That's interesting to hear. I would have expected tech companies to come with more reasonable expectations/pay and better defined requirements. Best of luck to you and I hope things turn around soon.
The non-tech companies say "we have this problem we'd like solved". They aren't going to limit to market rates because your cost in their eyes is a percentage of the profit that results when you solve their problem.
When they look at your cost they look at it in terms of their business. When a tech company looks at your cost they compare it to the cheapest reliable person they can find on freelancing sites, typically between $30 and $50 per hour.