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Independent professionals happier, wealthier
than traditional employees
Bankrate.com
Don't spend too much time pitying self-employed
independent professionals. A new survey finds they're happier and
wealthier than traditional employees. And most are reluctant to
board the corporate treadmill again.
The traditional image of independent professionals
has been of people laid off and between jobs, taking contract work
to keep roofs over their heads, and eager to land a permanent position.
But the second annual 1099 Index by Aquent, a talent agency for
Web and technical professionals, found that nine out of 10 independent
professionals say they have chosen to work independently, not due
to downsizing or other circumstances.
The 1099 Index gets its name from the tax form
that self-employed workers receive. Aquent surveyed 800 members
of the U.S. work force in late August and early September.
Eighty percent of independent professionals
expect to continue to work independently, and nearly a third say
they won't go back to the traditional work force, no matter what.
Independent professionals say they're getting
compensated better than W2s (traditional employees), and are twice
as likely to earn more than $75,000 a year. More independents than
traditional workers believe their work arrangement lets them save
enough for retirement.
But while most independents cite higher pay
as a motivation to continue in their status, with 95 percent confident
of their ability to earn a solid living for the next five years,
the intangibles also matter. More than 70 percent of independents
say they're very satisfied with their work situation, compared to
50 percent of employees.
If you're self-employed, how does your pay and
happiness stack up?
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