My market value is $10-15k/mo USD for just myself (sometimes more if I'm needed in an emergency). If you have a proven track record with a solid reputation you can command that sort of pay without an issue. I also bring a lot of general web development capability to the table, so selling on an easy-to-use interface also does a lot to add to my value.

If you think about it - $35-40k for a 2-3 month dev timeline (which is what I'd say is my average) is worth it if you're cutting the salaries of 5+ people out of the equation, no need to pull out an Excel spreadsheet for the ROI that. All-in-all - you're not crazy, they're the ones who are crazy if they continue to sink money into human robots.

> Charging for value can sometimes feel exorbitant

Just get confident (this is hard advice I know). I'm incredibly confident in the problems I can solve and will put in the hours to get back on a timeline/budget if needed. Businesses aren't buying my "products" per-say, they're buying me.