Enter your class code, payroll, and experience modification to get an instant California workers comp premium indication. Uses current WCIRB advisory pure premium rates. Results show full formula breakdown — not just a number.
Add up to 5 class codes. Enter annual payroll for each. Adjust modifiers to see how they affect your estimated range.
1.00 = average · Find on your dec page
Carriers apply 0.85–1.20× to WCIRB rates
CA state surcharges (approximate, varies by carrier)
WCIRB Advisory Pure Premium Rates are the benchmark rates filed by the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California. They represent the estimated cost per $100 of payroll before any carrier adjustments. These rates are advisory — insurers may apply their own Loss Cost Multiplier (LCM) above or below the advisory rate.
The Formula: Manual Premium = (Payroll ÷ 100) × Pure Premium Rate. Your experience modification factor is then applied: Modified Premium = Manual Premium × Ex-Mod. The carrier LCM adjusts for the insurer’s own pricing, and state surcharges (approximately 3.5%) are added last.
Carrier LCM Range reflects market conditions. A carrier filing a 0.85 LCM is pricing 15% below the advisory rate; a 1.20 LCM is 20% above. Shopping multiple carriers — particularly for class codes with wide LCM variance — can produce significant premium differences. See our California WC cost guide for industry benchmarks.
Experience Modification is recalculated annually by the WCIRB based on your 3-year claims history compared to expected losses for your class codes. A mod below 1.00 saves money; above 1.00 increases cost. Learn more in our ex-mod guide, or explore the class code directory for rate information by industry.
See how improving your experience modification translates to real dollar savings — and how long it realistically takes.
Average CA employer improves ~0.10–0.15 per clean year
What drives your mod down?