Striking out on your own can result in much more income than holding a steady job with steady pay, but many entrepreneurs won’t enjoy that premium, according to a recent study from the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis .
In an analysis of tax and income data from 2000 to 2015, the study found the average entrepreneur made $27,000 annually (in 2012 dollars) at age 25—slightly less than the $29,000 for a paid employee at the same age.
But those workers soon switched places, and by age 30 entrepreneurs made $55,000 versus $45,000 for paycheck workers, or 22% more.
As they got older, the average income gap between them widened, and by age 55 the self-employed made 70% more: $134,000 versus $79,000 a year.
The study also noted that entrepreneurs often have other sources of income when s