Must have Java/J2EE technologies

The area of Information technology is very dynamic. New technologies are evolving fast.
Just being a Java/J2EE developer may not be enough given current market demand conditions.
New open source technologies and frameworks like Hybernate, Spring, AJAX, Velocity and other
are becoming high priority items. The question is what technologies are the fastest growing and becoming mandatory for Java/J2EE developers.

Most profitable industry for JAVA/J2EE developers

The central question here is what is the hottest industry to be in as a Java/J2EE developer or Software Engineer in general. There are some industries that are more stable than others, however salaries and rates for software engineers in those industries are low too and have small growth potential. At the same time there are industries like Investment Banking where profit to total number of employees ratio is very favorable and people get great bonuses on full-time bases and high rates on contract bases.

Interviewing Java/J2EE developers

Very often it takes 4-5 people to find the right candidate to fill the job.
I am interested to hear how time consuming is this process in your project. Some may argue that it is easy to find a Java/J2EE developer while others may argue the opposite.

W2 Contract Rate for Sr Java/J2EE specialist

The .com times are over. However market demand for Java/J2EE specialists is going up again.
The rates for Senior Java/J2EE contractors are slowly going up too. From my experience the going W2 contract rates for senior resources (5+ years) in Boston area range from $55/hr to $75/hr (assuming no benefits are provided by the Agency). Higher rates are rare. Would be interested to hear some feedback on this from other developers, agency members and/or HR.