Benchmark $645/mo · ranked 14 of 21 · median wage $31,180
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The benchmark premium for a 40-year-old in Alabama is $645 a month for 2026, ranking 14 of 21 states published here. BLS reports a median annual wage of $31,180 for Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment in Alabama.
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 Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment (SOC 53-7061) in Alabama. 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 car wash operator. 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 | $35,890 | below |
| 2 | Virginia | $455 | $34,900 | below |
| 3 | Indiana | $474 | $35,280 | below |
| 4 | Nevada | $497 | $34,570 | below |
| 5 | Ohio | $513 | $34,750 | below |
| 6 | Michigan | $523 | $34,640 | below |
| 7 | Colorado | $557 | $39,480 | below |
| 8 | South Carolina | $564 | $29,650 | below |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $604 | $30,100 | below |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $611 | $35,320 | below |
| 11 | Georgia | $615 | $29,900 | below |
| 12 | North Carolina | $638 | $30,700 | below |
| 13 | Utah | $640 | $34,170 | below |
| 14 | Alabama | $645 | $31,180 | below |
| 15 | Illinois | $646 | $34,610 | below |
| 16 | South Dakota | $655 | $34,330 | below |
| 17 | Texas | $661 | $29,280 | below |
| 18 | Kansas | $670 | $38,130 | below |
| 19 | Florida | $683 | $31,790 | below |
| 20 | Nebraska | $710 | $36,640 | below |
| 21 | Arkansas | $774 | $33,910 | below |
This page compares states. For Alabama 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.
← Car Wash Operators 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 Alabama market currently runs to 4 carriers over 67 counties. Carriers re-file every year, and for Car Wash Operators the question that actually decides your renewal is which of them are still there in November.
Nobody can tell you your 2027 Alabama premium yet. Filings nationally cluster around a 15% median increase, with the full spread running −1% to 54% — and until this state signs off, a specific local number is invention.
Enrollment opens November 1, 2026. Treat December 15 as the deadline: it guarantees January 1 cover on every marketplace, Alabama 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.
All 67 counties in Alabama sell a PPO, which is unusual and useful. For a car wash operator covering ground, it is the plan type that travels best.
Nothing about 2027 is urgent yet, which is exactly why it is worth ten minutes now. Come November you will be choosing between Alabama’s carriers under a deadline; today you can do it without one.
Give me a ZIP and I will tell you three things:
Most Car Wash Operators here are buying their own coverage without an employer. One ZIP is all I need to show you what is available in your part of Alabama.