Tempo

The griping on this forum over basic supply and demand economics never ceases to amaze me. No one owes you sex for a price only you think is fair. That's up to the person selling their body to decide. Take it or leave it and move on. It's not greed to set a price one can command on the market. Anything less is charity, which is one thing this business isn't.

Oh no! This topic again. He can charge whatever he thinks he’s worth. It’s entirely up to him and his definition of his value. You don’t have to pay it. You might want to hire him but if you don’t want to pay his rate too bad! You can’t afford him. Buy a cheaper guy and see how good he is. 
If you think it’s an easy overpaid job why not set up yourself? See how easy it is. What price would you put on yourself for an hour of doing escort work (don’t forget to add in all the hidden costs - time spent trying to look good, being available 24/7, handling time wasters, advertising, paying for the benefits that employees get as part of their job, taking risks with your sexual health….). Now his rate doesn’t seem so unreasonable does it…

If you have escorted before you probably know most of this stuff:
 
Guys who make that sort of money work their tails off. Lots of things that successful guys have to do on a regular basis may seem mundane, tedious, and unnecessary to the provider. These things often do not immediately pay off, and they take up a lot of your time. Some of these might be:
1. Polite and timely communication with a client or potential client. Do you respond to texts or emails in a timely manner, and with courtesy and friendliness, regardless of how the client may be communicating with you?
2. Being the highest priced guy in your market. Every time I see an ad with the phrase (and similar) "Upscale clients only," it makes me cringe.
3. Advertise. A lot. Get your name, FACE, and best characteristics on as many platforms you can find.
3.  Get used to the fact that you are going to be criticized; often times unjustly. You are providing a fantasy experience. No matter how hard you try, there will be some who will take potshots against you because the experience did not meet the clients expectation of the fantasy. 
4.  Clients will cancel on you. A lot. Clients will schedule a time and then back out. There are a hundred reasons why a client might cancel. Ran out of money; got too nervous to go through with the appointment; something came up; client decided he really wasn't up for a session at the last minute. And on and  on.
Much of this you probably already know. In answer to your actual question, "what might a reasonably successful independent provider realistically expect to net per year in the current environment? If you work all the time and dedicate yourself to (within reason) the old saying "The customer is always right," an income of high five figures or low six figure income is not totally out of the question. Unfortunately:
1.  The economy is a mess right now. Many clients are hiring less frequently  than they used to. Which for many of us creates fewer discretionary dollars.
2.  You are older now than you used to be. Experience is a great thing to have. I bet you're heavenly in bed. But many guys prefer than young dude, who, in my experience, often disappoints in the sack due to the lack of said experience. 
3.  If you will travel for work your expenses wiil eat you alive. Hard to believe how expensive everything is now.
4. Broadly and generally speaking, people are pissed off these days. Lots of reasons why; we all know them. I think it's harder now than it was ten years ago to create the fantasy potential clients are looking for. 
Anyway these are the things which popped into my brain then out onto this page at the beginning of another lovely day in Dallas. I'm sure other clients, wiser and more experienced than am I, can give you better feedback. But the subject was interesting. Thanks for posing the question and Good Luck.

I've been told something about me (personality, my face) makes it easy for people to talk to me. Some of the stuff I've heard is tragic and some of it the most uplifting.

Like the previous posters have mentioned, I have been told/asked a number of things by providers that isn't something necessarily part of a hiring session. Like about some of the horrible encounters or general bad behavior by clients, but also the positive stuff as well. Even shown awful messages from potential clients who never intended to hire the provider in the first place. I have had providers talk about their significant others (both good and bad)... their families... and other struggles or highlights they might have. I've even had providers trying to get me to hire their SO's. One even offered to bring his SO along for free, at no additional charge, because he trusted me. (His words not mine. I didn't take him up on the offer though.) I've heard it all.
Do I feel guilty in any way? Absolutely not. For one, I'm used to people spilling their guts to me... whether I know them well or not. However, if someone I know and like/love does it, to me it's a sign of the trust they have in me. I see it as a honor in some ways. They put their emotional trust in me which more often than not, as @Nue2thegame stated, the "relationship was strengthened". It is why I think over the years a number of the guys who have retired from providing I still talk to or see on some level.
If you feel guilty in some way because how bad other clients have treated the provider. That I understand and I sympathize. It is and can be a very tough business for provider and client alike.

Yes, I’ve had conversations like this with providers. Just as we’ve learned to look for red flags from blogs like this or trial and error, successful providers must do the same. The conversations that I recall were mutually beneficial with shared perspectives and advice. Rather than feeling guilty, I felt that the relationship was strengthened and we both (or at least me) had a richer experience. 

This is where places like Mexico City shine.  Nearly every gay bar there has a back/dark room.
The States have whitewashed their gay bars to a point of being completely milquetoast. 

Drugs and escorting.
What can possibly go wrong?