Best Workers' Comp Insurance in Hawaii (2026)

"ERGO NEXT leads Hawaii with the highest MoneyGeek score and the state's lowest rate at $109 per month. Coverdash earns the runner-up spot on the strength of its coverage score, the broadest policy options among Hawaii's seven ranked providers.

The $73 difference between ERGO NEXT ($109 per month) and Chubb ($182 per month) gives Hawaii employers a range of pricing options. This pricing gap shrinks in higher-risk industries such as construction, agriculture, and transportation, where loss costs are high 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.

The Hartford and ERGO NEXT split Hawaii's workers' comp market between them. The Hartford leads every lower-risk professional category; ERGO NEXT leads most physical and skilled-labor industries

The spread across all industries is the key figure 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 a month, while Transportation and Logistics ($423 a month) and Construction ($388 a 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, high medical transport costs, and high wage base are the primary cost drivers pushing the state average of approximately $138 a month well above the $74 national benchmark.

While coverage is required 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. Those owning 50% or more are 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 confirm 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 a 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.