Re: Grim numbers, just grim--Austin perspective

["Steve Arrants" <stephena -at- compbear -dot- com>]

"Rob Writer" <piercedroo -at- hotmail -dot- com> writes
> >Well this job ad didn't seem that grim to me.
>
> Let's see, $35/h extropilated out over a year equals about $70K. Sorry,
but
> not a "miserly" or underpaid salary by any definition. Here in Austin,
which
> has one of the highest cost of living factors in the entire state, $70K is

Yes, but remember that if that is on a 1099 basis, you are paying more in
taxes than someone who makes the same $35/hr as an employee.  Add in the
cost of your own benefits (health insurance, retirement).  Figure in saving
some of that "high" hourly rate because you can't enroll in your state's
Unemployment or Disability Insurance programs if you are a sole proprietor.
Yes, there are some tax advantages of being a sole proprietor, but they
don't seem to even out.

Datapoint: When I started techwriting in 1984 in Houston, my first job was
for Compaq.  My hourly rate was $40/hour.

steve arrants



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