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> It's already possible if you have technical skills. By and large, an American engineer moving to Europe is trading down in a big way - including but definite

> It's already possible if you have technical skills. By and large, an American engineer moving to Europe is trading down in a big way - including but definitely not limited to financial compensation.

saiya-jin 9y ago
... which is not true at all, I get above-US-average enginnering (IT) salary in heart of Europe, and that is before taxes. After taxes, it's day and night. Plus small added benefit of actually having a life after work, have plenty of vacations, system that properly takes care of you in you are ill or unemployed, or detail that my paid taxes are not directly used to kill innocents half around the globe for corporate&political greed. Yepp, life can be good here. Of course Europe is big and extremely diverse, much more than US, so some of this is valid only for some parts.
JoshMnem 9y ago
Cost of living is much lower. Health care is included. I think there were six weeks of paid vacation per year. Budapest was a 2 hour bus ride away (10 euros), and many other interesting destinations were very close. If difficult times strike, you won't be left to die on the street. Things like life experience and culture are often more important than money.
- doktrin 9y ago
  I don't agree about cost of living aside from outliers like the SFBA, and US healthcare is by and large better if you have access to insurance. At the end of the day, in the US you get more pay, more respect and more recognition for the same work - and in many cases American software devs get vacation packages that are comparable to the European standard.
  - JoshMnem 9y ago
    US is ranked something like 37th in the world for health care. I lived in a top-10 country, though didn't use the health care there.
    - doktrin 9y ago
      > US is ranked something like 37th in the world for health care. That low ranking is probably well deserved, but it applies at the macro level. The US medical system is fundamentally asymmetrical, but it's great for the "haves" - and for those privileged enough to enjoy good insurance plans, it offers some of the best healthcare in the world. Given the context of this discussion, I think it's fair to assume that American engineers considering a move abroad currently have health coverage at home (or are in a position to get it). Apples to apples.

saiya-jin 9y ago

... which is not true at all, I get above-US-average enginnering (IT) salary in heart of Europe, and that is before taxes. After taxes, it's day and night. Plus small added benefit of actually having a life after work, have plenty of vacations, system that properly takes care of you in you are ill or unemployed, or detail that my paid taxes are not directly used to kill innocents half around the globe for corporate&political greed. Yepp, life can be good here. Of course Europe is big and extremely diverse, much more than US, so some of this is valid only for some parts.

JoshMnem 9y ago

Cost of living is much lower. Health care is included. I think there were six weeks of paid vacation per year. Budapest was a 2 hour bus ride away (10 euros), and many other interesting destinations were very close. If difficult times strike, you won't be left to die on the street. Things like life experience and culture are often more important than money.

doktrin 9y ago
I don't agree about cost of living aside from outliers like the SFBA, and US healthcare is by and large better if you have access to insurance. At the end of the day, in the US you get more pay, more respect and more recognition for the same work - and in many cases American software devs get vacation packages that are comparable to the European standard.
- JoshMnem 9y ago
  US is ranked something like 37th in the world for health care. I lived in a top-10 country, though didn't use the health care there.
  - doktrin 9y ago
    > US is ranked something like 37th in the world for health care. That low ranking is probably well deserved, but it applies at the macro level. The US medical system is fundamentally asymmetrical, but it's great for the "haves" - and for those privileged enough to enjoy good insurance plans, it offers some of the best healthcare in the world. Given the context of this discussion, I think it's fair to assume that American engineers considering a move abroad currently have health coverage at home (or are in a position to get it). Apples to apples.