Free pay calculator

Contractor vs Employee Income Calculator

Make a first-pass comparison of expenses, self-employment tax, employee FICA, and benefits.

How this calculator works

Planning comparison only. It uses a simplified 15.3% self-employment tax and 7.65% employee FICA before income tax; the actual SE-tax base and deduction are more complex.

Worked example

The same gross pay can have different economics after contractor expenses, self-employment tax, and employee benefits.

Assumptions and limits

Inputs are treated as non-negative U.S. dollar amounts. Results are rounded to cents where useful. This tool is for planning and does not determine legal eligibility, payroll compliance, or final tax liability.

Related calculators

Estimate take-home pay · Hourly to salary · Compare states · Methodology