I would not recommend Artech unless you are out of work and they actually get you an interview. You are payed way under what you deserve. After some time working for them I had generally asked for an increase in pay. Not a set amount, but just some notes about how much the positions is worth out there in the ' real ' world. I also included the fact that I had only one off day in six months, and almost 10 years in the area of expertise, degrees, certs, skills, etc... My response was that i should report to Artech if i am taking a day off. REALLY! I have not seen a company micromanage like that. As an approved contractor for IBM, they are more concerned with exploiting Americans in my opinion. IF you get a call from them, and you know its an IBM job ( i don't recommend working for IBM as they are pretty much a joke too ) . I suggest you just run right to TEK SYSTEMS they from my experience will pay you what you are worth. TEK Systems is an IBM approved contractor as well.
I then received an email about how Artech is now a 300 Million dollar company! I know now how they got that way! By exploiting hard working Americans.
Needless to say this did not end here. I decided to reach out to my hiring manager a few months later , needless to say he was not there anymore. I included the fact that I am on call 24x7 which was NOT stated in the original job description as well as my tenure in the field, degrees, and certs. I got the response of how they would consider it in a few months. That was pretty much the end of it. The fact that they would only consider it is pretty much stating a no it will never happen.
The typical pay in which a contractor gets paid is typically 50% of what the firm gets paid. I suspect this is less than 50% with Artech.
I found another job a few months after this for a mere $1/hr more, and this is a contract to hire position that started in a week or so as of this writing. ITS SO SAD THAT I HAD TO LOOK FOR NEW EMPLOYMENT B/C ARTECH WAS TOO STUBBORN TO BARF UP MORE MONEY FROM THE $30/hr THEY WERE GETTING PAID.!