Exactly my thought when I read the title. I know the cost of living is higher in US but I'm always baffled by how much tech workers make on the other side of the pond. To me it sounds like a dream.
And then there are some things that are just insanely expensive from a European perspective: out-of-pocket medical expenses, college, lawyers, cable TV... makes it very hard to compare.
The US is huge.
I work in the Southeast. Where I'm working Junior SWEs start around 60k. Mid Level Start Around 75k. Senior start around 95k. Manager/Our new "Super Senior" level start around 120k.
Our cost of living is still higher than yours. In my area a 3 bed/2 bath home with a small yard within 1 hour drive of my work costs 450k minimum and that would be a full hour out and the siding would be vinyl.
We have horrible public services, many of us are in debt to have obtained our CS degrees, child care is soo expensive, healthcare is crazy expensive even after we get our employer healthcare plans. Going to a local soccer match costs me $50 for nosebleed tickets, a beer is $14, and nachos are $15. Parking costs me $25 at the game and you have to pay for gas here too which is close to $5 a gallon(but keep in mind we drive further, to EVERYTHING, and owning a car is a requirement unless you're in NYC or SF).
I just want to represent for what is probably the majority of US SWE's.
Just out of a job hunt and had two offers in Atlanta, one in person with a TC of $180k and one fully remote with a TC of $235k. This is with 2 YoE
The costs you post also seem really high. Atlanta United tickets are $35 for the cheapest, food/drink is around $25 total. I generally would take transit or uber into games but I see parking for $10-20 within a half mile. I'm not as familiar with housing costs but a few quick searches show 3 bed/2 bath in decent neighborhoods for around $500k, and to be within an hour of Atlanta is definitely doable for less.
I think Atlanta is fairly high CoL for the Southeast and still find the expenses to be less than you're claiming
It's possible that I am hilariously underpaid and need a new job.
If you're willing to work remotely, then absolutely. :) There are plenty of fully remote jobs in the US paying $180k+. I interviewed at all sorts of random companies last year (all remote), and the lowest offer I got was $150k (plus equity). For reference, most of them were senior frontend engineer positions, but there were some generalist gigs in there as well.
There's a reason you get nice salaries, it's because your labour market is extremely extremely protectionist
And from what I gather that's not an isolated incident.