Figure A
Wrongful misclassification costs workers thousands of dollars per year: Median per-worker cost of being misclassified as an independent contractor, by occupation and state, 2025 dollars
| State | Construction workers | Customer service reps/call center workers | Heavy and tractor-trailer truck drivers | Home health and personal care aides | Janitors and cleaners | Landscaping workers | Light truck delivery drivers | Housekeeping cleaners | Manicurists and pedicurists | Retail sales workers | Security guards |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $11,887 | $9,077 | $20,768 | $6,944 | $7,495 | $9,539 | $16,857 | $7,185 | $7,773 | $7,203 | $7,923 |
| Alaska | $22,680 | $11,977 | $26,523 | $12,172 | $11,584 | $13,999 | $23,639 | $16,123 | $14,334 | $10,083 | $14,700 |
| Arizona | $14,864 | $10,111 | $18,290 | $10,699 | $9,483 | $10,126 | $19,321 | $9,634 | $9,706 | $8,649 | $10,303 |
| Arkansas | $12,792 | $10,432 | $23,181 | $8,528 | $7,932 | $9,929 | $17,658 | $7,670 | $8,226 | $7,631 | $10,454 |
| California | $22,526 | $13,946 | $24,914 | $12,201 | $11,041 | $13,083 | $20,083 | $11,572 | $10,970 | $10,159 | $13,089 |
| Colorado | $15,403 | $12,172 | $21,854 | $11,256 | $9,691 | $12,045 | $17,339 | $10,699 | $10,510 | $9,003 | $12,252 |
| Connecticut | $18,454 | $12,880 | $25,311 | $12,893 | $10,615 | $13,692 | $21,561 | $13,522 | $10,682 | $9,883 | $11,389 |
| Delaware | $16,202 | $12,363 | $23,216 | $11,063 | $8,374 | $10,429 | $18,113 | $8,950 | $8,402 | $8,771 | $10,304 |
| Washington D.C. | $16,420 | $12,583 | $25,640 | $11,439 | $10,670 | $13,168 | $19,062 | $10,537 | $13,700 | $9,648 | $18,914 |
| Florida | $14,304 | $10,211 | $22,846 | $10,253 | $8,396 | $10,081 | $16,908 | $8,638 | $9,644 | $8,071 | $10,051 |
| Georgia | $13,350 | $10,301 | $22,865 | $9,166 | $8,404 | $10,363 | $18,258 | $8,806 | $7,828 | $7,636 | $9,986 |
| Hawaii | $25,566 | $11,434 | $24,341 | $12,035 | $8,963 | $12,071 | $24,366 | $13,221 | $9,179 | $9,802 | $12,564 |
| Idaho | $14,622 | $8,942 | $20,023 | $10,044 | $9,473 | $10,844 | $20,618 | $8,071 | $9,285 | $8,041 | $9,932 |
| Illinois | $24,535 | $12,667 | $25,673 | $12,069 | $11,199 | $13,496 | $21,195 | $10,692 | $10,956 | $9,535 | $11,438 |
| Indiana | $18,530 | $10,988 | $26,475 | $11,354 | $9,810 | $11,373 | $20,152 | $9,869 | $10,518 | $8,396 | $10,979 |
| Iowa | $17,279 | $10,720 | $24,854 | $11,351 | $9,292 | $11,561 | $19,726 | $10,213 | $13,063 | $8,164 | $10,930 |
| Kansas | $16,391 | $10,982 | $26,033 | $11,131 | $9,159 | $11,287 | $18,941 | $10,259 | $9,584 | $8,624 | $10,018 |
| Kentucky | $14,398 | $9,382 | $21,050 | $8,874 | $7,967 | $9,639 | $17,436 | $8,044 | $16,716 | $7,156 | $9,359 |
| Louisiana | $13,946 | $9,708 | $20,072 | $7,328 | $7,796 | $9,902 | $17,942 | $7,506 | $8,602 | $7,455 | $8,746 |
| Maine | $16,741 | $13,892 | $22,529 | $12,464 | $11,107 | $14,107 | $21,844 | $11,236 | $16,018 | $10,176 | $12,486 |
| Maryland | $15,727 | $10,583 | $21,928 | $11,439 | $9,929 | $10,649 | $18,879 | $9,056 | $10,647 | $8,753 | $10,344 |
| Massachusetts | $23,171 | $13,698 | $25,401 | $13,020 | $13,451 | $14,348 | $22,850 | $11,783 | $11,171 | $10,157 | $13,610 |
| Michigan | $18,365 | $11,578 | $23,757 | $11,556 | $10,372 | $11,797 | $18,791 | $10,707 | $11,005 | $9,310 | $11,355 |
| Minnesota | $21,382 | $13,908 | $26,174 | $12,238 | $11,083 | $14,219 | $20,385 | $11,175 | $11,285 | $9,577 | $13,603 |
| Mississippi | $11,939 | $9,175 | $21,472 | $7,841 | $7,187 | $8,841 | $19,322 | $5,774 | $11,597 | $6,782 | $7,531 |
| Missouri | $19,539 | $11,345 | $22,244 | $11,807 | $9,925 | $11,095 | $20,112 | $9,378 | $12,139 | $8,440 | $11,126 |
| Montana | $15,824 | $9,421 | $22,077 | $9,954 | $9,999 | $11,091 | $18,207 | $13,211 | $8,513 | $10,619 | |
| Nebraska | $16,972 | $10,642 | $25,771 | $11,480 | $9,174 | $11,924 | $20,186 | $9,226 | $11,413 | $8,206 | $11,086 |
| Nevada | $15,541 | $9,960 | $22,030 | $8,897 | $7,938 | $10,062 | $16,381 | $8,460 | $9,857 | $8,166 | $9,797 |
| New Hampshire | $17,888 | $13,678 | $24,095 | $12,990 | $10,936 | $13,572 | $19,884 | $10,806 | $10,389 | $9,929 | $13,828 |
| New Jersey | $24,901 | $14,073 | $31,326 | $13,233 | $11,162 | $13,277 | $20,483 | $10,498 | $10,431 | $10,105 | $11,246 |
| New Mexico | $12,658 | $10,147 | $17,793 | $8,610 | $7,967 | $10,124 | $16,835 | $9,909 | $11,871 | $7,687 | $12,252 |
| New York | $21,653 | $14,088 | $26,346 | $12,628 | $11,529 | $13,863 | $20,920 | $11,111 | $11,048 | $10,488 | $11,667 |
| North Carolina | $14,674 | $10,108 | $19,538 | $9,650 | $8,505 | $10,415 | $16,699 | $8,559 | $10,048 | $7,708 | $9,785 |
| North Dakota | $17,643 | $11,089 | $23,950 | $12,836 | $10,654 | $13,473 | $20,576 | $11,296 | $9,700 | $9,645 | $10,887 |
| Ohio | $19,033 | $11,122 | $25,656 | $11,428 | $9,291 | $11,450 | $19,270 | $9,709 | $11,326 | $8,461 | $10,695 |
| Oklahoma | $13,719 | $9,798 | $23,228 | $8,415 | $8,640 | $9,946 | $15,229 | $8,214 | $8,733 | $7,658 | $10,181 |
| Oregon | $18,320 | $12,209 | $25,855 | $13,202 | $10,971 | $13,239 | $19,539 | $12,071 | $11,266 | $9,876 | $13,124 |
| Pennsylvania | $18,341 | $11,267 | $26,302 | $12,129 | $10,348 | $11,862 | $21,025 | $10,759 | $9,147 | $8,624 | $11,520 |
| Rhode Island | $21,678 | $11,880 | $26,257 | $14,131 | $10,759 | $13,431 | $22,276 | $10,206 | $11,807 | $9,729 | $10,662 |
| South Carolina | $14,123 | $10,157 | $21,562 | $9,396 | $7,945 | $10,192 | $18,395 | $8,747 | $7,691 | $7,602 | $9,757 |
| South Dakota | $16,006 | $10,426 | $25,518 | $11,842 | $9,761 | $10,700 | $20,008 | $13,908 | $12,522 | $9,317 | $10,965 |
| Tennessee | $14,152 | $9,795 | $21,511 | $9,540 | $7,890 | $10,003 | $18,450 | $9,205 | $8,293 | $7,450 | $9,464 |
| Texas | $13,042 | $10,353 | $22,405 | $8,819 | $8,585 | $10,254 | $18,354 | $9,153 | $10,826 | $7,757 | $8,771 |
| Utah | $15,021 | $10,062 | $21,998 | $10,348 | $8,112 | $10,881 | $16,074 | $9,631 | $10,669 | $8,390 | $11,583 |
| Vermont | $17,156 | $16,437 | $26,753 | $12,815 | $11,521 | $13,663 | $27,010 | $11,069 | $10,274 | $12,898 | |
| Virginia | $13,700 | $10,160 | $22,656 | $10,658 | $8,757 | $10,665 | $18,341 | $9,491 | $10,815 | $8,187 | $12,130 |
| Washington | $20,704 | $13,479 | $26,152 | $14,414 | $11,719 | $14,008 | $20,207 | $12,141 | $14,873 | $10,440 | $14,427 |
| West Virginia | $13,116 | $10,377 | $19,691 | $8,391 | $8,173 | $8,611 | $21,528 | $7,853 | $10,545 | $7,270 | $8,209 |
| Wisconsin | $19,493 | $11,652 | $24,588 | $11,898 | $10,751 | $13,541 | $20,593 | $10,464 | $10,592 | $9,257 | $11,658 |
| Wyoming | $14,694 | $10,523 | $23,414 | $8,594 | $9,515 | $10,043 | $21,014 | $11,285 | $7,706 | $9,616 |
Note: Estimates represent the difference between a value job to a W-2 employee compared with an independent contractor when an independent contractor receives no compensation for health and retirement benefits.
Source: EPI analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Employer Cost for Employee Compensation 2025Q4 and Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics Research Estimates by State and Industry May 2024 data.
This chart appears in:
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