[skowmunk]

I having been working with a contractor for a while who does website development for me. He is based in India. On one of our discussions he said he makes around Rs. 18 - 20 lakhs per year. That would equate to about $40,000 per year. It took him around 2 - 3 years to reach that position and he was a school teacher before that. I am sure, his intelligence, hardwork and professionalism played a good part in his growth. Now, almost all his revenues come from Odesk and Elance from customers outside India, though he started off on small projects in India.

I am assuming you have completed your undergrad in CS or a related field. You should be able to grow faster if you give it a serious try. It can also allow you to add practical skills while getting paid and when you are waiting for your big idea to come up.

Good luck.