Summary of range of costs to workers of independent contractor status, by representative occupations, 2021 dollars
| Range of value to worker of job, as independent contractor | Range of cost to worker of independent contractor status ($) | Range of cost to worker of independent contractor status (%) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occupations | Median annual W-2 earnings | Value to worker, as employee | Low estimate | High estimate | Low estimate of cost to worker | High estimate of cost to worker | Low estimate of cost to worker | High estimate of cost to worker |
| Construction workers | $48,210 | $52,398 | $35,670 | $42,221 | $10,177 | $16,729 | 19.4% | 31.9% |
| Truck drivers | $48,310 | $53,003 | $34,950 | $41,927 | $11,076 | $18,053 | 20.9% | 34.1% |
| Janitors and cleaners | $29,760 | $30,140 | $22,698 | $24,908 | $5,232 | $7,441 | 17.4% | 24.7% |
| Home health and personal care aides | $29,430 | $31,194 | $21,665 | $25,005 | $6,189 | $9,529 | 19.8% | 30.5% |
| Retail sales workers | $29,120 | $29,552 | $21,854 | $24,066 | $5,485 | $7,697 | 18.6% | 26.0% |
| Housekeeping cleaners | $28,780 | $29,147 | $21,944 | $24,081 | $5,066 | $7,203 | 17.4% | 24.7% |
| Landscaping workers | $34,430 | $34,869 | $26,292 | $28,849 | $6,021 | $8,577 | 17.3% | 24.6% |
| Customer service reps / call center workers | $36,920 | $36,673 | $28,184 | $30,328 | $6,346 | $8,490 | 17.3% | 23.1% |
| Security guards | $29,680 | $30,846 | $22,092 | $24,951 | $5,896 | $8,754 | 19.1% | 28.4% |
| Light truck delivery drivers | $29,280 | $30,883 | $21,803 | $24,999 | $5,884 | $9,081 | 19.1% | 29.4% |
| Manicurists and pedicurists | $25,770 | $26,099 | $19,628 | $21,541 | $4,558 | $6,471 | 17.5% | 24.8% |
Notes: The low estimate of the value to worker of job as an independent contractor is calculated as the occupation's median annual earnings via regular pay, which excludes supplemental pay, paid leave, and employer contributions to health insurance and retirement plans. The high estimate is calculated as regular pay plus the dollar value of employer contributions to health insurance and retirement plans. Some differences may not be exact due to rounding.
Source: Economic Policy Institute analysis of data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Compensation Survey's Employer Costs for Employee Compensation data and the BLS's Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics data.