The data values for those identifying themselves as contractors or part-time workers are significantly different than from the broader population. So we separated that data from the main set.

Contractors

Of 1725 respondents, 111 of the respondents indicate that they work as either an independent contractor or through an agency. Average income is not a very descriptive statistic for this group because (1) many contractors are paid for every hour they work and (2) a number of contractors work less than full-time. We converted reported income to an average hourly wage using the average number of weekly work hours submitted by the respondents. We assumed 50 weeks of work per year.

This pegs the average hourly wage at $40.47, an 8% drop from last year's average of $44. The hourly wage rates range from a high of $100 to a minimum of $12. About half of the respondents earn between $30 and $50 per hour. The distribution of all the reported wages is shown in the chart.

On average, contractors receive an hourly wage rate that is 33% higher than their salaried counterparts. However, very few contractors receive non-monetary benefits, bonuses, or long-term contracts. These workers are expected to make up the deficit through the overall higher wage rates that they receive. In addition, small business taxes cost many contractors 30 to 40% of their earnings. Coupled with the lack of insurance, vacation, and profit-sharing benefits, the reason people choose to work on contract often has more to do with quality of life issues than with compensation.

With respect to wage satisfaction, 79% indicated they are either Satisfied or Very Satisfied. This is comparable to the 82% satisfaction for salaried workers. The non-monetary satisfaction is markedly different with only 61% of contractors being Satisfied or Very Satisfied compared to 82% of full-timers. This is likely tied to lack of insurance, vacation, and profit-sharing benefits.

Of the 111 contractors, 47% worked through an agency and 53% labeled themselves as independents. The average pay for the two groups was the same, and both groups indicate the same satisfaction levels for their compensation. For wage satisfaction, 83% of the Independents are Satisfied or Very Satisfied compared to 75% from the Agency group. For non-monetary satisfaction, only 50% of the Agency group is Satisfied or Very Satisfied compared to 71% of the Independents.

Part-Timers

We received responses from 38 people who indicated they work fewer than 35 hours per week. We separated these responses from the rest of the data. This group does not include those who identify themselves as contractors.

• Their weekly work load ranges from 20 to 34 hours and averages 29 hours.
• Their effective hourly rate (calculated the same way as for contractors) works out to an average of $38.96. The range is $16 to $92 per hour.
• Of the 38 part-timers, 32 are women.
• All but six have at least five years of technical communication experience.

Only five people indicated they are less than Satisfied with their monetary compensation and only five people are Dissatisfied with non-monetary compensation. So the wages seem to fit the quality-of-life needs for most of these workers.