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> If you are a US citizen software developer and ever wondered why you are not able to earn more money you can thank the special interests that flung the doors

> If you are a US citizen software developer and ever wondered why you are not able to earn more money you can thank the special interests that flung the doors open with the H1B program to reduce worker costs. You would be right if most startups were not already hiring mostly remote engineers from LATAM. If you can't compete against H1Bs (mostly Indian outsourcing companies) as a US based software engineer, you definitely can't compete against LATAM remote engineers with 10 yrs of experience and costs $100k all in (no payroll taxes, no benefits). The real difference between someone who resides physically in the US vs a remote worker is that the person physically in the US: - pays taxes - raises families - starts companies

lgleason 3y ago
If remote LATAM is that much of a game changer then we should see US software salaries continue to go down and a salary equalization that ends up being much lower than the current US market rates.
- aiisahik 3y ago
  It's hard to measure the actual impact of LATAM remote or other types remote on US salaries. It is possible that if US companies didn't have the ability to hire remote engineers, the US salary would be 2x as much. The US hires a HUGE number of remote foreign engineers - it's just not reported in labor statistics. Your original comment suggested the H1B folks actually push down US salaries. If that is true, then LATAM workers who work US hours should also apply a downward pressure on US salaries. My company hires like 30 LATAM engineers, 10 US engineers and 0 H1Bs. We simply will not hire junior US engineers - completely idiotic use of capital. However we will pay 300k for a staff / principle US based engineer. That engineer will lead a team of 5 LATAM engineers and level them up. This model is going to have a downward pressure on US based salaries if enough companies adopt it.

lgleason 3y ago

If remote LATAM is that much of a game changer then we should see US software salaries continue to go down and a salary equalization that ends up being much lower than the current US market rates.

aiisahik 3y ago
It's hard to measure the actual impact of LATAM remote or other types remote on US salaries. It is possible that if US companies didn't have the ability to hire remote engineers, the US salary would be 2x as much. The US hires a HUGE number of remote foreign engineers - it's just not reported in labor statistics. Your original comment suggested the H1B folks actually push down US salaries. If that is true, then LATAM workers who work US hours should also apply a downward pressure on US salaries. My company hires like 30 LATAM engineers, 10 US engineers and 0 H1Bs. We simply will not hire junior US engineers - completely idiotic use of capital. However we will pay 300k for a staff / principle US based engineer. That engineer will lead a team of 5 LATAM engineers and level them up. This model is going to have a downward pressure on US based salaries if enough companies adopt it.