[lsc]

The biggest difference is not in how the FTEs treat you; I've never had a contract gig where I was treated badly enough to really care. The big difference is the prestige. Getting a FTE job at one of the top tier silicon valley companies is like having a degree from a really prestigious college. People will talk to you about your next gig who wouldn't otherwise talk to you.

[scarface74]

I'm not in Silicon Valley, but I have been in a major metropolitan area for 20 years where jobs have always been easy to come by (with the exception of 2008-2011) and where stock options and bonuses aren't plentiful but wages are high enough for seasoned developers to allow you to easily buy a house in the 'burbs with good schools.