimated range) |
| Struck By Object | $35,000 | -26% | Common in construction(est.) | NCCI 2024 (estimated range) |
Trend analysis 2020–2024
Workers' comp costs are rising.
Here's what the data shows.
Medical severity: +6% in 2024
After moderate growth in 2022–2023, medical claim severity accelerated in 2024. NCCI projects continued pressure from healthcare inflation through 2026.
Source: NCCI 2025 State of the Line
Claim frequency: -6% in 2024
Lost-time claim frequency has declined for two decades. The shift to remote work post-2020 accelerated this trend among office workers.
Source: NCCI 2025 State of the Line
Indemnity severity: +6% in 2024
Wage replacement costs rose faster than the long-term average in 2024, driven by wage growth and increased claim duration in complex cases.
Source: NCCI 2025 State of the Line
System profitability: 86% combined ratio
The workers' comp insurance industry posted its 8th consecutive year with a combined ratio under 90% — meaning insurers collect significantly more than they pay out.
Source: NCCI 2025 State of the Line
This is why insurers negotiate aggressively.
State benefit rates — 2025
What your state actually pays
TTD (Temporary Total Disability) rates are set by state law. These are the legal minimums and maximums — not settlement amounts.
| State | TTD Rate | Max Weekly | Min Weekly | Filing Deadline | Governing Statute |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | 66.67% | $1,619 | $242 | 1 year | Cal. Labor Code §4650 |
| TexasNon-subscriber employers complicate claims | 70% | $1,066 | $150 | 1 year | Tex. Labor Code §408.102 |
| Florida | 66.67% | $1,284 | $20 | 2 years | Fla. Stat. §440.15 |
| New York | 66.67% | $1,145 | $150 | 2 years | NY WCL §15 |
| Illinois | 66.67% | $1,897 | — | 3 years | 820 ILCS 305/8(b) |
| Pennsylvania | 66.67% | $1,273 | $636 | 3 years | 77 P.S. §511 |
| OhioState fund only | 72% | $1,224 | — | 2 years | Ohio Rev. Code §4123.56 |
| Georgia | 66.67% | $800 | $50 | 1 year | O.C.G.A. §34-9-261 |
| North Carolina | 66.67% | $1,266 | $30 | 2 years | N.C. Gen. Stat. §97-29 |
| MichiganHigher rate than most states | 80% | $1,118 | — | 2 years | Mich. Comp. Laws §418.351 |
Rates shown are for 2025. Always verify current rates with your state's Division of Workers' Compensation.
View all 47 states →Methodology
How we compiled this data
The settlement and claim cost figures on this page are drawn from publicly available data published by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI), the National Safety Council (NSC), and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). We do not conduct independent surveys.
Benefit rates (TTD maximums, minimums, and rates) are drawn from state workers' compensation statutes and annual administrative updates. We update these figures annually. State-specific benefit rates change each year — always verify with your state's Division of Workers' Compensation.
Some figures marked “(estimated)” represent our analysis of available data where primary sources do not publish figures at the required level of granularity. These are clearly labeled and should be treated as approximations.
Last reviewed: October 2025
Primary Sources
- [1]NCCI. (2025). State of the Line Guide 2025. National Council on Compensation Insurance. https://www.ncci.com/
- [2]National Safety Council. (2024). Workers' Compensation Costs. Injury Facts. https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/work/costs/workers-compensation-costs/
- [3]National Safety Council. (2024). Workers' Compensation Costs — Average Settlement. https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/
- [4]Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2024). Injuries, Illnesses, and Fatalities. U.S. Department of Labor. https://www.bls.gov/iif/
- [5]National Academy of Social Insurance. (2024). Workers' Compensation: Benefits, Coverage, and Costs, February 2024. https://www.nasi.org/
Cite or share this data
This data is free to use for editorial, educational, and non-commercial purposes with attribution to WorkerRight and the original primary sources listed above.
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