Benchmark $564/mo · ranked 8 of 21 · median wage $45,290
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The benchmark premium for a 40-year-old in South Carolina is $564 a month for 2026, ranking 8 of 21 states published here. BLS reports a median annual wage of $45,290 for Paving, Surfacing, and Tamping Equipment Operators in South Carolina.
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 South Carolina. 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 South Carolina 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 South Carolina market currently runs to 6 carriers over 46 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 South Carolina 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.
The window opens November 1, 2026, and December 15 is the date worth writing down — it is what secures January 1 cover in South Carolina and everywhere else. You will find later dates quoted; they stem from a 2025 rule that was vacated in June 2026 and is under appeal.
In your favour: PPOs are sold in all 46 South Carolina 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 South Carolina’s carriers under a deadline; today you can do it without one.
Give me a ZIP and I will tell you three things:
Most Paving Contractors 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 South Carolina.