Comment by weatherlight
11 hours ago
We have a really talented engineer on our team (in the US), who has a green card and everything. He's taking a job in Brussels, he said very plainly hes not sticking around to find out what happens next. I don't blame him.
If you are able to make it work in Belgium it's a great move. Free education, free healthcare, 20 days PTO minimum, public transport, 15 weeks of maternity leave, labor protections, basically no crime, no guns, no weekly school shootings, total tax rate of at most 60%.
60% is a selling point? How high do they go elsewhere?
When we lived in Cal decades ago, taxes weren't all that much lower. Federal taxes and state taxes (higher) on a larger salary, lots of social security and other fiddly little taxes and 100-200/check for 20% of my health insurance. The only good thing about social security is that while you pay a more the benefits are larger 62+. I'm trying to remember, but like 25% for the feds, 8-10% for the state, 6% for social security and the health insurance. Call it high 40's or so, maybe 50%? Yeah, sales tax was lower vs. vat but I thought Cal had about the highest sales tax in the states?
It all depends on what the aggregate deductions that are outside your control sum to, and what you get for the money.
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What I meant to say is that even if you have a very high income you will never pay more than 60% in total tax and social premiums.
On €100,000 a year you pay €57,512 in tax (58% tax). On €60,000 a year it's only €32,405 (54%).
See:
https://be.talent.com/tax-calculator?salary=100000&from=year...
https://be.talent.com/tax-calculator?salary=60000&from=year&...
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providing healthcare and education are costs easily overlooked by most americans. But the reality is, these are costs borne by americans as well. and likely at a higher rate: americans pay more per capitia on both of those versus most other nations.
The maximum combined federal and California state income tax rate is approximately 51.3% for the highest earners in 2025
he's taking a 50% paycut going from the US to Brussels, but its more than what he will be making in his home country i guess.
This is not easy to compare. When you take into account all the costs up to and after retirement this is another perspective. The cost of life is another factor.
And then of course quality of life, but that's very individual.
And world-class beer if you’re into that!
Especially if the salary is the same
Do you know any companies in Belgium that pay US salaries?
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What you listed for the past 10 years in Belgium is an average week in Chicago.
And Chicago had 2853 gun violence incidents in 2024. On a population of 2.7 million. Belgium had 184 incidents on a population of 11.8 million. That is about 67 times more incidents.
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>>he said very plainly hes not sticking around to find out what happens next.
Can't blame him, US residency really is a like a game of high attrition. Its your classic up or out scenario.
Some times even a passport doesn't guarantee a stay. Sooner or later, you fall ill, lose a home, have a divorce. Its a unique combination of extreme luck, work, health and many other factors several of which are totally outside of your control.
You either win spectacularly or exit trying.
What country is he from?