"No benefits" on a remote US GTM or sales role usually means you will not get a US employer health plan, a 401k match, or paid time off the way a direct US employee gets it. It does not automatically mean nothing. If you are hired through an Employer of Record (EOR) based in India, you are legally an Indian employee, so Indian statutory leave, gratuity, and provident fund still apply by law even though your paycheck comes from a US company's budget. If you are a straight independent contractor, you get only what is written into your contract, which is exactly why you should negotiate a rate that accounts for the roughly $14,000 to $18,500 a year a US employer actually spends on an employee's health coverage alone, plus a written number of paid days off, rather than accepting "we don't do benefits" as the end of the conversation.
Job offers for remote US GTM and sales roles are increasingly explicit that the role comes with "no benefits," usually because you are being hired as a contractor or through an intermediary rather than as a direct US employee. Candidates often read that as a flat loss with nothing to negotiate. It is not. This guide breaks down what a typical US benefits package is actually worth, what you keep automatically depending on how you are hired, and what to put back on the table instead.
What does "no benefits" actually mean for a remote US contractor role?
It means you will not get a US employer health plan, a 401k match, or guaranteed paid time off by default. It does not mean nothing at all. What you actually keep depends entirely on the hiring structure: a true independent contractor gets only what the contract states in writing, while a hire made through an India-based Employer of Record is a legal Indian employee and keeps India's statutory leave, gratuity, and provident fund regardless of what the US company offers on top.
How much is a US employee's benefits package actually worth?
More than most candidates assume. Aon's 2026 figures put the average US employer's health-plan spend at roughly $14,400 per employee, with total plan cost (employer plus employee share) closer to $17,500 to $18,500 depending on whether you use Aon's or Mercer's methodology. On top of that, BLS data shows US private-sector employees average about 11 paid vacation days after one year of service plus roughly 6 to 8 paid holidays. Put together, a standard US benefits package is easily worth $15,000 to $20,000 a year once health coverage and paid days off are counted.
| Component | Typical US employee value (2026) | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Employer health-plan contribution | ~$14,400/year (employer share) | Aon 2026 health survey |
| Total health plan cost | $17,500 to $18,500/year | Mercer / Aon 2026 surveys |
| Paid vacation days | ~11 days after 1 year of service | US Bureau of Labor Statistics |
| Paid holidays | 6 to 8 days/year (median ~6) | Industry PTO surveys |
Does hiring through an EOR change this for an India-based hire?
Yes, and the distinction matters more than most offer letters make clear. An EOR hire's legal employer is an Indian entity, so Indian leave, maternity, gratuity, and provident fund rules apply in full by law: commonly 26 weeks of paid maternity leave under the Maternity Benefit Act (subject to a minimum prior work history), earned and casual leave set by the relevant state's Shops and Establishments Act, and a gratuity payout after five years of continuous service. A straight 1099-style independent contractor gets none of that automatically, because Indian employment law does not cover a genuine contractor relationship with a foreign client; everything has to be negotiated into the contract itself.
Ask this directly before you sign: "Am I being engaged as an independent contractor, or through an Employer of Record?" The answer changes which statutory protections apply to you automatically, and it is a fair, normal question at the offer stage, not a red flag to raise it.
What should you negotiate instead of a US benefits package?
Four concrete things, not a vague request for "more money." Build your target rate from the ground up: take the base pay a comparable US W-2 role would offer, add a line for the roughly $15,000 to $20,000 a year of health coverage and paid days off that role would have included, and present your rate as that combined number rather than hoping the client volunteers it. Then negotiate a specific number of paid days off written directly into the contract, even though you are technically not an employee; a monthly stipend for internet, a home office setup, or health insurance; and clear notice-period and termination terms, so an abrupt end to the engagement does not also mean zero income with zero warning.
- Rate premium that explicitly accounts for the missing health coverage and PTO value, not a round-number guess.
- Paid days off in writing, with a specific number, even on a contractor agreement.
- A monthly stipend for internet, equipment, or a health plan, especially if the base rate was set before this came up.
- Notice period and termination terms, so the engagement cannot end with zero warning and zero income.
What are the most common mistakes candidates make around this?
Three show up repeatedly. Assuming "contractor" and "EOR" are interchangeable, when only an EOR hire keeps India's statutory leave and gratuity by law. Accepting "no benefits" as a closed topic instead of a number to negotiate into the rate itself. And agreeing to pay without ever asking how many paid days off, if any, come with the role, then discovering mid-year that there are none written anywhere.
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What does "no benefits" actually mean for a remote US contractor role?
It means you will not get a US employer health plan, a 401k match, or paid time off in the way a direct US employee gets it by default. It does not automatically mean nothing at all. What you actually keep depends on how you are hired: as a straight independent contractor you get only what your contract states in writing; hired through an Employer of Record (EOR) based in India, you are legally an Indian employee and keep India's statutory leave, gratuity, and provident fund by law, even though the company paying you is in the US.
How much is a US employee's benefits package actually worth?
US employers paid an average of roughly $14,400 per employee toward health coverage in 2026 (Aon), with total plan cost closer to $17,500 to $18,500 depending on the survey (Mercer, Aon). On top of that, US private-sector employees average about 11 paid vacation days after one year plus roughly 6 to 8 paid holidays, so a realistic all-in value of a standard US benefits package is well over $15,000 a year once health coverage and paid days off are combined.
Does hiring through an EOR change this for an India-based hire?
Yes. An EOR hire's legal employer is an Indian entity, so Indian leave, maternity, gratuity, and provident fund rules apply in full, by law, regardless of what the US company offers on top. A straight 1099-style independent contractor gets none of that automatically; everything has to be written into the contract itself, since no Indian employment law covers a true contractor relationship with a foreign client.
What should you negotiate instead of a US benefits package?
Four things: a rate built from the ground up to cover what a US employee's package would have cost (not a vague round number), a specific number of paid days off written into the contract even though you are not an employee, a monthly stipend for internet, equipment, or health coverage, and clear notice-period and termination terms so an abrupt end to the engagement does not also mean zero income with zero warning.
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