I got an unusual LinkedIn message. The job could be either W2 or 1099 (with or without benefits), offering a quoted max of 176k and 197k, requiring monthly travel to a Bay Area city. Not only did both of those numbers sound low, shouldn’t a job requiring travel pay more? Because I feel like it’d be harder to find skilled workers open to having to fly frequently.
Travel is often seen as a benefit
How? Going to from the airport, actually flying, it’s stressful. At least for me it is, maybe not others.
If you travel enough you don’t even need an apartment. That’s a few grand saved right there. Beyond that you get a daily per diem usually $100-200/ day that’s 3-6k/mo for free and now no food costs. In addition if you book your own travel and file expenses you then get the benefit of reward points which can be 3x points or more depending on which card you use. To give you context a buddy of mine worked at Ernest and young as a consultant. He traveled m-f. $200 daily per diem. The company would cover return flights from your job location to anywhere in the usa and he used that for trips to Hawaii and other destinations, then used his cc points to cover the hotels. He also got to use the company discount for his personal travel. He racked up over 1m miles while working there in his 20s
Red flags are everywhere here. 1) what % of a month would you be traveling? 2) The $21k pay differential between W2 and 1099 is a joke. Yes you can register as a corporation and get lower taxes, but if 197k is the max for 1099, you'll almost assuredly come out ahead on W2 Any company pushing this arrangement is not valuing you at all and certainly doesn't see you as an asset. No, I would not expect them to pay better, because they're clearly indicating they don't care.
I’m thinking of replying asking for a higher TC than 1099 and w2 benefits. It’s likely just some staffing company so you’re right they probably don’t care or they think I don’t know what a market wage is.
If you do this through a third party that's where the difference is
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No they can find local candidates. If you’re coming from elsewhere you’re getting the premium rate as if your cost of living was in the bay.
The thing is I can get offers in my local non Bay Area city that pay more than this, and require no travel. Maybe this is just a bad opportunity? The city in question to travel to is Cupertino so I had my assumptions about what company it might be.
If it’s a recruiter from outside the company then they’re probably lowballing you to maximize how much they can skim off of what should rightly be yours