1099 Success Academy
CRNA W-2 vs 1099 S-Corp Calculator
Start with real-world ballpark assumptions, then adjust only what you know. Every field has a usable default, so a CRNA can compare a W-2 job, a 1099 offer, vacation time, benefits, expenses, and S-corp salary without staring at blank boxes.
Your Answer
A quick summary appears here first. The full results repeat below the calculator form.
Annual 1099 advantage
$0
Breakeven 1099 rate
$0/hr
1099 gross revenue
$0
Fast Setup
Choose a familiar scenario first. The calculator fills the rest.
How to use this calculator: start with Fast Setup if you want a guided estimate, or skip it and use the detailed sections below if you already know your numbers.
- Step 1: Pick the scenario that feels closest to your current situation, not the perfect answer.
- Step 2: Choose the market, workload, and vacation time you expect. These choices fill in reasonable starting assumptions.
- Step 3: Move through the W-2 Package, 1099 Offer, and 1099 Costs sections to replace defaults with your real numbers.
- Step 4: Use the results panel to see whether the 1099 offer clears your W-2 package, what tax money to set aside, and what hourly rate would break even.
Optional: describe the work and the calculator will preselect the closest setup.
After choosing, read the orange “Choose the Scenario above if†box below.
Used for pay and benefits suggestions.
Sets hours per week below.
1099 usually means unpaid time off.
Quick 1099 Rate Estimate
Use these orange shortcuts when you want an apples-to-apples 1099 offer target from the W-2 salary and hours. After picking one, review the results and adjust the detailed fields only if needed.
This detailed comparison is now active.
Use the next sections to replace the Fast Setup assumptions with your real W-2 package, actual 1099 offer, and the costs that change the decision. Read each teal heading before entering numbers so the comparison stays apples-to-apples.
W-2 Package
Purpose: compare against the W-2 job or W-2 workload you are replacing. For apples-to-apples, choose the option that matches the same weekly hours as 1099.
Health insurance, match, disability, CME, paid admin value.
Educational estimate; contribution limits vary by year and age.
Optional. Blank is usually better for comparison.
1099 Offer
Purpose: enter what the 1099 contract is actually offering: hourly rate, weekly hours, S-corp salary, and filing status.
Updated by workload, but editable.
Drop-down range requested: $40k to $140k.
Uses 2026 federal bracket estimates.
1099 Costs and Tax Settings
Purpose: account for the costs CRNAs often forget when deciding whether 1099 really beats W-2.
Often the largest W-2 to 1099 surprise.
Set to $0 if the contract truly covers it.
Own-occupation coverage is a common 1099 planning item.
Useful when W-2 group life coverage disappears.
CME, travel not reimbursed, phone, dues, supplies, software.
S-corp savings come with compliance costs.
Personal deferral from S-corp payroll.
Auto-fills from reasonable salary.
Simple flat estimate for planning.
Only if eligible for an HSA-qualified plan.
What rate makes 1099 worth it?
Many CRNAs sanity-check an offer at roughly 1.3x W-2 hourly before benefits, expenses, unpaid vacation, and tax planning. The calculator shows the cleaner breakeven rate for the actual assumptions.
What salary should the S-corp pay?
The dropdown intentionally ranges from $40,000 to $140,000 because CRNAs commonly model a “reasonable salary†and distributions separately. The right answer is facts-and-circumstances and should be CPA-reviewed.
What do people forget?
Health insurance, malpractice, tail coverage, unpaid time off, payroll costs, quarterly taxes, retirement plan setup, and whether the contract really qualifies as independent contractor work.
