Benchmark $711/mo · ranked 22 of 23 · median wage $29,800
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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 $29,800 for Animal Caretakers 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 Animal Caretakers (SOC 39-2021) 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 dog groomer. 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 | $35,990 | below |
| 2 | Virginia | $455 | $30,830 | below |
| 3 | Indiana | $474 | $28,800 | below |
| 4 | Nevada | $497 | $29,530 | below |
| 5 | Ohio | $513 | $29,700 | below |
| 6 | Michigan | $523 | $29,730 | below |
| 7 | Colorado | $557 | $35,300 | below |
| 8 | South Carolina | $564 | $29,900 | below |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $604 | $28,370 | below |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $611 | $29,490 | below |
| 11 | Georgia | $615 | $28,880 | below |
| 12 | North Carolina | $638 | $28,900 | below |
| 13 | Utah | $640 | $31,550 | below |
| 14 | Alabama | $645 | $27,940 | below |
| 15 | Illinois | $646 | $34,440 | below |
| 16 | South Dakota | $655 | $29,460 | below |
| 17 | Texas | $661 | $29,810 | below |
| 18 | Mississippi | $662 | $23,740 | below |
| 19 | Kansas | $670 | $27,970 | below |
| 20 | Florida | $683 | $30,380 | below |
| 21 | Nebraska | $710 | $29,970 | below |
| 22 | Tennessee | $711 | $29,800 | below |
| 23 | Arkansas | $774 | $29,370 | 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.
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.
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 Tennessee today. Every dog groomer on a Cigna plan is moving, and doing nothing just means the marketplace chooses the replacement.
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.
One thing 2027 will not fix: no PPO is sold anywhere in Tennessee. All 95 counties offer EPO plans only, so care outside the network is effectively emergency-only. If your work as a dog groomer crosses county lines, weigh that above the premium.
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:
Rates for Dog Groomers in Tennessee are set by county, not by occupation. Start with your ZIP and a licensed agent will show you the plans actually filed where you live.
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