5 Reasons I Switched from a Salaried Employee to a 1099 Independent Contractor

For several years before I got married, I worked as a salaried employee for a large agency. “W-2” employment provided me, a young speech-language pathologist, with certain benefits while allowing me to work in a wide range of clinical settings. The agency automatically withheld my Social Security and Medicare taxes, for example. Once I got married, however, my husband and I started thinking more about what employment situation would work best for our family.  We ultimately decided that the best fit for me involved switching to an independent contractor. Here’s why: Flexibility Working for a staffing agency as a W-2 employee meant I needed to work at least 30 hours per week to maintain full-time employment status. Becoming an independent contractor allowed me to work as many or as few hours as I wanted. I preferred this flexibility, because we planned to grow our family one day. I knew for a fact that planning for maternity leave would be much easier if I started working more on my own terms versus the requirements of full-time employment. As an independent contractor, I can set my own hours and work when it makes sense for my life. Higher hourly wage Independent contractors usually earn a higher hourly rate. In my case, I make the same monthly net income as I did before, but I work 50 fewer hours per month. This gives me time to take care of myself, go to the gym, and relax occasionally. My husband and I also enjoy taking our daughter to activities together during the ...
Source: American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Press Releases - Category: Speech-Language Pathology Authors: Tags: Audiology Private Practice Schools Slider Speech-Language Pathology Health Care Professional Development Source Type: blogs