In the US, contractors are going to need to buy their own health/dental/disability insurance (which then isn't tax-exempt) and pay higher payroll taxes. Once y

In the US, contractors are going to need to buy their own health/dental/disability insurance (which then isn't tax-exempt) and pay higher payroll taxes. Once you take those into account, that's a solid 40% extra salary you'd need in order to break even. That's the difference between the US and the UK.