Do software engineers actually come out ahead moving to Europe?

By Skyler Bissell · July 6, 2026 · 6 min read

Short answer: on cash alone, usually not. A senior engineer keeps more in San Francisco or New York than in Amsterdam or London. If someone tells you otherwise they're selling something.

Longer answer: cash alone is the wrong place to stop, the gap is smaller than the sticker difference, and once you add a kid it can vanish. Here's the real math.

The cash gap is real

US software pay is the highest on earth and it isn't subtle. Total comp for a senior engineer in the Bay Area or New York runs well past what the same title pays in Berlin, Amsterdam, or London, often by a wide margin once equity is in the mix. A European tech salary that looks strong locally is frequently half the US number on paper.

So if your only question is "where does the bigger number land in my account this year," stay in the US. Done. But almost nobody's actual question is that narrow.

Why the gap is smaller than it looks

Two things eat the US lead.

First, tax. US total comp gets taxed at high marginal rates, and then you spend the rest on things that are cheap or free elsewhere. A family health plan, daycare, the part of your rent that buys a worse commute. None of that shows up in the offer.

Second, the safety net is real money. When the European city covers childcare and healthcare and hands you five weeks of vacation, that's pay you don't have to earn. The right comparison isn't "$225k vs €130k." It's "$225k, minus US taxes, minus what I spend on care and coverage" against "€130k, minus lower taxes, minus a much smaller care bill."

Run that and the lines move toward each other. At $225,000 in the US, our engine puts the equivalent at about €201,648 to match San Francisco against Amsterdam and £155,458 to match New York against London. If the European offer clears that, you're even or ahead on real terms, before you even count the time off.

Kids change the answer

If you have children, the math can flip outright. Two kids in US daycare is a second mortgage, $30,000 to $50,000 a year in a major metro, paid with after-tax dollars. Much of Europe charges a fraction of that. That swing alone can be worth more than the salary gap, which is why the family version of these comparisons so often favors the move while the single version doesn't. This is the single biggest variable for our readers, so model it with your real family size rather than guessing.

The equity asterisk

Here's the trap specific to tech offers. A big share of your US comp is probably RSUs, and that stream mostly does not survive the move. A new European employer pays a new package, usually heavier on base and lighter on equity, and your old grant schedule doesn't follow you. So comparing your full US total comp (base plus bonus plus stock) against a European base is comparing two different things.

Model the target on what you'd actually be paid there, not your current vest. We get into the weeds on this in what happens to your RSUs when you move abroad.

So, should you?

If you're single, childless, and optimizing for net worth in five years, the US usually wins and it's fine to say so. If you have a partner and kids, value time, or just want the European offer to be closer than the headline suggests, it often is, and sometimes it's the better deal outright.

The only number that settles it is yours. Drop both offers in and see where the line falls: run your comparison. For the method behind the break-even figure, see the salary you'd actually need to move abroad.

FAQ

Do software engineers earn less in Europe than in the US?

On gross pay, usually yes. Total comp for a senior engineer in San Francisco or New York runs well above Berlin, Amsterdam, or London, especially once equity is counted. The gap shrinks after taxes and after the costs you stop paying for (healthcare, childcare, a chunk of rent), and for a family it can close entirely.

What salary do I need in Europe to match a US software engineer offer?

At $225,000 in the US, our engine puts the break-even around €201,648 to match San Francisco against Amsterdam and £155,458 to match New York against London. Clear that line and you are even or ahead on real terms, before you even count the extra time off.

Do my US RSUs transfer if I take a job in Europe?

Usually no. Unvested grants are forfeited when you leave the employer. The new company abroad pays its own package, typically heavier on base and lighter on stock, so comparing your full US total comp against a European base compares two different things.

Run both offers through the calculator →

Break-even figures come from cityparity's per-city engine and were current at publication; currency rates and tax rules move, so treat them as a strong estimate and run your own inputs. See the methodology.