Contractors are usually paid a set rate for each hour worked and usually do not receive benefits or vacation pay. Contractors may work as hourly W-2 employees without benefits, as independent contractors on a 1099 basis, or they may subcontract through their own corporations. In each case, the work they perform on the job is identical. Contractors may work directly for a client they have found on their own, or they may find their contracts through placement firms. Sixty-seven percent of all C programmers and 75 percent of all Cobol programmers got their contracts through agencies.
Contractors perform at every level of responsibility on projects.
Highly experienced contractors with previous leadership experience are often called on to lead projects when a company decides to implement a technology in which it has little experience. They may fill in for staff who are on leave, or do routine maintenance on legacy systems. While the working conditions of contract programmers are more like those of regular employees than of glamorous entrepreneurs, contract programmers earn high incomes. The most common length of contract reported was six months, followed closely by 12 months, three months, and two years. Since long contracts are predominant, most contractors can easily work year round.