Ranked 12 of 17 states · median $789/mo · CMS PY2026
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A 40-year-old welder in Florida pays a median $789/month for a Silver plan before subsidies — 12th of 17 on cost. The cheapest plan in the state is $554 from Ambetter Health in Indian River. On highest out-of-pocket maximum, Florida ranks 3 of 17 for this occupation.
Injury exposure means the number that matters is the out-of-pocket maximum, not the premium. A single ER visit and follow-up can hit that ceiling in one month, so these pages rank states by worst-case annual exposure rather than by monthly cost.
Occupational context: Fume inhalation, arc eye, and burn risk; hearing loss.
This is background for choosing a plan, not for pricing one. Since 2014 every Florida exchange plan has been guaranteed issue and community rated: same age, same ZIP, same tobacco status means the same filed premium whether you are a welder or an accountant. Occupation changes the shopping criteria, nothing else.
Premium is set by rating area, so a welder in one Florida county can pay materially more than one an hour away. Six counties from across the state, cheapest Silver plan for a 40-year-old:
| County | Cheapest Silver @40 | Issuer | Deductible | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian River | $554 | Ambetter Health | $8,000 | 7 |
| Madison | $612 | Ambetter Health | $8,000 | 5 |
| Duval | $639 | Ambetter Health | $8,000 | 6 |
| Hernando | $650 | Oscar Health Maintenance Organization of Florida | $5,000 | 4 |
| Pasco | $659 | Oscar Health Maintenance Organization of Florida | $5,000 | 8 |
| Palm Beach | $674 | Wellpoint | $3,500 | 11 |
The spread across just these six is $120/month — $1,440 a year for the same metal tier. Statewide the range runs $554 to $2,203. Coverage by County publishes all 67 Florida counties individually.
| Florida — worst-case exposure | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Lowest annual out-of-pocket maximum | $2,250 |
| Highest annual out-of-pocket maximum | $10,600 |
| Cheapest Gold plan @40 | $545 — Health First Commercial Plans |
| Gold deductible | $2,200 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $554 — Ambetter Health |
| Cheapest Silver @50 | $775 |
For a welder, the gap between $2,250 and $10,600 in annual out-of-pocket maximum is worth more than any premium difference on this page. One serious injury reaches that ceiling regardless of which plan you picked.
Source: CMS Plan Year 2026 Qualified Health Plan Landscape file. 7,569 plan records across 67 Florida counties. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits — verify at enrollment.
Cheaper for the same coverage: Kansas ($765), Tennessee ($773), Mississippi ($773). More expensive: Utah ($805), Texas ($807), North Carolina ($828).
Side-by-side: Florida vs Tennessee · Florida vs Mississippi · Florida vs Utah · Florida vs Texas
This only matters if you can actually choose — you buy in the state where you live, not where you work. If you are a welder who moved this year, that move is a qualifying life event and opens a special enrollment period.
Expense categories that typically apply to this trade: Welding rig, consumables, PPE, truck, certification. Premiums are generally deductible above the line under IRC §162(l) when no employer plan is available to you or your spouse — a question for your CPA, not your agent.
If your household income is above the subsidy range, ACA is not automatically the answer. There are other categories of coverage that may fit, and they work very differently. That is a conversation, not a web page.
The BLS median wage for Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers in Florida is $49,430 a year (May 2024). Starting pay — the 10th percentile — is about $38,430. The middle half earn $44,930 to $60,130, and the top 10% more than $68,420. BLS counts about 16,390 people doing this work for an employer in Florida. The self-employed are not in the BLS survey, so this is the going rate for the work, not your own number.
The cheapest Silver plan for a 40-year-old in Florida is $554 per month from Ambetter Health, with a state median of $789. Both figures are full price before premium tax credits; most buyers pay less after subsidies.
No. Under the ACA, carriers cannot rate, decline, or exclude based on occupation or health history. Rates vary only by age, ZIP code, tobacco use and household size.
Yes. Plan types filed for 2026: EPO, HMO, POS, PPO.
Florida ranks 12 of 17 states covered here, at a median $789 per month. Indiana is cheapest at $558 and Nebraska is most expensive at $875.
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 Welders, Cutters, Solderers, and Brazers (SOC 51-4121) in Florida. 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 welder. 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.
This page compares states. For Florida specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — I publish that on Coverage by County, including a page written for Welders in Florida and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.
Florida loses a carrier this cycle: Cigna is out of the ACA individual market from January 1, 2027, leaving 14 filing here. For Welders 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. Florida has finalised: insurers were approved for an average 10.4% increase for 2027. Your own premium still turns on your plan and county.
Mark November 1, 2026 to open and December 15 to act. That second date guarantees cover from January 1 in Florida regardless of how the current litigation over the enrollment window resolves.
In your favour: PPOs are sold in all 67 Florida counties. That is the type most likely to pay toward out-of-network care, and worth defending at renewal if your work as a welder takes you around.
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:
Coverage for Welders is priced county by county across Florida. Enter your ZIP and a licensed agent will show you what is on the table.
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