Value yourself and your time (Score 1)

I began doing contract work about a year ago when I met a retired millionaire who told me not to let people take advantage of me. Think about it on a Cost Accounting basis. I was making my previous company $120/hr and I was being paid 10% of that or $12/hr. I asked for a raise and they wouldn't budge (even w/ a MCP and CCNA I was making $12/hr for Christ Sake). So I began to work for myself and started bringing in $600/wk and I was able to take full time classes again. So I approached my employeer and told him that I was making more on my own and that I would be leaving so he offered me a counter-offer against myself for $35/hr. What it boils down to is that when your boss is threatened he will do everything in his power to appear the better bargainer because he wants to have the cards in his hand. When you approach him in this situation, you have all the cards because you lose nothing and gain everything. So your boss gives up a little ( and in most cases very little compared to what they make) to bring you back on and put you under their control. At that point you become another asset that's cost benefit is lowered. Your value to the company decreases unless (as another /. user noted you take on more responsibility). It would probably be best for you to move on to a new job and leave things as they are with your current company. That way you gain more control over your career instead of "waiting for the other shoe to drop".