I know, that's why I said I can't figure out why places would be willing to pay me the equivalent rate of $100k as a subcontractor, but only $50k as an employee. It's very obviously better for me as a subcontractor.
At many large corporations, the contractor budget is a different line item than the employee budget. So, it's easier to allocate money temporarily for a contractor, than for an employee where it's considered a recurring expense.
Another issue is that it's embarrassing to pay a low-ranking programmer employee more than a manager in a non-technical division. That messes up the corporate hierarchy.
