You have to remember that tax regimes are different in different places. In the UK I’ve been on about $120 an hour, equivalent after tax to a salary of about $200k, and your health care is already paid.

Comparatively it seems like contractors in the USA get punished by the tax system.

1. Tax matters 2. COL matters 3. AUD-USD conversions aren't that straightfoward when discussing this.

$1200 a day puts you into the top few percent of salaries here in Australia. I don't really care what a "brisbane sized city in the states" might be doing, because moving there means I have to live in a country that I'm not a good fit for culturally.