Small business · Auto dealers & repair shops · Michigan
Health insurance for Michigan auto dealers and repair shops
Techs, sales staff and office staff often need different things. Here’s the Michigan data and the options for each group.
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- 40,120 MI dealer jobs
- 32,204 MI repair jobs
- Different classes, different plans
Get options for my dealership or shop
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Auto dealers & repair shops in Michigan, by the numbers
| Michigan private industry | Jobs (2025 avg.) | Locations | Avg. jobs per location | Avg. annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Automobile dealers (NAICS 4411) | 40,120 | 1,455 | 27.6 | $79,508 |
| Automotive repair and maintenance (NAICS 8111) | 32,204 | 5,737 | 5.6 | $55,639 |
| General automotive repair (NAICS 811111) | 12,161 | 2,486 | 4.9 | $63,544 |
BLS QCEW, 2025 annual averages, private ownership; jobs per location is jobs divided by establishments.[1] QCEW covers jobs reported under unemployment insurance and excludes proprietors and the unincorporated self-employed.[2]
What benefits look like in this kind of work
- Installation, maintenance and repair workers had 81% access to an employer medical plan and 60% participated.[3]
- Sales workers had 56% access.[3]
- In private businesses with 1 to 49 workers, 55% of workers had access to an employer medical plan, compared with 86% at businesses with 100 or more.[3]
- For family coverage, employers paid 67% of the premium for installation, maintenance and repair workers on average.[4]
National figures for private industry; BLS doesn’t publish these by state.[3]
What we’d look at for a dealership or shop
In 2025, Michigan’s 5,737 repair shops averaged 5.6 jobs each, while dealers averaged 27.6.[1] A larger dealer can approach 50 full-time equivalents, so we check that count first. Techs expect a medical plan more often than sales staff[3], which is where ICHRA classes or a richer family contribution for techs can help.
Rules that apply to you
- Small group is 1 to 50. For SHOP coverage you generally need 1 to 50 full-time-equivalent employees who aren’t owners or family, and you can start any time of year.[5] See small group rules.
- Can’t meet a carrier’s contribution or participation rule? Federal rules let insurers limit those groups to a November 15 to December 15 enrollment window each year.[6] See contribution and participation rules.
- The mandate starts at 50. Employers with at least 50 full-time employees, including full-time equivalents, on average in the prior year are applicable large employers.[7]
- QSEHRA is open only to employers that aren’t applicable large employers and don’t offer a group health plan; 2026 limits are $6,450 single and $13,100 family.[8] See QSEHRA.
- ICHRA can be offered by class of employees, but you can’t offer the same class both an ICHRA and a traditional group plan.[9] See ICHRA and ICHRA vs. a group plan.
- Tax credit check. The small business health care tax credit requires fewer than 25 FTEs and average annual wages under $67,000 per FTE (2025 rules), with a plan through SHOP.[10] This industry’s Michigan average pay was $55,639 in 2025[1], but your own payroll math decides it. See the Form 8941 guide.
Workers’ compensation is a separate, required coverage and isn’t covered on this page.
Related: small business health insurance, level-funded plans and adding dental and vision.
Sources
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, Michigan, 2025 annual averages (private ownership). https://data.bls.gov/cew/data/api/2025/a/area/26000.csv
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, QCEW Overview: coverage and employment exclusions. https://www.bls.gov/cew/overview.htm
- BLS, Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2026, Table 2: Medical care benefits, access and participation. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ebs2.t02.htm
- BLS, Employee Benefits in the United States, March 2026, Table 4: Share of premiums paid, family coverage. https://www.bls.gov/news.release/ebs2.t04.htm
- HealthCare.gov, Overview of SHOP: Health insurance for small businesses. https://www.healthcare.gov/small-businesses/choose-and-enroll/shop-marketplace-overview/
- 45 CFR 147.104, Guaranteed availability of coverage (eCFR). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-45/subtitle-A/subchapter-B/part-147/section-147.104
- IRS, Determining if an employer is an applicable large employer. https://www.irs.gov/affordable-care-act/employers/determining-if-an-employer-is-an-applicable-large-employer
- IRS, Publication 15-B (2026), Employer’s Tax Guide to Fringe Benefits. https://www.irs.gov/publications/p15b
- 26 CFR 54.9802-4, Special rule allowing integration of HRAs with individual health insurance coverage (eCFR). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-26/chapter-I/subchapter-D/part-54/section-54.9802-4
- IRS, Instructions for Form 8941 (2025). https://www.irs.gov/instructions/i8941
Checked October 16, 2026. 2027 Marketplace plans and final 2027 rates aren’t published yet; we’ll update this page when they are.
Frequently asked questions
How many people work at Michigan auto dealers and repair shops?
About 40,120 at dealers and 32,204 in automotive repair and maintenance on average in 2025, per BLS QCEW.
Can we give technicians and sales staff different benefits?
ICHRA allows different classes of employees, but you can't offer the same class both an ICHRA and a traditional group plan. We map your classes before recommending anything.
Will you sell my information?
No. Your information goes to Nexus Benefit Solutions only and is never sold.