Don't assume that just because a provider can make 300 plus an hour, that she is doing that on a regular basis. The fact is, many providers don't even have health insurance and are actually on govt. assistance, which I find to be a bit off putting if they are stealing money from people who really need it. If THEY need it, fine, but many want to drive around in an Escalade and then collect food stamps because they don't pay taxes.
There is no one answer to your question....doing well in the south is not doing well in NYC. I only need about 4-5k a month to do crazy well. 2-3k a month, still pays all of my bills. For me, 'doing well' is 3-4 clients a month, every month with no cancelatiions. For others, doing well is a new pair of Loubis every damn week and renting vs. paying a mortgage. Can't really answer your question, but to say without another income, no, I could not live on providing alone. Well, I could 'live' but not 'super comfortably. I don't even have a damn car note either...never have. I have health insurance, car insurance, a mortgage being paid off my the couple that I am leasing to in Nola, rent in Destin, private school for one child, credit card payments, student loan payments, internet, cell phone, food, gas, cigs, etc. My advertising costs for London are less than 100 a month, and I use incalls vs. hotels but there is still a cost. Once I fully quit smoking and only vape, I will save 150 a month on that.
So, I do not live the way I did back in 05-06 when I was on the madame side vs the provider side. We were going out to dinner like 3 nights a week and the average bill was 3-400 for 4 of us, vacations where we did not hobby once a month, shopping sprees, drugs, dare I say it lol. We were crazy spending all the time, because it was so new to us, and the economy was booming. Agencies back then, were seeing over 100 clients a week with not enough girls to see them...we could not keep up with the volume of calls in those days.
So, if you are asking if that has changed, then I can say. ..yes it has, but I think it's a variety of factors not just the economy. Many girls were at 300 back then who are now at 500 or above, so of course the volume is going to decrease...that is the point of raising rates in the first place.