Best Workers' Comp Insurance in Hawaii (2026)

ERGO NEXT leads the Hawaii workers' compensation market with the highest MoneyGeek score and the state’s lowest average monthly premium at $109. Coverdash ranks second, with the strongest coverage score in the state. Comparing all workers’ comp options can help your business find the right fit.

The $73 difference between ERGO NEXT ($109 per month) and Chubb ($182 per month) provides Hawaii employers, especially in professional sectors, with a meaningful range of pricing options. This pricing gap shrinks in higher-risk industries such as construction, agriculture, and transportation, where loss costs are elevated across all providers.

ERGO NEXT is Hawaii's cheapest workers' comp insurance provider at $109 per employee monthly. The $73 monthly gap between ERGO NEXT and Chubb is the largest carrier spread in our Hawaii data. That spread matters more for Hawaii employers than it might in other states.

Hawaii is the only U.S. state that requires employers to provide statutory disability benefits in addition to workers' comp, which means baseline compliance costs are already higher here. Choosing the lowest-cost compliant carrier compounds the savings.

When we pulled workers' compensation rates across 25 industry categories in Hawaii, two carriers split the table almost entirely between them: The Hartford and ERGO NEXT. The Hartford leads in lower-risk office and professional categories, with Financial Services coming in at just $11 monthly. ERGO NEXT is the most affordable provider for most of the physical and skilled-labor industries, where rates climb sharply.

The spread across all industries is the key figurer worth noting. Transportation & Logistics runs an average of $331 per month, 30 times more than Financial Services. That gap is larger than what we see in other states, which reflects Hawaii's geographic isolation and the higher cost of medical care and lost wages in the islands.

Hawaii's state average workers' comp cost is $138 per employee monthly, well above the $74 national average. Elevated wages and Hawaii's remote geography, which increases medical transport costs, are the primary drivers. Beauty, Body and Wellness Services and Financial Services are the cheapest industries in the state, averaging $18/month, while Transportation and Logistics ($423/month) and Construction ($388/month) are the most expensive industries in the state.

Hawaii workers' comp rates are administered through the Hawaii Department of Labor and Industrial Relations, Disability Compensation Division. NCCI class codes determine base rates by occupation. Hawaii's remote geography, elevated medical transport costs, and high wage base are the primary cost drivers pushing the state average of approximately $116/month well above the $74 national benchmark.

While you're required to have coverage in Hawaii, some business categories are exempt from workers' comp requirements:

• Sole Proprietors: You can choose whether to cover yourself under workers' comp, though your employees still need coverage.
• Partners: Partnership members aren't required to include themselves in their business's workers' comp policy but can add coverage if they want it.
• Corporate Officers (25% or More Ownership): Officers who own at least a quarter of the corporation can opt out of personal coverage, with those owning 50% or more being fully exempt.
• LLC Members (50% or More Interest): Individual LLC members who hold at least half the company's distributional interest can opt out of coverage for themselves.
• Volunteer Workers: People volunteering without pay for religious organizations, charities, schools or nonprofits don't need workers' comp coverage.
• Student Workers: Students who work for their school in exchange for tuition, housing or meals rather than wages are exempt.
• Religious Officials: Ordained, commissioned or licensed ministers, priests and rabbis working in their religious capacity don't require coverage.
• Domestic Workers: Household employees who earn less than $225 in cash wages per quarter or work for public assistance recipients are exempt from coverage requirements.
• Real Estate Professionals (Commission-Only): Real estate agents and brokers whose entire income comes from commissions rather than wages can be excluded from coverage.
• Independent Contractors: Workers you classify as independent contractors don't require coverage, but make sure your classification matches Hawaii's legal definition to avoid penalties.

ERGO NEXT and Coverdash are Hawaii's top workers' comp providers by overall MoneyGeek score. Hiscox and Thimble are tied for third. ERGO NEXT leads on rate at $109/month and holds the state's highest customer experience score, while Coverdash earns our top coverage score for employers who need the broadest policy options. Hawaii's seven-provider field is smaller than most states, so comparing all available options is worthwhile before binding coverage.