- Do not talk about your salary. There are large disparities in income within the US and even within the same company for the same role, which is less common in Europe.
- Many American work environments have more of a hierarchy within the company, particularly in more corporate environments. US companies are often more stratified. Some to the degree of oil and water.
- As you already know, Americans value small talk more. They also tend to immerse more of their identity into their workplace. Avoid talking about politics. Opinions that are not left of center are essentially taboo to mention.
- A fraction of your co-workers will be on the prescription drug Adderall, or an equivalent, and you probably won't know. Adderall is common amongst those from upper middle class backgrounds. They often don't need it yet take it as a performance enhancer. Money matters more in the US, and there's more competition to get it.
- You will likely get less vacation. Not only that, you will be discouraged, though rarely explicitly, from taking it.
- Working in tech in the US can be much better than in Europe. You'll make more money. US tech companies, unlike say law or finance, do offer many benefits, and if you choose the right company you can work less than 40 hours a week. For example, I plan to quit my US tech job because the hours are from 9am to 6pm. If you have to show up before 10am and you're not paid a multiple of six figures it might be a bad deal. For tech, I'd prefer to work in the US.