People pay software engineers higher wages because of the risk of them leaving and taking all of their domain knowledge with them. Not because of their "cost of living", and not because of what's "fair". It's purely competitive & demand driven. What's happening in Ontario is that salaries have pretty much doubled for skilled software engineers due to remote demand. I work remotely for an American company, but they pay lower bands based on my Canadian location. I know this, because I keep a close eye on the market and speak to others.
Now, I'm currently interviewing for other American companies, who will not know how much my American employer is paying me, and therefore has no choice but to offer me an American-tier salary or risk not hiring me. In Canada, skilled negotiators will be able to increase their salaries to be more in line with their american counterparts. And as skilled negotiators double, triple their salaries, their peers will realize that it is quite possible.
Companies that hire remotely will either learn a hard lesson (losing the people with domain knowledge which makes their money printer spin), or increase the salaries of their employees to swim along the same band. Attrition due to competitive recruitment right now in Ontario is crazy. As the competition increases (due to more people hiring remotely), salaries will increase. And local companies will get squashed (I don't interview with Canadian companies anymore).
Furthermore, most skilled software developer resources have been already been exhausted in Canada, primarily due to brain drain. The only skilled devs left here are the ones who need to be here to stay close to family. The rest are in the States.
Now, I'm currently interviewing for other American companies, who will not know how much my American employer is paying me, and therefore has no choice but to offer me an American-tier salary or risk not hiring me. In Canada, skilled negotiators will be able to increase their salaries to be more in line with their american counterparts. And as skilled negotiators double, triple their salaries, their peers will realize that it is quite possible.
Companies that hire remotely will either learn a hard lesson (losing the people with domain knowledge which makes their money printer spin), or increase the salaries of their employees to swim along the same band. Attrition due to competitive recruitment right now in Ontario is crazy. As the competition increases (due to more people hiring remotely), salaries will increase. And local companies will get squashed (I don't interview with Canadian companies anymore).
Furthermore, most skilled software developer resources have been already been exhausted in Canada, primarily due to brain drain. The only skilled devs left here are the ones who need to be here to stay close to family. The rest are in the States.