Pros
Flexibility, flexibility, flexibility. Also, access. Access to interesting people, interesting places and bathrooms in federal buildings. I also enjoy the days when I get home in the afternoon, change into sweatpants and procrastinate on work while watching Netflix marathons with my spouse. So, again, flexibility.
Cons
Diminishing pay. In 2015, the contractors were motivated by several incentive programs that gave us the opportunity to make a living wage. Apparently, the results of paying the contract investigators a reasonable amount of money was not overly beneficial for the company, so we have been told that incentive programs are never going to happen again. This is a shame, because the current rates are really hard to survive on if you are in a higher cost of living area and/or have to pay for your own health insurance. And, despite not paying investigators in more expensive area more than investigators in less expensive areas, I have been reminded that i was hired specifically to cover a major metropolis. There is an overabundance of work in my area, and when I attempt to do TDY for an incentive in another area, I am told that I can not abandon my area. So, they really need me here, but I cannot afford to live here. Quite the dilemma.