I'd imagine, without putting much thought into it, that when you compare salaries, and then account for how much more is paid in taxes in (most) European countr

I'd imagine, without putting much thought into it, that when you compare salaries, and then account for how much more is paid in taxes in (most) European countries, then at least parts of the comparison can get voided - like retirement savings or something of that nature. If you're working as a professional in the US it's pretty rare that your health insurance isn't at least mostly paid for by your employer, if not completely paid for by them. But like you said, that's why it's a tricky calculation. All of which varies if you're single or married with children. I'd imagine that for the young and healthy people without children, it isn't hard to sock away more in the US.