How much of Orlando's work is in hotels, restaurants and attractions?
More than one in four private sector jobs in Orange County are in accommodation and food services or in arts, entertainment and recreation. In 2025 that was 230,657 of 870,276 jobs, or 26.5%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. For Florida the share was 15.2%, and for the United States 12.6%.
| Industry | Business locations | Jobs | Average weekly wage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation, such as hotels | 446 | 59,773 | $979 |
| Food services and drinking places | 3,820 | 78,063 | $674 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 1,152 | 92,821 | $974 |
| All private industries | 54,909 | 870,276 | $1,356 |
- Orange County26.5%
- Florida15.2%
- United States12.6%
Source: BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2025 annual averages, private ownership
Average weekly wages count every job, part time included, so they do not show hourly pay. Federal health coverage rules sort employees by the hours they work, not by job title, so your team's hours decide which rules apply to you.
Who can buy group health insurance in Orlando?
A business with at least one employee other than the owners and their spouses. Generally, employers with 1 to 50 employees can buy small group coverage through the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP), and the count includes part time workers as full time equivalents.
You buy through an insurance company or a registered agent, not on HealthCare.gov, and you can do it any time of year. If you run the business alone or only with your spouse, you buy an individual plan instead. Our national small business guides cover the steps, and our Florida guide covers the state's rules for employees who leave.
How do part time and seasonal hours count toward 50?
Each month you add your full time employees to your full time equivalents. A full time employee averages at least 30 hours a week, or 130 hours in a month. For everyone else, add up their hours for the month, counting no more than 120 per person, and divide by 120. Then add the 12 monthly totals and divide by 12.
| Months | Number of months | Full time employees plus equivalents each month |
|---|---|---|
| Busiest months | 3 | 58 |
| All other months | 9 | 46 |
| Average over 12 months: (3 × 58 + 9 × 46) ÷ 12 | 12 | 49 |
At an average of 49, this hotel is under 50 and does not have to offer coverage. Even if your average reaches 50, you are not an applicable large employer if your workforce exceeded 50 for 120 days or fewer and all the workers above 50 were seasonal workers.
Hours of service include paid time when no work is done, such as paid vacation, holidays and sick leave. Companies with a common owner are generally counted together. Our free small business calculator does the count for you.
Which workers must I offer coverage to?
Only if you are an applicable large employer, with an average of 50 or more full time employees including equivalents. Then you must offer affordable coverage that provides minimum value to your full time employees and their dependents, or you may owe the IRS a payment. Below 50, the federal rule does not apply to you.
| Method | How it works | Where you can use it |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly measurement | You count each employee's hours of service every month. 130 hours in a month makes that person full time for that month. | Counting to 50 and deciding who must be offered coverage |
| Look-back measurement | You look at an employee's hours over a past measurement period and treat the employee the same way for a later stability period. | Only for deciding who is full time when computing a possible payment, not for counting to 50. It has special rules for variable hour and seasonal employees. |
For 2027 the two payments are $3,780 per full time employee, with the first 30 excluded, for not offering coverage to at least 95% of full time employees, and $5,670 for each full time employee who gets a premium tax credit when the coverage you offered was not affordable, lacked minimum value or was not offered to that person. Neither applies unless at least one full time employee gets a premium tax credit.
What counts as affordable for a $15 an hour worker in 2027?
If you are an applicable large employer, the most you can charge a $15 an hour employee for your lowest cost self only plan is about $199 a month under the IRS rate of pay safe harbor. That is 130 hours times $15, or $1,950, times the 2027 percentage of 10.22%. Florida's minimum wage is $15.00 an hour from September 30, 2026 through December 31, 2027.
| Hourly pay | Monthly pay used | Highest employee share for the lowest cost self only plan |
|---|---|---|
| $15.00 | $1,950 | $199.29 a month |
| $16.00 | $2,080 | $212.58 a month |
| $18.00 | $2,340 | $239.15 a month |
| $20.00 | $2,600 | $265.72 a month |
The safe harbor uses the lower of the employee's hourly rate on the first day of the coverage period or the lowest hourly rate during the month. It only protects you from the employer payment. It does not decide whether the coverage counts as affordable when your employee applies for a premium tax credit, which uses household income.
Could my team do better on the marketplace?
Some Orlando workers may. In Orange County, 399,974 people picked a marketplace plan for 2026, 95.2% of them received a premium tax credit, and the average monthly premium after credits was $92, according to CMS. A full time employee could get that credit if the coverage you offer is not affordable or lacks minimum value.
If you want to help without running a group plan, you can reimburse employees for individual plans through a CHOICE arrangement, which any size of employer with at least one non-owner employee can offer, or a QSEHRA, which is generally for employers with fewer than 50 full time employees that offer no group plan. In 2026 a QSEHRA can reimburse up to $6,450 for one person and $13,100 for a family. A quote shows what a group plan would cost against a fixed monthly budget.
How soon can coverage start for my busy season hires?
When your group enrollment is received by the 15th of a month, coverage must start no later than the first of the next month. A plan can make new employees wait, but no more than 90 days.
- Group enrollment received from the 1st through the 15th: coverage must start no later than the 1st of the next month.
- Group enrollment received from the 16th through the end of the month: coverage must start no later than the 1st of the month after next.
- In most states at least 70% of your employees must accept the offer. If your group cannot meet an insurer's participation or contribution rules, state law may let the insurer limit you to an annual enrollment period from November 15 to December 15.
Your insurer sets the exact waiting period and participation rules, so ask before you enroll.
How can an Orlando agent help with a group plan?
Health Insurance Solutions has an office at 37 N Orange Ave, Orlando, FL 32801. Call before you visit.
We ask for a simple list of your employees with their hours and the amount you want to contribute, then show group plans from several carriers with the cost to you and to each employee. We help with enrollment and new hires, and we review your options before every renewal.
See our Small-Group Health plans
Real health benefits for a small team. We handle shopping, setup and renewals.Small business health insurance calculator: employee count and tax credit
Enter your full-time and part-time employees to see your full-time equivalent count, which rules apply to you and what the small business health care tax credit could be worth.Health insurance in Florida
Marketplace, Medicaid and Medicare rules for the whole state.
Get group plan prices for your team
A licensed agent compares small group plans and CHOICE arrangements from several carriers and shows you the monthly cost for you and your employees. It costs you nothing.