Benchmark $645/mo · ranked 14 of 21 · median wage $39,000
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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 $39,000 for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators in Alabama.
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 2 of the 21 states reported and below it in the other 19, so the answer changes with the state.
What this figure is. It is the median annual wage BLS reports for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators (SOC 47-2071) 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 paving 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 | $58,720 | below |
| 2 | Virginia | $455 | $46,850 | below |
| 3 | Indiana | $474 | $56,960 | below |
| 4 | Nevada | $497 | $60,680 | below |
| 5 | Ohio | $513 | $61,290 | below |
| 6 | Michigan | $523 | $54,690 | below |
| 7 | Colorado | $557 | $53,430 | below |
| 8 | South Carolina | $564 | $45,290 | below |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $604 | $47,230 | below |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $611 | $79,440 | above |
| 11 | Georgia | $615 | $44,600 | below |
| 12 | North Carolina | $638 | $47,620 | below |
| 13 | Utah | $640 | $47,890 | below |
| 14 | Alabama | $645 | $39,000 | below |
| 15 | Illinois | $646 | $66,130 | above |
| 16 | South Dakota | $655 | $57,610 | below |
| 17 | Texas | $661 | $46,810 | below |
| 18 | Kansas | $670 | $53,540 | below |
| 19 | Florida | $683 | $44,810 | below |
| 20 | Nebraska | $710 | $48,900 | below |
| 21 | Arkansas | $774 | $40,860 | 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.
← Paving Contractors 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 Paving Contractors 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.
Mark November 1, 2026 to open and December 15 to act. That second date guarantees cover from January 1 in Alabama regardless of how the current litigation over the enrollment window resolves.
In your favour: PPOs are sold in all 67 Alabama counties. That is the type most likely to pay toward out-of-network care, and worth defending at renewal if your work as a paving contractor takes you around.
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:
Two Paving Contractors on opposite sides of Alabama can be quoted very different premiums for the same plan. Your ZIP is what decides it.