Table 3
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 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| Construction workers | $48,210 | $52,398 | $35,670 | $42,221 | $10,177 | $16,729 |
| Truck drivers | $48,310 | $53,003 | $34,950 | $41,927 | $11,076 | $18,053 |
| Janitors and cleaners | $29,760 | $30,140 | $22,698 | $24,908 | $5,232 | $7,441 |
| Home health and personal care aides | $29,430 | $31,194 | $21,665 | $25,005 | $6,189 | $9,529 |
| Retail sales workers | $29,120 | $29,552 | $21,854 | $24,066 | $5,485 | $7,697 |
| Housekeeping cleaners | $28,780 | $29,147 | $21,944 | $24,081 | $5,066 | $7,203 |
| Landscaping workers | $34,430 | $34,869 | $26,292 | $28,849 | $6,021 | $8,577 |
| Customer service reps / call center workers | $36,920 | $36,673 | $28,184 | $30,328 | $6,346 | $8,490 |
| Security guards | $29,680 | $30,846 | $22,092 | $24,951 | $5,896 | $8,754 |
| Light truck delivery drivers | $29,280 | $30,883 | $21,803 | $24,999 | $5,884 | $9,081 |
| Manicurists and pedicurists | $25,770 | $26,099 | $19,628 | $21,541 | $4,558 | $6,471 |
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.
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