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How can I increase my hourly pay as a software developer?
It's a tough thing to do.  You should look for a salaried position.  Your freelance skills will be much better received, if you've worked for a couple of companies doing programming full time.  Nothing beats working at it all day long for a few years. If you're set on being freelance, write some utility that will be popular, and submit it to Freshmeat.net.  Now that's asking a lot.  Those on the Web looking for programmers will most likely want you to work for 'sweat equity'.  That is, a share in the company for you labour.  In other words "FREE".  I've done my share of those, and if you're just getting into this, you should steer away from them.  You may hit the jackpot, but you won't sleep for the next few years ;-)