Benchmark $638/mo · ranked 12 of 21 · median wage $48,530
Prefer to talk? Call (713) 575-9904
Licensed Independent Agent · NPN #22052447 · 23 States
The benchmark premium for a 40-year-old in North Carolina is $638 a month for 2026, ranking 12 of 21 states published here. BLS reports a median annual wage of $48,530 for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics in North Carolina.
Below the cliff. At this income a single-person household remains eligible for a premium tax credit in 2026.
This occupation is below the cliff in all 21 states reported.
What this figure is. It is the median annual wage BLS reports for Automotive Service Technicians and Mechanics (SOC 49-3023) in North Carolina. BLS surveys wage and salary workers and excludes the self-employed, so it is a benchmark for the occupation in this state — not the income of a self-employed auto mechanic. Premium tax credit eligibility is set by household modified adjusted gross income and household size, not by occupation, so treat this as a reference point rather than a determination of what you qualify for.
Why the cliff is back. The enhanced premium tax credits expired on 31 December 2025. For plan year 2026 the 400% FPL limit applies again, so household income above $62,600 ends premium tax credit eligibility outright.
Benchmark premium and median wage for this occupation, ranked by premium.
| # | State | Benchmark @40 | Median wage | vs cliff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $414 | $57,560 | below |
| 2 | Virginia | $455 | $56,320 | below |
| 3 | Indiana | $474 | $47,550 | below |
| 4 | Nevada | $497 | $47,570 | below |
| 5 | Ohio | $513 | $47,010 | below |
| 6 | Michigan | $523 | $48,840 | below |
| 7 | Colorado | $557 | $59,340 | below |
| 8 | South Carolina | $564 | $45,950 | below |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $604 | $41,720 | below |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $611 | $50,990 | below |
| 11 | Georgia | $615 | $48,800 | below |
| 12 | North Carolina | $638 | $48,530 | below |
| 13 | Utah | $640 | $46,990 | below |
| 14 | Alabama | $645 | $45,710 | below |
| 15 | Illinois | $646 | $50,450 | below |
| 16 | South Dakota | $655 | $48,410 | below |
| 17 | Texas | $661 | $48,660 | below |
| 18 | Kansas | $670 | $47,010 | below |
| 19 | Florida | $683 | $48,520 | below |
| 20 | Nebraska | $710 | $48,810 | below |
| 21 | Arkansas | $774 | $43,830 | below |
This page compares states. For North Carolina specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — that is published on Coverage by County. To check whether a plan actually covers your hospital, see Plans By City.
← Auto Mechanics in all states · All trades · All occupations
Put your ZIP code in and I will show you the carriers filing in your county, what the cheapest plan costs, and what you would actually pay after any help you qualify for. No cost, and you talk to me — not a call center.
The biggest change here is a carrier walking away. Cigna leaves the ACA individual market on January 1, 2027 — one of the 6 carriers writing in North Carolina today. Every an auto mechanic on a Cigna plan is moving, and doing nothing just means the marketplace chooses the replacement.
On price the only honest number today is national: the Peterson-KFF read of 2027 filings puts the median proposed rise near 15%, spanning −1% to 54%. Final North Carolina rates are not approved, so any precise 2027 figure quoted for this state is guesswork.
Enrollment opens November 1, 2026. Treat December 15 as the deadline: it guarantees January 1 cover on every marketplace, North Carolina included. Conflicting end dates get quoted because a 2025 rule shortened the window and a court vacated it in June 2026, appeal pending — enrol by the 15th and the argument is irrelevant to you.
PPO availability is patchy here: 90 of 100 North Carolina counties. For Auto Mechanics the county you are rated in, not the state, decides whether out-of-area care is paid for.
You already know you are changing plans — Cigna is leaving. The only real question is whether you pick the replacement or the marketplace picks it for you, and that is a much easier decision made in August than in the second week of December.
Give me a ZIP and I will tell you three things:
There is no single North Carolina price. Enter your ZIP and I will pull what is filed in your county, then work out what help you qualify for.