By and large, The Hartford and ERGO NEXT are the best workers' comp insurers in New Jersey, offering the best balance of affordable rates and strong service reputations. The Hartford has the best workers' comp insurance overall in the state and the lowest price at $137 a month with dedicated service departments backed by 200+ years of insurance experience. ERGO NEXT trails only by $1 per month and offers the best customer experience in New Jersey, especially for small firms looking for easy DIY online policy management.
Best Workers' Comp Insurance in New Jersey (2026)
With rates as low as $12 per month, The Hartford, ERGO NEXT and Thimble have the cheapest and best workers' comp insurance in New Jersey.
Get matched to your top New Jersey workers' comp insurance provider with our tool below.
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Updated: August 31, 2026
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Best Workers' Comp Insurance Companies in New Jersey
| The Hartford | 4.57 | $137 | 3 | 3 |
| ERGO NEXT | 4.50 | $138 | 1 | 6 |
| Coverdash | 4.18 | $191 | 5 | 1 |
| Thimble | 4.13 | $165 | 8 | 9 |
| biBERK | 4.10 | $179 | 8 | 8 |
MoneyGeek analyzed workers' comp insurance rates and provider performance across New Jersey using small business profiles with one to four employees spanning 408 major industries. Companies earn up to five points in each category in our scoring system. We then use a weighted average of these category scores to calculate a MoneyGeek score out of five.
- Affordability (55%): Based on average payroll for the most common employee code per industry and state classification, priced per employee for a one to four employee business.
- Customer Experience (35%): Evaluates buying (20%), which covers quote access, pricing accuracy and sales support; policy management (30%), which covers payroll reporting, audits, billing and loss control; and claims (50%), which covers FNOL speed, adjuster support, medical access, wage replacement and dispute handling.
- Coverage Options (10%): Assesses coverage completeness (35%), including employers' liability and wage and medical reimbursement; policy flexibility and endorsements (25%); eligibility, state and industry breadth (20%); and policy terms, limits and exclusions (20%).
The Hartford
Best Workers' Comp Insurance in New Jersey
MoneyGeek Rating
4.6/ 5
4.9/5Affordability
4.1/5Customer Experience
4.5/5Coverage
Average Monthly Cost
$137Claims Processing Score
4.1/5Policy Management Score
4/5Buying Process Score
4/5
ERGO NEXT
Best New Jersey Workers' Comp Insurance: Runner-Up
MoneyGeek Rating
4.5/ 5
4.8/5Affordability
4.2/5Customer Experience
4.1/5Coverage
Average Monthly Cost
$138Claims Processing Score
4/5Policy Management Score
4.1/5Buying Process Score
4.4/5
Cheapest Workers' Comp Insurance Companies in New Jersey
Two providers are consistently the cheapest workers' comp insurers across all 25 industries in our New Jersey rate data: The Hartford and ERGO NEXT. The Hartford leads in 10 of the 25 industries, mostly centered around white-collar or professional service categories. Its cheapest rate in our data is $12 per month for financial services, and its highest is $198 for manufacturing.
ERGO NEXT has the lowest rates for the other 15 industries we reviewed, nearly all of them hands-on, trade-based, or higher-risk. It's the cheapest option for transportation and logistics ($419 per month), construction ($333 per month) and cleaning services ($162 per month).
| Financial Services | The Hartford | $12 | $144 |
| Beauty, Body & Wellness Services | ERGO NEXT | $18 | $216 |
| Marketing & Communications | ERGO NEXT | $18 | $216 |
| Consulting Services | The Hartford | $22 | $264 |
| Real Estate & Property Services | The Hartford | $24 | $288 |
| Other Professional Services | The Hartford | $27 | $324 |
| Tech/IT | The Hartford | $44 | $528 |
| Childcare Services | ERGO NEXT | $55 | $660 |
| Food & Beverage | ERGO NEXT | $55 | $660 |
| Hospitality, Travel & Tourism | The Hartford | $56 | $672 |
| Healthcare & Medical | The Hartford | $60 | $720 |
| Retail & Product Rental | The Hartford | $69 | $828 |
| Nonprofit & Associations | The Hartford | $76 | $912 |
| Education | ERGO NEXT | $95 | $1,140 |
| Pet Care Services | ERGO NEXT | $96 | $1,152 |
| Fitness Services | ERGO NEXT | $97 | $1,164 |
| Repair & Maintenance | ERGO NEXT | $104 | $1,248 |
| Arts, Media & Entertainment | ERGO NEXT | $134 | $1,608 |
| Recreation & Sports | ERGO NEXT | $150 | $1,800 |
| Cleaning Services | ERGO NEXT | $162 | $1,944 |
| Manufacturing | The Hartford | $198 | $2,376 |
| Agriculture & Natural Resources | ERGO NEXT | $236 | $2,832 |
| Wholesale & Distribution | ERGO NEXT | $268 | $3,216 |
| Construction & Contracting | ERGO NEXT | $333 | $3,996 |
| Transportation & Logistics | ERGO NEXT | $419 | $5,028 |
How to Get the Best Workers' Comp Insurance in New Jersey
The right workers' comp coverage for your New Jersey business comes from following these seven steps. Before you begin, learn more about how to get workers' compensation insurance.
- 1
Confirm NJ Coverage Requirements
Any employer with at least one employee, part-time workers included, falls under New Jersey's workers' comp mandate. Confirm current requirements and penalty schedules with the New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
- 2
Identify Your NJCRIB Class Codes
New Jersey administers its own class code system through the New Jersey Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau (NJCRIB), not NCCI. Misclassified employees can trigger an audit adjustment at policy expiration, which then raises your final premium.
- 3
Document Payroll, Employee Count, and Claims History
Before requesting quotes, gather current payroll figures, total employee count and a minimum three-year claims history. Your experience modification rate, which directly affects your premium, gets calculated by New Jersey carriers using this data.
- 4
Request Quotes From Multiple Licensed NJ Carriers
Contact at least three licensed New Jersey carriers, or work with a broker experienced in New Jersey's market to compare business insurance quotes. For the same class code, workers' comp rate variation between carriers can exceed $100 a month per employee.
- 5
Compare on Quality, Not Just Price
In New Jersey's litigation-heavy workers' comp environment, claims handling quality matters as much as price. Claims processing scores and adjuster support deserve a look too, beyond monthly premium.
- 6
Complete Purchase and Establish Payroll and Audit Reporting
Finalize your policy, and set up the payroll reporting procedures your carrier requires. Annual audits reconciling estimated payroll against actual payroll are standard practice for New Jersey carriers, and the result can be an additional premium charge or a refund.
- 7
Review at Annual Renewal
CRIB filings shift New Jersey rates, and your experience modification rate updates every year too. At each renewal, review your class codes, payroll figures and carrier options to confirm you're getting the most competitive rate available.
Best Workers' Compensation Insurance in New Jersey: Bottom Line
In New Jersey's above-average workers' comp market, The Hartford and ERGO NEXT both perform well on price and quality. The Hartford leads with the state's lowest rate at $137 a month and top MoneyGeek score, while ERGO NEXT matches it on price within $1 a month and leads on customer experience. Thimble is best for small employers in low-risk industries who prioritize a fast, digital buying experience.
LOOKING FOR OTHER COVERAGE TYPES IN NEW JERSEY?
Finding the best small business insurance in New Jersey is more than just getting a single coverage type. If your contracts or work require more financial protection, check out these guides below to learn more:
New Jersey Workers' Compensation Insurance FAQ
The Hartford is New Jersey's cheapest and best workers' comp insurance provider at $137 a month. The most affordable providers in the state include:
- The Hartford: $137 a month
- ERGO NEXT: $138 a month
- Thimble: $165 a month
- biBERK: $179 a month
- Coverdash: $191 a month
New Jersey requires workers' comp for all employers with one or more employees, including part-time workers. Corporate officers of New Jersey corporations are automatically covered but may file an exclusion. Failure to maintain required coverage can result in fines, criminal penalties, and personal liability for injured worker costs.
New Jersey is one of the most expensive states in our analysis for workers' comp insurance premiums. Businesses in the state pay an average of $191 monthly per employee, more than double the national average of $74. Rates vary widely by industry.
New Jersey is a private competitive market with a state-administered assigned risk pool. Employers can get workers' compensation insurance from licensed private carriers or through the New Jersey Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau's assigned risk mechanism.
Workers' compensation in New Jersey covers:
- Medical expenses for job-related injuries, like a Newark construction worker's fall or a Trenton factory employee's repetitive stress injury
- Wage replacement benefits during recovery periods
- Permanent disability payments for lasting impairments
- Death benefits for families of workers killed in workplace accidents
About Connor Bolton
Connor Bolton is Senior SEO and Content Manager at MoneyGeek, where he leads the business and pet insurance editorial teams. He sets the research framework, data standards and content structure for his team. All content goes through his accuracy review before publication. Connor also writes in-depth guides and has spent more than four years covering insurance products across personal, commercial and specialty lines.
The research infrastructure Connor built covers auto, home, renters, life, health, business and pet insurance across pricing analysis, carrier research, customer experience and coverage evaluation. It includes over 6 million data points for business insurance across 408 industry areas, all 50 states and 16 vehicle types. The pet insurance side covers over 5 million profiles across 18 major providers, 100+ breeds and ages up to 20 years. Connor’s insurance research and his team's work have been cited by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Allstate, Liberty Mutual, CBS News, Forbes and LegalZoom.
Connor also talks with underwriters and carrier liaisons at Ethos, The Hartford, ERGO NEXT, Nationwide and State Farm, and monitors business and pet owner communities on Reddit. Those sources shape how his team evaluates carriers, structures rate analysis and writes content for real pet owners.
Questions about MoneyGeek's business or pet insurance content? Reach him at connor@moneygeek.com or on LinkedIn.
Sources
- Insurance Journal. "New Jersey Workers' Compensation Rates to Drop 6.9% for 2025." Accessed September 20, 2026.
- New Jersey Compensation Rating and Inspection Bureau. "NJCRIB: Revised Rates and Rating Values Effective January 1, 2025." Accessed September 20, 2026.
- New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. "NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development Announces New Benefit Rates for 2025." Accessed September 20, 2026.
- New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. "Workers' Compensation | Rates and Statistics." Accessed September 20, 2026.
- New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. "NJ Department of Labor and Workforce Development Announces New Benefit Rates for 2025." Accessed September 20, 2026.
- New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. "Workers' Compensation | Protections for Injured Workers." Accessed September 20, 2026.
- New Jersey Department of Labor and Workforce Development. "Workers' Compensation | Requirements for Employers." Accessed September 20, 2026.
- New Jersey Legislature. "2024 New Jersey Revised Statutes :: Title 34 :: Section 34:15-79 - Penalties for Failure to Carry Insurance." Accessed September 20, 2026.
- Risk & Insurance. "New Jersey Workers' Compensation Medical Cost Trends in 2024. How to Improve the Trend." Accessed September 20, 2026.