Put simply, an independent IT contractor is an expert hired temporarily to work on a company, either for a set time or to help on a specific project. Usually, these experts work remotely (being able to choose where they work), have flexible schedules, and use their own workstations to perform their job. They will charge either a flat fee or an hourly rate, depending on the type of work they’ll perform, that their hiring company will have to pay either at certain milestones in the project or at specific time intervals respectively. These experts, although working for a company, are autonomous and thus free to work for other companies or businesses, and receive compensation from that work.