I'm not sure it is. When someone asks for a large, but reasonable rate, like $75 or $100 an hour, you generally know that they're good at what they do, and that they're worth the cost.

There's kind of a sweet spot in there- less than $35 an hour, you know they're amateur and you feel like you're getting substandard service. Much more than $100 an hour and you know you're getting fleeced.