Good points for anyone if they're weighing the fulltime gig vs. contracting vs. consulting. However 1. The "Self Employment Tax" (in other words, FICA and Med

Good points for anyone if they're weighing the fulltime gig vs. contracting vs. consulting. However 1. The "Self Employment Tax" (in other words, FICA and Medicare) is closer to 7.5% extra for the self-employed. When you're an employee you pay 7.5% of this, and your employer matches that. When you're self employed you pay the entire thing. 2. The FICA and medicare tax can be avoided if you're contracting through a third party agency (and being paid W2 via that agency). This has its own set of tradeoffs and rewards, but is another option worth considering. 3. Remember that the 401k match has to vest, meaning that 4% match is closer to 1.6% if you hold the job for only two years. (on the flip side, that 1.6% is pre-tax) The matching can also be a temporary benefit if your smaller company gets bought out by a larger one. 4. Paying your own health insurance is a burden, but it's a burden with a fixed monthly cost. It's worth investigating self-insurance options and doing a straight up dollars to dollars comparison. Consulting and contracting aren't for everyone, but if there's parts of full-time employment that frustrate you it's definitely a route worth considering.