Background
I have done 5 years of software development as an independent contractor in the UK, after working in permanent posts for 10 years. I now want to pursue contracting work in the US. I am a US citizen so visas, etc. are not a problem.
In the UK I have contracted onsite out of my own limited company, of which I am director and sole employee. I have paid IR35 tax on temporally-defined contracts (e.g. "Senior Java and Scala Developer, London, 6 months, salary £X / day"). On some contracts I have been the sole contractor hired; on larger projects, especially in London, I might work on a larger Agile team of say 4 other backenders and 15 developers altogether.
I have been hired primarily because I am an experienced developer with solid general--not extremely expert or specialized skills.
Question
Is the contracting arrangement I describe above to be found in the US? How does US contracting typically differ?
--For example, which US tax/company structure is most similar? I see W2, W4 schemes offered. Do US contractors set up 1-person companies like their UK counterparts often do?
--Are contractor wages comparable? For example, the large UK job sites indicate typical salaries: Java and Scala contract developer, £520/day.
--Are contractors in the US typically hired onto teams, or individually?
--Are temporally-defined contracts frequently done in the US; or are 3rd party contracts for deliverables more common?
--Are contractors in the US more frequently hired only as expert consultants?
Any perspectives, comments or advice on contracting in the US is greatly appreciated and welcome!
I have done 5 years of software development as an independent contractor in the UK, after working in permanent posts for 10 years. I now want to pursue contracting work in the US. I am a US citizen so visas, etc. are not a problem.
In the UK I have contracted onsite out of my own limited company, of which I am director and sole employee. I have paid IR35 tax on temporally-defined contracts (e.g. "Senior Java and Scala Developer, London, 6 months, salary £X / day"). On some contracts I have been the sole contractor hired; on larger projects, especially in London, I might work on a larger Agile team of say 4 other backenders and 15 developers altogether.
I have been hired primarily because I am an experienced developer with solid general--not extremely expert or specialized skills.
Question
Is the contracting arrangement I describe above to be found in the US? How does US contracting typically differ?
--For example, which US tax/company structure is most similar? I see W2, W4 schemes offered. Do US contractors set up 1-person companies like their UK counterparts often do?
--Are contractor wages comparable? For example, the large UK job sites indicate typical salaries: Java and Scala contract developer, £520/day.
--Are contractors in the US typically hired onto teams, or individually?
--Are temporally-defined contracts frequently done in the US; or are 3rd party contracts for deliverables more common?
--Are contractors in the US more frequently hired only as expert consultants?
Any perspectives, comments or advice on contracting in the US is greatly appreciated and welcome!
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