1099WORK

1099 Real Estate Agent Jobs in Lawrence, KS

Pay, market size and contractor rates for independent real estate sales agents across the Lawrence, KS area.

Real Estate Agents employed
40

BLS OEWS, May 2024

Metro population
122,000

Census, 2024

1099 Real Estate Agent Jobs in Lawrence, KS sits inside the wider 1099 economy, and most of the confusion around it comes down to the difference between gross contract value and what actually lands in your account. This page answers those with published data rather than generalities, for Lawrence specifically.

Market size and concentration in Lawrence

Lawrence, KS employs 40 real estate sales agents. That figure counts every employment arrangement, W-2 and 1099 alike — BLS does not split the two. Applying 1099WORK's estimate that roughly 85% of real estate sales agents work on a 1099 basis puts the independent share near 34 people. Treat that as an order of magnitude, not a census. By headcount the market ranks 244th of the 265 metro areas where BLS publishes a figure for this occupation.

The location quotient is 0.62 — real estate sales agents are 38% less concentrated here than in the average US market. That thins the employer pool, but it also thins the competition for the contracts that do exist. The metro's population is 122,000, roughly flat since 2020.

A thin concentration cuts both ways: fewer employers and longer sales cycles, but far less competition once you have a relationship.

Nearby markets for real estate sales agents

Contractors are not bound by a metro line the way a commuting employee is, and the neighbouring markets often price the same work differently. Within reach of Lawrence:

Real Estate Agent employment and median pay in nearby metros
MetroEmployedMedian annual
Kansas City1,130$47,600
Wichita290
Topeka50$36,690
Manhattan90$35,890

What the tax side looks like in Lawrence

Nothing is withheld from a 1099 payment. You pay self-employment tax at 15.3% on 92.35% of net profit, plus income tax, in four estimated payments a year. Kansas adds its own income tax and its own estimated-payment schedule on top.

One thing to get right first

Labelling an engagement 1099 does not make it 1099 — the IRS weighs who controls the work, who supplies the tools and who carries the risk. For real estate sales agents the usual flashpoints are set schedules, employer-supplied equipment and exclusivity clauses. Kansas also applies its own test, which can reach a different answer than the IRS does on identical facts.

Where the 1099 work is in Lawrence

Across the 81 occupations 1099WORK tracks, Lawrence, KS has an estimated 5,076 people working on a 1099 basis, out of 15,450 employed in those occupations altogether. The concentration is uneven: secretaries and administrative assistants, customer service representatives, and bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks account for a disproportionate share, because those trades are structurally independent rather than incidentally so. The 1099 estimates below apply 1099WORK's per-occupation contractor share to BLS employment — they are estimates, and BLS itself does not publish the split.

Occupations with the largest estimated 1099 workforce in Lawrence, KS
OccupationTotal employedEst. 1099Median pay1099 rate to match
Virtual Assistant1,100495$40,010$32.07/hr
Customer Service Rep1,570314$37,380$29.96/hr
Bookkeeper700245$46,920$37.61/hr
Personal Trainer370241$36,360$29.15/hr
Cleaner580203$31,760$25.46/hr
Registered Nurse790198$79,510$63.73/hr
Handyman460184$46,780$37.50/hr
Home Health Aide560168$26,000$20.84/hr
Truck Driver440154$54,190$43.44/hr
Landscaper380152$37,200$29.82/hr
Delivery Driver310140$39,200$31.42/hr
Childcare Provider290131$28,860$23.13/hr

Where the money is in Lawrence

Software Developer leads on median pay in Lawrence at $104,260, with the top decile at $168,540. The table below is filtered to occupations where independent work is genuinely common — a high median in an occupation that is 95% W-2 is not an opportunity. Remember that every figure is a W-2-and-1099 blend: to match them as a contractor, multiply by roughly 1.33 for payroll tax, unpaid time and self-funded benefits.

Highest-paying 1099-friendly occupations in Lawrence, KS
OccupationMedian pay90th percentileEst. 1099 share
Software Developer$104,260$168,54030%
Recruiter$79,950$112,26030%
Sales Rep$71,430$124,74035%
Marketing Specialist$61,730$104,76030%
Truck Driver$54,190$74,89035%
Carpenter$53,430$77,53045%
Bookkeeper$46,920$62,49035%
Handyman$46,780$65,71040%
Construction Laborer$46,110$63,01035%
Virtual Assistant$40,010$51,57045%

1099WORK, briefly

1099WORK is a marketplace built for 1099 engagements specifically: companies post a defined scope, real estate sales agents keep one verified profile, and agreements, onboarding and payment happen in the same place. It launched as 1099REPS for independent medical sales reps and now covers the wider 1099 economy, Lawrence included.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need an LLC to work 1099 in Lawrence?

No. A sole proprietor can accept 1099 work under their own name and Social Security number, and many contractors start that way. An LLC adds liability separation and lets you elect S-corp taxation once profit is high enough for the payroll-tax saving to beat the extra filing cost. Kansas sets its own formation fee and annual report requirements.

Is 1099 work better than a W-2 job in Lawrence?

It depends entirely on rate and stability. 1099 wins on control, deductibility and upside; W-2 wins on predictability, benefits and unemployment cover.

How often do 1099 contractors pay taxes in Lawrence?

Quarterly. The IRS expects estimated payments in mid-April, mid-June, mid-September and mid-January, and charges an underpayment penalty for missing them even if you pay in full at filing. Kansas runs its own estimated-payment schedule alongside the federal one.

How many real estate sales agents work in Lawrence?

BLS counts 40 real estate sales agents in Lawrence. 1099WORK estimates roughly 34 of them work on a 1099 basis, though BLS does not publish that split. That is 244th of 265 US metro areas.

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