As someone who lived on contract work for 5 years the "quadrupling of income" isn't a reasonable metric. Invariably your wage gets diluted. At salaried position

As someone who lived on contract work for 5 years the "quadrupling of income" isn't a reasonable metric. Invariably your wage gets diluted. At salaried positions you don't have to deal with: - Clients who pay late - Clients who don't want to pay - Clients who disappear with a large, unpaid bill - Finding clients (ideally ones who don't need cajoling to pay on time) - Self-employment taxes and managing expenses for deductions - Providing your own health coverage and managing the benefits one would get at a full-time position - Being your own safety net during periods of no work - Legal exposure