I define market rate to be the best rate that somebody will pay for your talent (minus Faustian outliers). "Above-market rate" is an oxymoron. If someone is of

I define market rate to be the best rate that somebody will pay for your talent (minus Faustian outliers). "Above-market rate" is an oxymoron. If someone is offering to pay you above the prevailing best rate then obviously you're going to sell to that buyer and it becomes the new market rate.