Salaries in France are indeed much lower, because 1. We are producing an awful lot of good engineers (thanks to Napoleon), 2. Investors are much more risk ave

Salaries in France are indeed much lower, because 1. We are producing an awful lot of good engineers (thanks to Napoleon), 2. Investors are much more risk averse than in the US in general, so there is much less money to grab. 3. Cost of living is a lot cheaper What you may consider is working from France for a US based company (I am doing this). You will pay what will look like an awful amount of taxes. But these taxes are mostly health insurance, and if you factor all in it'd be cheaper for your company to employ you freelance, and you'd get more money after tax + health insurance than if you'd stayed in the US + your lifestyle would be better than NY/SF. Setting up the self employment thing in France is a huge pain in the ass, especially if you're paid in dollars. But if you pay an accountant, it'll be fine. If you want to experience new cultures, just do it now, or you'll regret it later. France is a beautiful and fun country to live in. Don't let your career / retirement fears get in the way.