1. Yes under 20. I started when I was 17, partially spending the time in my Compsi vocational class doing client work I had found on odesk(now upwork).

2. First couple jobs I probably worked below minimum wage. Lots of foreign competition on odesk that is hard to compete with no reputation. By the end I was making 35/hr in an area where you can mortgage a house for $350/mo (why did I move to the bay area again?? :))

3. Yes they get easier to get. Part of my pitch was I get things done right which people liked.

Edit - another fun fact about odesk. My first office job in the bay area was literally across the sidewalk from them. I spent three years getting work through there, moved 3000 miles, and ended up across the street from their office. Neat right?

I started contracting around 20 too. Having had internships with big Silicon Valley names helped.