Benchmark $455/mo · ranked 2 of 21 · median wage $46,080
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The benchmark premium for a 40-year-old in Virginia is $455 a month for 2026, ranking 2 of 21 states published here. BLS reports a median annual wage of $46,080 for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors in Virginia.
Below the cliff. At this income a single-person household remains eligible for a premium tax credit in 2026.
This occupation sits above the cliff in 1 of the 21 states reported and below it in the other 20, so the answer changes with the state.
What this figure is. It is the median annual wage BLS reports for Refuse and Recyclable Material Collectors (SOC 53-7081) in Virginia. 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 junk removal contractor. 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 | $40,080 | below |
| 2 | Virginia | $455 | $46,080 | below |
| 3 | Indiana | $474 | $59,260 | below |
| 4 | Nevada | $497 | $65,440 | above |
| 5 | Ohio | $513 | $48,730 | below |
| 6 | Michigan | $523 | $59,290 | below |
| 7 | Colorado | $557 | $60,610 | below |
| 8 | South Carolina | $564 | $37,380 | below |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $604 | $36,850 | below |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $611 | $60,390 | below |
| 11 | Georgia | $615 | $43,000 | below |
| 12 | North Carolina | $638 | $40,500 | below |
| 13 | Utah | $640 | $50,720 | below |
| 14 | Alabama | $645 | $39,850 | below |
| 15 | Illinois | $646 | $61,880 | below |
| 16 | South Dakota | $655 | $33,030 | below |
| 17 | Texas | $661 | $45,710 | below |
| 18 | Kansas | $670 | $42,540 | below |
| 19 | Florida | $683 | $46,890 | below |
| 20 | Nebraska | $710 | $47,490 | below |
| 21 | Arkansas | $774 | $36,640 | below |
This page compares states. For Virginia 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.
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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.
Virginia runs its own marketplace rather than healthcare.gov, so 2027 plan and rate detail arrives on the state’s timetable, not in the federal files most comparison sites reprint. For a junk removal contractor that makes national round-ups the least reliable place to look.
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 Virginia 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, Virginia 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.
Virginia publishes its 2027 plan data on its own schedule rather than in the federal files, so the earlier you get a read on your options the less you are relying on national summaries that may not apply here.
Give me a ZIP and I will tell you three things:
The sticker price is rarely what Junk Removal Contractors in Virginia end up paying. Start with a ZIP and I will work out your actual number.