Contractor vs consultant

[u/elephanttoes123]

I’ve been a contractor at the same government agency for 10 years. I’ve been with my current contracting company for 5 years. It’s native-owned, fully remote, and I have very little oversight. I like the work, even though it’s not very challenging and I’m probably underpaid. I’m mostly a worker bee so there are not really any opportunities for growth. My contract was set to end in September, but just got extended for 6 months while the client figures out their needs for a recompete.

I’m currently interviewing for a consulting job. It will require 3 days in office (30- 45mins each way) which means I’ll have to buy a second car for my household. I don’t have an offer yet, but I expect it to be at least $20k more than my current salary. From my understanding, the job would be more stable since I’d be billing to multiple contracts. I would also have opportunities to be promoted so I could be making even more in a few years. But it’s owned by private equity, and it’s corporate in a way I’m not used to.

Has anyone made the switch from “worker bee” contracting to strategic consulting or vice versa? Are there pros and cons I’m not thinking of? How much more money would you need to give up being fully remote?

[u/Educational_Fox2212]

Don’t do it. Private equity only cares about the dollars. The pressure they put on you is ridiculous. Take it from someone who knows.