Money is not there with smallish clients. You should work for F500 companies as a C2C contractor. In the silicon valley, most jobs tend to be contract to hire. It is common to see 6 to 12 months contract gigs in the vallet. Wheras on the east coast, long term contracts (like 3 years) is very common.
If you are in the valley, GE San Ramon is hiring lots of big data guys. I know via an external recruiter that some big data architects are making $135 per hour C2C. Sure, they may ask you to become full time; however, if you talk to the hiring managers, they can keep extending the contract.
Here is how you shud do:
1. Stop working on 1099/W2 contracting crap
2. Do C2C with the primary vendors, which requires Incorporation docs, tax-id and $400 Insurance per year from that techinsurance
3. Some companies dont like subcontracting. So, primary vendors want you on W2, and you simply say No to those primary vendors.
4. Some vendors, even if the client insists on W2 subcontracting, are happy to give you C2C, by telling the client that you are on W2.
5. Yes, feel the market for rates. You can easily charge $125 per her C2C in the valley with all big data drama: kafka, camus, java, etc.