Majority of Americans don't make as much or have the same benefits as software engineers in the US.

Yeah, in the US, they try to work you to death without any guaranteed time off for vacations (some full-time positions that give benefits might give you 2 weeks if you're lucky). They depend on the fact that the US doesn't have dependable social safety nets, so even if you burn out, you're motivated by not wanting to be homeless/not starving.