From my personal observations, I'd say the 2x number is BS anyway. Yeah, there might be a few contractors really raking it in. And I don't exactly sit around

From my personal observations, I'd say the 2x number is BS anyway. Yeah, there might be a few contractors really raking it in. And I don't exactly sit around comparing tax returns with my friends and acquaintances. But, I certainly get the impression that I'm making more as a FTE than most contractors around here. (To be fair, I'm also making more than most salaried employees as well.) The guys I know who contract never seem to have as much work as they want. They're always juggling a couple gigs to make ends meet. Their wives are constantly bugging them to just get a "real job" so they can pay the bills. So, I think the idea that you could quit your job and just step into contracting and double your pay is misleading.