The Basics

Working as an independent contractor is a great way to earn a living or to make extra income. As an independent contractor, you have the autonomy to set your own guidelines for how you want to work and when. Anyone, regardless of immigration status, may engage in independent contractor work without work authorization or an SSN.

What is an Independent Contractor?

As an independent contractor, you are self-employed and you produce a specific type of work product in a determined amount of time. Some independent contract work is considered a gig, such as performing music at events or driving for a ride-share service, and other times it’s considered a professional service such as producing fine art or landscaping.

What’s important is that you have a vision in front of you about how this work is going to not only bring in income, but also how it might be personally gratifying and sustainable.

The Gig Economy

The Gig Economy refers to a growing segment of the labor market, in which clients contract with workers, often via apps, for specific tasks and activities. The gig economy has endless options and often does not require high educational attainment.

Gig opportunities include:

  • Driving a car for ride-share services such Uber or Lyft.
  • Selling products on sites such as Etsy or eBay.
  • Performing music at paid gigs and concerts.
  • Working for freelance labor apps such as TaskRabbit.
  • Renting space in your home with sites such as AirBnB
  • Any one-time, task-based job.

Professional Services

Professional services exist in a variety of industries. In addition to participating in the gig economy, individuals may choose to leverage their expertise, skills, abilities, certification, and professional and academic training to offer professional services to the public. The ability to provide them requires experience, passion for a specific type of work, and in some instances, licensing or educational attainment.

There are many different types of independent contract work you can do, allowing you to leverage all the skills, experience and knowledge that you have accumulated over time both inside and outside of school. You can start in the gig economy and work toward offering specialized professional services.

Some examples of professional services may include:

  • Accounting
  • Advertising
  • Babysitting
  • Computer Programming
  • Construction
  • Cosmetology
  • Dog Walking
  • Engineering
  • Fine art
  • Graphic Design
  • Landscaping
  • Legal
  • Medical
  • Payroll Management
  • Photography
  • Taxes
  • Tutoring
  • Real estate
  • Website Design
  • Writing and editing