There are an awful lot of Americans employed in various fields involving software development, and of which the educational requirements range from being essentially self taught, to doctorate degrees. While, it's somewhat audacious to say that the very best software developers in the world are located in the United States, it is fair to say, that the compensation for those employed in America in the software field are as competitive and as lucrative as any other country so does provide.
The thing about software development, is though it does require tools and training, is that the output so generated from the software developer, is primarily done on some sort of computer, and that output often does not necessarily have to be done within the same building as other employees that are also working on the same sort of endeavor and work plan. Not only that, people in the software field, are notorious for working odd hours, and performing their work in just about any environment in which they are able to access the software needed to utilize their tools to perform their job, whether that be in their basement, in an airport, overseas, a cubicle, or a conference room.
America pays very well for those that are in the software field, in which the tools necessary to become a software developer are not exclusive to America, alone. Because America is the world's largest economy, known for its innovation and corporate strength; there are therefore obvious advantages for anyone deciding to work on behalf of American international corporations, as opposed to alternatives that might have merit, but simply don't have the resources, depth, and throughput that the American corporate world is known for.
Not too surprisingly, the most English speaking people in the world are located in America. What is surprising, is that the country with the second most English speaking people isn't a country such as Great Britain, which ranks a mere sixth in the world, but actually, in order, are India, Pakistan, Nigeria, and the Philippines. The Philippines are an especially interesting case as they are a country that is ostensibly an independent nation, but in actuality are beholden and dependent upon the United States economically and politically. In addition, as reported by bbc.com it is believe that the estimated amount of English speaking people in India is: "125 million people, second only to the US and expected to quadruple in the next decade."
The cost of living in India as well as in the Philippines in conjunction with the salaries paid for comparable software development personnel are a fraction of the salaries so paid in America. This would signify, that in an era in which corporations are all about making their earnings and reducing their costs, that more and more corporations, to the best of their ability, for competitive reasons alone, will look not so much to import foreign talent into America, but rather to outsource software development of all sorts to countries such as India and the Philippines, especially if they are able to successfully administer such work by putting together competent teams that coordinate well with the home office and its goals.
This is a world that is becoming more and more digital in its technology, and America is a high cost state, with a high cost of education, in addition to having a work force that too often believes that they are entitled; never seeming to recognize that in a thoroughly connected world, someone else, located somewhere else, at a cheaper price point, that is motivated, dedicated, and engaged, is now a very viable option.