Job value to a worker and to social insurance funds, by employment status: Construction workers, 2021 dollars

 

No compensation for health and retirement With full compensation for health and retirement
Cost to worker of independent contractor status Cost to worker of independent contractor status
Payroll employee Independent contractor Dollars Percent Independent contractor Dollars Percent
Value to worker of job that pays
$48,210
A Regular pay $43,129 $43,129 $51,006
B Supplemental pay $2,285 $0 $0
C Paid leave $2,796 $0 $0
D Insurance and retirement benefits $7,877 $0 $0
E [Minus] Paperwork costs independent contractor $1,016 $1,158
F [Minus] Worker contribution to Social Security, Medicare $3,688 $6,443 $7,627
G=A+B+C +D-E-F Net value to worker of job $52,398 $35,670 $16,729 31.9% $42,221 $10,177 19.4%
Value to social insurance funds
F Worker contribution to Social Security and Medicare $3,688 $6,443 $7,627
H Employer contribution to Social Security and Medicare $3,688 $0 $0
I Employer contribution to Unemployment Insurance and Workers’ Compensation $2,031 $0 $0
F+H+I Total payments to social insurance funds $9,407 $6,443 $2,964 31.5% $7,627 $1,781 18.9%
Economic Policy Institute

Source: Median annual earnings of 47-0000 Construction and Extraction Occupations from Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2021. https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes470000.htm, accessed October 24, 2022.

View the underlying data on epi.org.