Scott,
Did you even read the link you included? From the first line: Employer costs for employee compensation averaged $30.80 per hour worked in September 2012, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today.
Look the guy has a specialized degree and works in a special field I get it, he’ll get paid more. But the numbers being tossed around don’t line up with either the coroflot survey results, or the BLS report you linked to. The advice being given in this thread is bad because it seems largely unsubstantiated.
Maybe I’m a little more conservative with my money that you guys. Even websites like glassdoor don’t jive with the numbers you all are mentioning especially given the ‘rural midwest’ qualifier.