Balancing professional obligations with personal life domains has emerged as a defining challenge for the modern workforce, with profound implications for individual wellness, organizational effectiveness, and broader societal outcomes. While extensive scholarship has examined work-life equilibrium among salaried employees, the experiences of self-employed workers remain substantially underexplored, particularly within developing nation contexts. This comparative empirical study examines differences in work-life balance between self-employed and traditionally employed workers in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. Through a cross-sectional survey methodology, primary data were obtained from 120 participants equally distributed between self-employed (n=60) and traditionally employed (n=60) categories via structured questionnaires. Statistical analysis employed descriptive techniques and chi-square independence tests to evaluate associations between employment classification and work-life balance parameters. Results demonstrate statistically significant disparities across eight distinct dimensions. Self-employed participants exhibit markedly superior schedule flexibility (66.70% very flexible versus 16.70%; χ²=30.49, p<0.001, Cramer's V=0.504) and substantially elevated work autonomy (75.00% high autonomy versus 25.00%; χ²=34.49, p<0.001, Cramer's V=0.536). Additionally, self-employed respondents demonstrate reduced work-life conflict incidence (16.70% frequent versus 41.70%; χ²=14.19, p=0.003), superior boundary management (58.30% clear boundaries versus 25.00%; χ²=16.29, p=0.001), diminished stress levels (25.00% high stress versus 50.00%; χ²=10.49, p=0.015), enhanced leisure time access (50.00% sufficient versus 25.00%), stronger perceived social support (66.70% strong versus 41.70%; χ²=12.19, p=0.016), and greater overall satisfaction (58.30% very satisfied versus 33.30%; χ²=10.29, p=0.036). Findings illuminate how employment structural characteristics fundamentally shape work-life balance attainment, with self-employment configurations offering autonomy and flexibility advantages conducive to equilibrium achievement. Implications span organizational policy formulation, entrepreneurship ecosystem development, and employment arrangement innovation.