I am considering taking a contract software engineering role with a company I am excited about. We are in the final stages of the interview process, and they are pressuring me for a rate. When they first asked me for a rate, I asked whether they have a typical rate that they pay contractors and they said yes, "based on experience", but did not disclose the rate. I have no idea how they are intending to level me and am confused as to why they are asking me for my rate if they have a standard contractor rate. Would welcome any advice about how to proceed.
Edit: to clarify, I'd like help with how to ask them to tell me their usual contractor rate
The issue is that there is a very wide range of rates for a contract software engineer, not just based on level, but also based on where the company is located, how large they are, etc. etc. That is why I would like to at least get a sense of how they intend to level me and what their usual range is before giving a rate.