Raise your rates and concentrate on delivering value. First contract won't give you the best rate and you will most likely not be in a position to negotiate a

Raise your rates and concentrate on delivering value. First contract won't give you the best rate and you will most likely not be in a position to negotiate a great deal. But that does not mean you should not try! Negotiate, negotiate, negotiate. Delivering value is different than just doing your "job". Help the business and carry more than your weight. This can also mean questioning(in a polite and constructive way) what you are doing. If you can see that the problem could be solved in a better way, then speak up. Once you have shown your value, then you are in a better position to negotiate - so use it. The more you know a business the more you are worth to them. The more experience you have as a contractor the more you are worth to new clients. BUT as someone else also very wisely pointed out. It is a game of diminishing returns. By being a contractor you also somewhat step out of "normal" career advances. You can raise your prices up until a point, where without a doubt you can live a very, very comfortable life. But 10 years down the road you are not necessarily advanced to a higher position. Which can be fine, but you need to think about it of course.