Is Europe better than the U.S. for Software Engineers in 2024?
Food for thought
I started this newsletter with the idea that the US Tech Employment market was much better than Europe’s one.
And that devs had it much better there than here.
Having a great life as a dev in the US seemed quite straightforward.
While achieving the same stuff in Europe seemed almost like “mission impossible”.
That’s why I personally spent 5 to 10 years trying to figure out how to plan a tech career in Europe in such a way that I’d be able to have a similar experience to that of devs in the US.
In short, that ended up with me getting a big tech job in Switzerland, making 200k+ per year, working on a cool tech product, without nonsense like dress-codes, standup meetings, impact measured by effort and not results, etc.
Then something happened.
WLB
The more time I spent in big tech, the more I realised how many “big tech influencers” aren’t all that honest about what it actually takes to work in such hypercompetitive environments.
Don’t get me wrong: you can still manage to have a pretty reasonable WLB in big tech too, if you’re in the right company and team.
But there’s the risk of it being very demanding.
Layoffs Craze
After 2 years of layoffs, companies have begun to have more leverage than devs, and being more demanding of their work.
Devs are scared, because they don’t want to lose their job. And, not to risk it, they might work extra-hard.
US Change
These mass layoffs have affected the US significantly more than Europe, and this has kind of reversed things a little bit: the US went from being the place where most European devs wanted to move to, to being a place where devs nowadays are stressed af and always on the edge.
Salaries have stagnated too.
2018-type packages of 400k for SDE II are unheard of nowadays.
Europe
In Europe, the layoffs’ craze has been more moderate.
In general, employees also have better labour laws, and they don’t really risk ending up on the street.
It’s also much harder to get fired.
Central Europe
Moreover, countries in central/eastern Europe, have barely witnessed any crisis at all, as companies continue to expand in the area given the large amount of skilled devs at a good price.
Low-Cost Low-Tax and Remote
Remote work seems to be here to stay, and a growing number of devs seems to feel its appeal.
If we’re talking about remote work, then countries with lower taxation and cost of living become very appealing, especially if they offer a great quality of life.
There are many such countries in Europe, that fit the bill much better than most US states.
Europe and WLB
Also, more people seem to be realising that grinding for a corporation might not be all that worth it after all, and they prefer to focus on their well-being, diet, relationships and so on.
Europe, again, seems to offer all these things much more than the US.
In Conclusion
What used to be good:
Join Google in the US or Switzerland;
Work your way up the ladder: manage up, work hard, get as many promos as possible as fast as possible;
Increase your total compensation (TC) from $100k to $300k, $500k, $800k…
Invest in the market: you’ll be a millionaire someday.
Be frugal, keep track of your expenses, have a tension around your finances.
Goal: achieve Financial Independence in a place like California, send your kids to the best schools, make sure they’ll get into Stanford and have their shot at becoming billionaires.
Doesn’t seem so good anymore.
In fact, it seems like an almost guaranteed way to lead a miserable life, filled with stress and mental health problems for you and your family.
The good news is that there is a very solid alternative available nowadays.
And it's also not that hard to pursue.
Here it is:
Learn your software engineering craft;
Join a company that treats employees like human beings;
Shoot for salaries in the $50k-$200k range;
Base yourself in a place that is affordable and has low taxes;
Work less than 30/40 hours per week;
Be there for the people you love and who love you;
Work on keeping your family together and happy;
Have time for hobbies and rest;
Prioritise your health.
Seems like a no brainer?
Is is easier to do that in Europe?
Let me know what you think!
If you’re a developer based in Europe, or interested in moving to Europe, make sure to checkout:
My Job Board with over 4500 top-paying jobs in Europe and fully-remote jobs that can be carried out from Europe (or anywhere else).
My exclusive Coaching Program to help you with level up your career as a dev in Europe. New edition will probably start in October 2024. If you’re interested in joining, now might be a great time so send me an email.
