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Is it common to get a pay raise on a yearly basis if you work as a contractor (IT field)?

I am a newbie java developer with 2 year experience in the field, currently working for this client for 1 year. I am w2 employee through my recruiting firm and works for the end client as contractor(consultant). Couple of weeks ago I asked my recruiter for a pay raise, she said she would check with her boss and get back in 3 days. its been 2 weeks no response. I sent an email last week inquiring updates, but no response. Possibly she is out of office or they don't want to give raise and avoiding me. I like my job and plan to keep it for another 2 years if possible.(client is under manned, so there is certain job security though I am contractor.) So what if recruiting firm deny raise, should I threaten to find another job even though I dont want to or suck it up and move on. So again my question is "Am I eligible for a raise because its been an year and my value went up?" I called some other recruiters and they have openings $10/hour more than what I make now. But I haven't attended any interviews yet. Should I bring this up to my recruiting firm? Is there considerable salary difference between entry level and 1 year experienced developer? I had a 12 month contract and was renewed last month.

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Your question is rambling. Try to keep to one question at a time. – DJClayworth Feb 5 at 4:32
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closed as not a real question by jcmeloni, gnat, Monica Cellio, scaaahu, RhysW Feb 5 at 10:28

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1 Answer

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As a contractor, I'd think the time for raises is when you change employers or renew a contract with new terms. This may be more frequently than annual in a lot of cases though there may be other cases where one could have a contract that runs 18-24 months that doesn't have a raise in it.

You have to decide what kinds of terms do you have for working where you work. Also, don't forget to check your contract to see what are the terms should you decide to terminate early.

The difference between entry level and 1 year of experience will vary from locale to locale as some places may have few developers and thus that experience could make quite a bit of difference while in other areas there may be lots of developers wanting work and thus there isn't necessarily going to be the big difference.

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thanks for the response. – decent guy Feb 5 at 19:38

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