[coryking]

> but why are they no allow to do the same job as a Google employee?

That is how it is if you are a contractor working for any tech company.

The actual shitty part about being a "contractor" is you are almost always a W2 for the contracting firm. Which means you get none of the benefits of actually being a real contractor. As a 1099 you can:

* Deduct (and potentially charge for) a ton of shit like travel expenses, hardware, software, internet, phones, home office, etc

* Set up a SEP IRA which lets you contribute 25% of your salary up to $58,000. This is far more than what you can contribute to an employer sponsored 401k (though as a W2 your employer can top your 401k to the same limit)

* Bill as high of a rate as you can get away with

* Easily work multiple gigs at once

* Use your own tools.

* It's your own business, literally. So act like it!

The drawbacks to a 1099 are:

* You are your own collection agency. Some clients are very slow to pay you.

* You have to pay your own social security and stuff

* You pay full freight for healthcare

* You are not entitled to unemployment

* Taxes get a little more complex

* You are a "flake" in the eyes of a bank... so getting loans for houses and stuff is a little harder.

As a W2 working through a bodyshop you get:

* Paid weekly no matter how slow their client is paying

* They provide you equipment... no matter how shitty it is

* Maybe some kind of shitty healthcare offering that disqualifies you from buying your own plan and deducting it on your taxes

* Maybe some kind of shitty retirement plan that disqualifies you from contributing pre-tax money to your own IRA

* You can collect unemployment. Helpful for that 6 month break.

* You get paid at a substantially lower rate than whatever they are billing the client.

* You are a cog in a machine.