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There is a huge difference between companies where software is the product (Google, Microsoft, Silicon Valley startups), and companies where software supports a

There is a huge difference between companies where software is the product (Google, Microsoft, Silicon Valley startups), and companies where software supports a business that has nothing to do with software (most IT jobs). When software is the product, you tend to consider your software developers as money makers and pay them better. When you think of your engineers as a necessary evil to sell other stuff, you tend to pay them as little as possible. Europe is full of the second scenario. That's the problem.

devonkim 11y ago
The majority of the world's software is the second case. It just so happens we have a lot of software product and services companies in the US. Also, just because you're a technology vendor doesn't mean that you'll treat your software developers well. There's tons of really mediocre software companies (large ones, even) that outsource developers constantly and shower sales with massive bonuses because they've failed to make a good business being good at technology, so they become a sales-oriented culture. This tends to happen at the majority of large (10k+ employee) software companies across the Fortune 500. Technology itself is a business few are actually capable of doing well in, most just mark up crap for other businesses and deliver "value" in areas that have nothing to do with good engineers of any sort.