Cincinnati professional services employers: paying $470–$893 more per employee than you need to
Hamilton County has about 4,124 professional services establishments employing roughly 36,654 people. At the county's lowest-cost silver rate, small group coverage eats about 16% of the sector's average wage. The individual-market equivalent takes about 6%.
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The benefits squeeze on Cincinnati's professional services employers
The sector's average weekly wage in Hamilton County is $2,025, about $105,300 a year. Against that, a single employee's small group coverage at the county's lowest-cost silver rate costs $17,129 a year, roughly 16% of pay. The same person's individual-market coverage costs about $6,454, roughly 6%.
That is not a plan-design problem and it is not a broker problem. It is which market the policy comes from.
| Tier and age | Individual | Small group | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Silver, age 27 | $316 | $838 | $522 |
| Silver, age 50 | $538 | $1,427 | $890 |
| Gold, age 50 | $665 | $1,558 | $893 |
Plan year 2026, per employee per month, lowest-cost plan on each market. Estimates, not quotes.
What that gap means for a 40-person professional services company
An illustrative $225,600–$428,640 a year of difference, capped by what you contribute today. In a sector where benefits are one of the few levers you have against larger competitors, that is either margin or it is a better offer to the next person you hire.
Related: what a company your size should pay · the four alternatives · why your renewal keeps rising
See the number for your professional services company
We price both markets for Hamilton County against your actual census, in the same plan year. Free, and if your group plan wins we say so.
An estimate from county-level market data, not a quote.
Cincinnati professional services benefits questions
How many professional services employers are there in Hamilton County?
Roughly 4,124 private professional services establishments, employing about 36,654 people, at an average weekly wage of $2,025. Those are Bureau of Labor Statistics QCEW figures for 2024 Q2, the most recent full quarter published for the county.
What does health coverage cost a professional services employer here?
At Hamilton County's lowest-cost silver rate for a 50-year-old, small group coverage runs $1,427 per employee per month, or about 16% of the sector's average annual wage of $105,300. The individual-market equivalent runs $538, about 6%. That difference is the whole argument.
Why does this hit professional services companies particularly hard?
Because benefits are a large share of total compensation in a sector paying around $105,300 a year on average, and because professional services firms in this size band compete for staff against larger employers with richer benefits budgets. A fixed-allowance model lets a smaller company put a predictable, competitive number in front of a candidate without buying a whole group policy.
What would this look like for a 40-person professional services company?
Illustratively, at the county's plan year 2026 difference of $470–$893 per employee per month, a 40-employee company sits in a $225,600–$428,640 annual range, capped by what it actually contributes today. That is an estimate from county market data, not a quote.
Do employees end up with worse coverage?
No. Individual-market plans are ACA-compliant major medical coverage with the same essential health benefits and pre-existing condition protections. Networks do vary by plan, which matters more in some sectors than others, and the free analysis checks that against your team's actual providers before anything changes.
Actual results depend on your employee census, ages, family composition, plan design and contribution strategy. Figures are illustrative ranges, estimates rather than quotes or guarantees. Employment figures: BLS QCEW 2024 Q2, private sector, NAICS 54. Premiums: CMS Marketplace Public Use Files and Ideon, plan year 2026, same year both markets.
See what your company could save
County-specific 2026 numbers, about 30 seconds, no contact info needed.
How many employees do you have?
See What My Company Could Save →30-second estimate. No contact info needed.