How To Become A Contract Worker: What It Is and Career Path

What is a contract worker and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

A contract worker provides services for a specific project or duration of time through a staffing agency or directly with a company. As they are not employees, they do not receive benefits such as health insurance or paid time off. Contract workers can work in various industries, including technology, finance, and healthcare. Contract workers are typically paid on an hourly or project basis and must manage their own taxes and expenses.

ScoreContract WorkerUS Average

Salary

5.5

Avg. Salary $70,825

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

7.9

Growth rate -8%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.4

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.78%

Asian 7.38%

Black or African American 9.14%

Hispanic or Latino 12.51%

Unknown 4.41%

White 65.77%

Gender

female 40.76%

male 59.24%

Age - 49

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 49

Stress level

7.9

Stress level is high

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.9

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

4.1

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a contract worker?

Pros

Higher hourly rate
Ability to work from home
Can choose which projects to work on
No long-term commitment to one company
Opportunity to gain diverse experience

Cons

Inconsistent income
No job security
No benefits (health insurance, retirement, etc.)
May need to constantly search for new projects
May have difficulty obtaining a loan or mortgage

Key steps to become a contract worker

Explore contract worker education requirements

Most common contract worker degrees

Bachelor's

46.8 %

Associate

19.9 %

High School Diploma

15.1 %

Start to develop specific contract worker skills

Skills	Percentages
Financial Statements	16.75%
SQL	14.87%
Payroll	10.35%
Computer System	9.59%
Assembly Line	8.21%

Complete relevant contract worker training and internships

Accountants spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. New contract workers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a contract worker based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real contract worker resumes.

Research contract worker duties and responsibilities

Assist management in facilitating start-up QSR accounts while effectively managing GPO accounts.
Procure common hardware, plumbing and MRO materials.
Network within the community to find potential members that are recipients of Medicare/ Medicaid benefits.
Work on multiple accounts providing payroll advice and walking through setup and process of running payroll online.

Prepare your contract worker resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your contract worker resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a contract worker resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable contract worker resume templates

Build a professional contract worker resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your contract worker resume.