[krageon]

You are wrong about the average wages. If, as a software developer of middling experience levels (~3-5 years) and educational background (trashy uni or good trade-equivalent school), you do not make ~36k euro per year or more you are being swindled by your employer. That is already 42k USD. If you get to senior positions I have seen it get as high as you mentioned (and also much, much higher for select examples).

The amount you mentioned is what someone straight out of (middle) school with 0 experience would make in the field, and they could expect to have that increase to the mentioned middling wage after ~3 years of real work. That would put them at that wage at around 20-21 years old.