That's the same everywhere (well the extent varies, but not by the margin you suggest), which is why you should quote your gross pay (i.e. the amount before ded

That's the same everywhere (well the extent varies, but not by the margin you suggest), which is why you should quote your gross pay (i.e. the amount before deduction of social security, pension and related costs). On top of that there's extra costs for the company obviously, but those are not 'wages'. Quoting the gross salary is standard here in the Netherlands because the amount that is left after taxes varies depending on personal circumstances. In the Netherlands (and Belgium and to the best of my knowledge France) the contributions are withheld by the company, in the US you pay them yourself. Quoting the gross salary makes for the best comparison (not perfect, but better than stating net pay, i.e. the amount you are paid each month - that number is in this context meaningless).