[Iftheshoefits]

$62,000 per year ($30 USD/hr) is actually an average salary (and an excellent entry-level salary) in many places in the US for the kinds of development people who use oDesk and elance are looking for. Hell, on one of these threads some time ago somebody in the south bay area was gushing with pride about how he pays his developers "well" at around $90k/yr ($45 USD).

That aside, given the ease of access to information the internet age has brought, I think it's more likely that hourly rates and skill aren't as coupled to geography as you suggest. A skilled developer even in Eastern Europe, if he is at all aware of his own skill, is likely to charge as much as any western developer unless he's hopelessly ignorant or just plain desperate. The rest are as average or below-average as their rate indicates.