BIlling Rates: US contractors

Hello,

Currently I'm a full-time employee, but I am considering returning to
contracting and am wondering what sort of hourly rates are seen these
days. OO middle-tier programmer and designer (Java, .NET, SQL, etc), 6+
years of experience..

By the looks of it, many contracts are listed by a staffing company (or
"preferred vendor"). They bill a Mystery Number (tm), hire you as W2,
and pay an hourly rate. No benefits, etc.

I realize rates vary regionally, but I'm curious how it goes in parts
of the country.


Thanks!

.