Benchmark $711/mo · ranked 22 of 23 · median wage $34,630
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The benchmark premium for a 40-year-old in Tennessee is $711 a month for 2026, ranking 22 of 23 states published here. BLS reports a median annual wage of $34,630 for Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment in Tennessee.
Below the cliff. At this income a single-person household remains eligible for a premium tax credit in 2027.
This occupation is below the cliff in all 23 states reported.
What this figure is. It is the median annual wage BLS reports for Cleaners of Vehicles and Equipment (SOC 53-7061) in Tennessee. 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 2027 the 400% FPL limit applies again, so household income above $63,840 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 | Mississippi | $662 | $29,130 | below |
| 19 | Kansas | $670 | $38,130 | below |
| 20 | Florida | $683 | $31,790 | below |
| 21 | Nebraska | $710 | $36,640 | below |
| 22 | Tennessee | $711 | $34,630 | below |
| 23 | Arkansas | $774 | $33,910 | below |
This page compares states. For Tennessee 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 a licensed agent 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 a licensed agent — not a call center.
Tennessee loses a carrier this cycle: Cigna is out of the ACA individual market from January 1, 2027, leaving 5 filing here. For Car Wash Operators that is a forced decision, and a better one made in November than in January.
Rate filings for 2027 point to roughly a 15% median increase nationally, from −1% at one end to 54% at the other. Tennessee has finalised: insurers were approved for an average 15.6% increase for 2027. Your own premium still turns on your plan and county.
Enrollment opens November 1, 2026. Treat December 15 as the deadline: it guarantees January 1 cover on every marketplace, Tennessee 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.
There is still no PPO on the Tennessee marketplace — not in any of its 95 counties. Every plan is an EPO, which for a car wash operator working across a wide area is the binding constraint, not price.
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 now than in the second week of December.
Enter a ZIP and a licensed agent 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 Tennessee.
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