[wkimeria]

I don't think this is an accurate comparison. A more apt one would be;

$400k/yr with no social safety net, no national healthcare, and obscene housing costs so you end up in an area with good schools, work like a dog with little actual labor laws etc, no pension etc.

€60k/yr with 1-2 years leave and generous vacation, actual labor laws, good public education, good equitable walkable neighborhoods etc, a pension etc

I exaggerate a bit but the reason people want to earn so much in the U.S is because a large amount of that money goes to building a personal safety net that is guaranteed in most other developed countries.

The average German working class worker probably lives a happier, more fulfilling life than a so called "professional" in the U.S.