20% minimum

You may be considering going 1099 because you want a substantial increase in your income.

But if you would be happy with a 20% raise, even if you had to still be a W2 employee, I would seriously consider just getting a new job.

If you're an employee and you are looking for a big raise, one recommended tactic is to simply look for a job at another company that pays more.

It's possible to re-negotiate your compensation at your current company, but once you are working at the company, you are part of their system and are subject to the system's limitations.

These may include policies like no off-cycle raises, required ranking against other employees, etc.

Getting a new job avoids these problems because you simply filter for higher paying roles and only accept offers that pay more.

But, if you know you'll be unhappy even with a 20% raise, you should consider going 1099.

Every company has problems, and going 1099 can get you around those problems.

Going 1099 means less bureaucracy, more autonomy, and the feeling that you control (or at least, have more influence), over your future earnings and lifestyle.

It's relatively easy to get a 20% pay bump by switching jobs. But it's much harder to get a 20% pay bump, the ability to take Fridays off, and not have to deal with nonsense company policies.

Want the full playbook? Check out Going 1099.