$168,000 - $350,000 for a Software Engineer seems outrageous. What am I missing?
That being said: I am a Systems Engineer in South Germany, huge company, 85k€/year, no need to work overtime.
I asked myself what salary I would expect from an US company and factored in
* paid sick leave
* paid child sick leave
* minimum 30 days vacation a year
* job security
* health care prices
* ...
I would not accept an US position for less than 190k$/year, that is my personal break-even model.Just for your interest: My salary is too low to buy a house and even buying a 4-room-flat and paying it off before retirement in 30years is out of reach.
Whatever your model, you will find something that works for you.
My previous employer had just switched to an “unlimited PTO” policy and had I not been laid off I planned on taking at least 30 days off.