Contract worker vs office employee

The differences between contract workers and office employees can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. While it typically takes 4-6 years to become a contract worker, becoming an office employee takes usually requires 1-2 years. Additionally, a contract worker has an average salary of $70,825, which is higher than the $35,825 average annual salary of an office employee.

The top three skills for a contract worker include financial statements, SQL and payroll. The most important skills for an office employee are customer service, telephone calls, and customer accounts.

Contract worker vs office employee overview

	Contract Worker	Office Employee
Yearly salary	$70,825	$35,825
Hourly rate	$34.05	$17.22
Growth rate	-8%	-5%
Number of jobs	36,853	74,182
Job satisfaction	-	-
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Average age	48	47
Years of experience	6	2

What does a contract worker do?

A contract worker is an independent contractor who only works at companies for a limited amount of time, according to agreed-upon contract terms. When it comes to employment, a contract worker may find opportunities in different industries, depending upon their set of skills and abilities. Although the extent of their responsibilities depends on their company or industry of employment, it typically includes performing basic tasks, maintaining an active communication line with co-workers, and adhering to company policies and regulations.

What does an office employee do?

An office employee is someone who performs clerical and any other tasks usually performed by managers. Office employees are employed as clerical workers in offices or organizations. They execute tasks such as typing and word processing, answering phone calls, bookkeeping, and stenography. It is their responsibility to ensure the smooth daily operations of an office. Their diligence, communication skills, customer service, hard work, and attention to detail are necessary for this job.

Contract worker vs office employee salary

Contract workers and office employees have different pay scales, as shown below.

	Contract Worker	Office Employee
Average salary	$70,825	$35,825
Salary range	Between $52,000 And $95,000	Between $19,000 And $64,000
Highest paying City	-	East Palo Alto, CA
Highest paying state	-	California
Best paying company	-	OSF HealthCare
Best paying industry	-	Professional

Differences between contract worker and office employee education

There are a few differences between a contract worker and an office employee in terms of educational background:

	Contract Worker	Office Employee
Most common degree	Bachelor's Degree, 47%	Bachelor's Degree, 59%
Most common major	Business	Business
Most common college	University of Pennsylvania	Western Carolina University

Contract worker vs office employee demographics

Here are the differences between contract workers' and office employees' demographics:

	Contract Worker	Office Employee
Average age	48	47
Gender ratio	Male, 59.2% Female, 40.8%	Male, 34.4% Female, 65.6%
Race ratio	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 4.4% Hispanic or Latino, 12.5% Asian, 7.4% White, 65.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.8%	Black or African American, 9.1% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 17.7% Asian, 7.9% White, 59.1% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.2%
LGBT Percentage	7%	6%

Differences between contract worker and office employee duties and responsibilities

Contract worker example 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.
Supervise a staff of ten HVAC installers and technicians, providing ongoing field training and troubleshooting support.
Follow QA prints to determine the location and layout of various size brackets for various size SCBA bottles.

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Office employee example responsibilities.

Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
Complete payroll by compiling hours and verifying submissions weekly, via QuickBooks.
File paperwork, organize PowerPoint presentations, assist with typing correspondence and fax documents to appropriate destination.
Demonstrate ability to maintain composure and work efficiently in a fast-pace environment while following HIPAA guidelines.

Contract worker vs office employee skills

Common contract worker skills

Financial Statements, 17%
SQL, 15%
Payroll, 10%
Computer System, 10%
Assembly Line, 8%
PowerPoint, 7%

Common office employee skills

Customer Service, 72%
Telephone Calls, 5%
Customer Accounts, 4%
Medical Billing, 4%
Computer System, 2%
Front Desk, 1%

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Updated January 8, 2025

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