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Subcontractor vs Employee Cost Calculator

The true cost of a W2 employee is 25–40% above salary. Compare side-by-side with a 1099 subcontractor — FICA, unemployment, workers comp, benefits, PTO, and admin all included.

Where this fits

💼 Income & OffersGoing 1099Offer ReviewFreelancersEmployees

This tool lives inside Going 1099 + Offer Review and is most useful for freelancers and employees.

Corp Tax Rate21%
SE Threshold$400
FICA Cap 2024$168,600

Worker Details

W2 Benefits & Burden Rates

W2 Annual Cost
$98K
$47.06/hr effective
1099 Annual Cost
$94K
$45.07/hr effective
True Cost Premium
$4,139
W2 costs more
W2 Overhead Rate
31%
Above base salary

W2 Employee

Higher Cost
Base salary
$75,000
Employer FICA (7.65%)SS 6.2% + Medicare 1.45%
$5,738
Unemployment insurance2.5% (FUTA + SUTA avg)
$1,875
Workers' compensation2% of salary
$1,500
Health insurance (employer)
$6,000
401(k) match3% of salary
$2,250
PTO (15 days)
$4,327
Payroll admin$100/mo
$1,200
Total Annual Cost$97,889

1099 Subcontractor

Lower Cost
Contractor rate (25% premium over W2 equiv)Contractor covers own SE tax, benefits, equipment, overhead
$93,750
Employer FICANone — contractor pays own self-employment tax
—
Unemployment insuranceNone — contractors not covered by UI
—
Workers' compensationVerify contractor has own coverage
—
Health insuranceNone — contractor provides own
—
401(k) matchNone
—
PTONone — contractors bill for time worked only
—
Payroll adminMinimal — just 1099-NEC filing at year end
—
Total Annual Cost$93,750

Misclassification Risk

Using a 1099 when the worker should be W2 is one of the most common (and expensive) contractor mistakes. The IRS and DOL look at control and economic reality — not just what your contract says.

1099 is probably NOT appropriate if:

•You control when, where, and how they work (not just the result)
•They work exclusively or primarily for you
•You provide tools, equipment, or training
•The work is central to your core business
•The relationship is ongoing and indefinite

Misclassification penalties: back taxes + 100% of FICA + interest + potential criminal charges. Consult an employment attorney before classifying.

1

W2 employer FICA

FICA = salary × 7.65%

= $75,000 × 7.65%

= $5,738

Employer FICA = Social Security 6.2% (up to $168,600 wage base) + Medicare 1.45% = 7.65%. This is in addition to the employee's own 7.65% FICA — the government collects 15.3% total. For a $75,000 salary, your FICA cost alone is $5,738/year.

IRC §3111; IRS Publication 15 — FICA rates; 2024 SS wage base $168,600

2

W2 total overhead

overhead = FICA + unemployment + workers_comp + benefits + PTO + admin

= $5,738 + $1,875 + $1,500 + $12,577 + $1,200

= $22,889/yr overhead (30.5% burden on salary)

Your $75,000 salary carries $22,889 in employer overhead — a 30.5% burden rate. Industry benchmarks: lean companies run 20–30%, typical is 30–40%, and 40%+ when health benefits are generous. This is why a "$75k job" costs $100k+ to fill.

3

W2 total annual employer cost

W2_total = salary + FICA + unemployment + workers_comp + benefits + admin

= $75,000 + $22,889

= $97,889

Total cost of this W2 employee: $97,889/year. Their take-home is roughly $69,300 — you pay $97,889 and they receive $69,300. The $28,589 difference goes to taxes, benefits, insurance, and admin.

W2 burden rate — IRS Publication 15; BLS Employee Benefits Survey

4

1099 subcontractor cost

sub_total = desired_comp × (1 + contractor_premium%)

= $75,000 × (1 + 25%)

= $93,750

Contractors charge a 25% premium to cover: self-employment tax (15.3% = $14,344), health insurance, equipment, business overhead, and no-work risk. Their net after SE tax is approximately $79,406.

IRC §1401 — self-employment tax 15.3%; IRS Form 1099-NEC; DOL worker classification guidance

5

Cost per hour — W2 vs 1099

cost_per_hr = annual_total / hours_per_year

W2: $97,889 / 2080 hrs · 1099: $93,750 / 2080 hrs

= W2: $47.06/hr · 1099: $45.07/hr

1099 is cheaper at $45.07/hr vs $47.06/hr — a difference of $1.99/hr. Over 2080 hours, that's a $4,139/year gap.

6

Annual cost difference

premium = W2_total − 1099_total

= $97,889 − $93,750

= 1099 saves $4,139/yr (4.4% cheaper)

W2 costs $4,139/yr more than 1099. The premium covers employment-related taxes, insurance, and admin burden. This is the financial case for contractors — but weigh against misclassification risk and retention loss.

Contractor premium analysis — DOL Worker Classification; IRS SS-8 guidelines

7

PTO cost (W2 hidden cost)

PTO_cost = (salary / 52 weeks / 5 days) × ptoDays

= ($75,000 / 260) × 15 days

= $4,327/yr in paid time off

15 PTO days cost $4,327/year — you pay for time not worked. At 15 days, that's 5.8% of productive time. Contractors don't have PTO — but they don't take it unpaid either, and many build it into their rate.

8

Misclassification risk note

IRS 20-factor + DOL FLSA economic reality test

Key factors: behavioral control, financial control, relationship type

= Misclassification fine = back taxes + penalties + interest

The IRS and DOL actively pursue misclassification. Penalties include unpaid FICA, unpaid federal income tax withholding, plus interest and fines. Always consult an employment attorney before classifying a worker as 1099 if they work full-time for you and you control how they do the work.

IRS Publication 1779 (Worker Classification); DOL FLSA Final Rule (2024); ABC test (California AB5)

Key insight

The true cost of a W2 employee is typically 25–40% above their salary — before benefits. Add health insurance, 401k match, PTO, workers comp, and payroll admin and you're often at 35–50% overhead. The 1099 premium (15–25%) looks cheaper on paper, but misclassification fines dwarf any savings. Get the classification right first, then optimize the cost.

Use this result in →

Overhead Rate →Project Profitability →Freelance Rate →

#ShowYourWork

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