Expats that took a paycut - did you struggle?
Posted by throwawayallday_25@reddit | expats | View on Reddit | 63 comments
I 31F am looking to move from U.S. to UK to live with partner (not moving to london). I currently make $130k as an attorney. Im already half way done with my solicitor exam for the UK.
Call it more instability sensitive given state of the world hand gesticulating - but its suddenly starting to worry me about whether this is career/financial suicide. (I also have law school sized student loans, conversely already been LDR for 3 years)
Bonus points if youve done the u.s. > uk move as an attorney.
Additional-Fudge5068@reddit
It doesn't look like you have posted in r/uklaw yet... just a heads up that doing the SQE and getting yourself technically England & Wales qualified without any actual English experience whilst training will not stand you in good stead for actually getting any kind of meaningful legal role.
The UK legal market is saturated, stagnating at the moment and ultra competitive. If you were being seconded or even transferred over from a US firm to their London office then that obviously works, but otherwise there is not a lot of demand for US qualified lawyers and an oversupply of extremely well qualified E&W lawyers who will be above you in the CV piles.
Popular_Kangaroo_310@reddit
Yep, that’s the bit people underestimate — the qualification is only half the battle, the market is the other half. If you’re not coming in via an internal transfer or with a very specific niche, you’re basically fighting a crowded pile of local candidates for fewer decent roles. I’d be pressure-testing the move on salary, visa path, and whether your practice area actually travels before sinking more time into SQE.
throwawayallday_25@reddit (OP)
Honestly this is my fear. Ive been licensed in U.S. for a long iver half a decade. Work at a large firm but with no overseas office. My fear is putting in this effort and losing to UK born solicitors
Additional-Fudge5068@reddit
What practice area are you in?
throwawayallday_25@reddit (OP)
In house defense / global re-insurance
Additional-Fudge5068@reddit
I think that will be challenging, particularly if you don't plan on being in London. Salaries outside of London tend to be significantly lower unless it's one of the larger firms in a key hub city. Loon at Rollonfriday.com and legalcheek.com for some indications of regional salaries. Maybe also chambers student might have some too? Outside of biglaw the salaries will dive significantly.
throwawayallday_25@reddit (OP)
I plan to work in london . Will be living a commutable distance.
mrggy@reddit
American in the UK here. When assessing UK salaries, don't go off the official exchange rate, double the salary. So someone in the UK earning £65k will have a similar quality of life to someone in the US earning $130k
zigzagdc1@reddit
This has absolutely not been my experience across two UK stints.
mrggy@reddit
Were you in London? People often try to compare their salary in Houston or Phoenix to a London salary. London is a major city with NYC level cost of living. £65k in London will get you about as far as $130k in NYC
zigzagdc1@reddit
London Vs DC. Not quite as expensive as NYC but not cheap
Thick-Fox-6949@reddit
Also need to factor in higher taxes. Council tax just isn’t a thing in the U.S.
Pretty-Ad-3614@reddit
Have made this move as a financial markets guy. The drop in total comp was probably 1/3. It hurts for sure. Many things are clearly cheaper in the UK (groceries, private school tuition) but housing is at least as expensive.
Still, I have few regrets. Just lie to yourself and say not everything has to be about the money!
nokturnaa@reddit
Maybe you could look for in-house roles? I think they'd value your US expertise. Also try to network as much as possible before moving. I took a major pay cut when moving here from Germany, but I'm much happier. It's a lovely place to live. Also, taxes are much lower than in Germany, so the pay cut did not sting as much. But that might not be your experience coming from the US.
WaterPretty8066@reddit
Id say that if you did find something youd potentially be looking at a 40% pay cut. Employers and recruiters will treat you like a NQ or a 1 year exp. Happened to me and all my mates when we went to the UK
nicktheduke@reddit
Currently struggling af with a newborn in eastern EU after marrying a native. Took a major hit salary-wise. Hard to find a place in the market when the area is known for being cheap. Lifestyle and pace is healthier but the stress of paycheck to paycheck is considerable.
Due_Concentrate_5625@reddit
Poland?
nicktheduke@reddit
It happens!
Blind_clothed_ghost@reddit
I moved somewhere with a legal spouse and it was the right move for our joint bank accounts and our lives.
If you're moving somewhere for someone else that puts you financially at risk ,you should plan to protecting yourself.
Otherwise you will have that worry and potential resentment.
throwawayallday_25@reddit (OP)
Definitely! Wanted to live their anyways! Dont plan to comingle anything but a small joint account that maintains under $10k and i must be on the lease so I have recourse
Blind_clothed_ghost@reddit
This sub is full of people who made the move in your situation, they didn't protect themselves and found themselves in a bad situation.
Top-Half7224@reddit
She has a solid career behind her and likely much more financially stable than a lot of those people. She will also have the right to work and no language barrier.
Top-Half7224@reddit
I am not an attorney. However, when I moved to the UK with my sizable US based student loan, the change in my tax status gave me more options in terms of repayment. (Income contingent repayment plans are based on taxable income, and if your income is overseas based, those parameters change).
Also, your income may be less, but your outgoings may also be less, things like healthcare, public services, arts and culture are much more affordable and accessable. The UK is not without its problems, but it does feel more "stable" *palms up hand gesticulating*. However, YMMV depending on your lifestyle choices and where in the UK you move to.
codechris@reddit
You can't compare salaries like that.
_Smedette_@reddit
I’m an RN and took a huge pay cut moving to Australia (from the US). We relocated for my husband’s job - he got a salary increase and some other incentives, so it mostly worked out in the end.
Housing prices are a bit higher in Melbourne and we had to pay for private health insurance until we qualified for Permanent Residency. Nursing duties are different here, so while I was making less, I was also doing less, and felt extremely under-utilised. I mention that last part because you should make sure you have a clear understanding of your professional responsibilities and goals in your new country.
I making it sound bad! We’ve been here eight years and it was absolutely the right decision. I wish you luck!
Early_Divide_8847@reddit
Also an RN looking to go to Sydney. I’d be coming from TX so the pay would be comparable and the COL much higher but my husband would have the majority of the income.
How is it being so far from family? Do you think you’ll stay forever? We have two kids and they are young enough that AUS would be all they know. Do you feel healthier? Do you feel your life improved?
_Smedette_@reddit
We moved a week after our daughter turned one and she’s in Grade 4 now. Australia is really all she knows. We will submit our citizenship application next month, so this is quite permanent.
I’m glad we landed in Melbourne, and specifically, our general neighbourhood. We would have had a much different experience somewhere rural or even in the outer suburbs. We lived in cities in the US and didn’t want that to change (much of Australia is just as car-dependent as the US).
There is an isolation to Australia that’s hard to describe. It can be difficult for immigrants to be so far from friends and family - you’re going to miss so much and you might become an afterthought, but this is the deal we make with ourselves when we move so far away. But, technology means you’re not waiting four months for a boat to arrive with a letter.
NotMyUsualLogin@reddit
We went from $200k a year to $150k in the UK.
Zero problems.
isthisreallife080@reddit
Similar situation. Absolutely no issues. Went from an American HCOL city to a European HCOL city. Food is much cheaper here, and generally better quality. Plus, there isn’t a big tipping culture, so no pressure to add 20% to the cost of every service you receive.
Housing is about the same where I live now compared to where I lived in the US, but utilities, phone plan, broadband, etc are exponentially cheaper.
The free or cheaper healthcare is pretty commonly cited as a major difference. It didn’t make a material impact for me because I had good health insurance that was fully covered by my American employer, and I have private insurance fully covered by my current employer, but it’s still good to know that it’s there if I need it.
Overall I have a better quality of life and didn’t feel the squeeze at taking a bit of a pay cut.
just_anotjer_anon@reddit
This is one of those questions that depends, in the US the high earners have a lower tax burden (including healthcare, daycare and all general costs), while in Europe low earners have a lower tax burden.
Related to income, it's roughly the same burden across all people. Just wider shoulders carrying more in Europe. Effectively when you begin including costs for what should be public, most of the world is about 40% on a median income + a VAT in the 10-25% ballpark
So a high income earner going from the US to EU will not notice the healthcare and most likely have a spike in public related costs
SellSideShort@reddit
Which city to which city? Can’t be too many European cities where you can make that much, Zürich, London, Amsterdam?
InformWitch@reddit
I moved to Western Europe, and def took a paycut but I feel like I got more in return.
The only part that was a struggle was when I first settle in and had to be without a job for some months.
It will depend on your ambitions of course but I still have more than enough money to invest/save (and combined, it’s even higher). This is also after buying a place and working on fixing it up right now.
SellSideShort@reddit
Where in Western Europe? Can’t imagine OP having a better lifestyle in the UK as a solicitor as they would in the US. Better in the states and by significant margin.
SellSideShort@reddit
Opposite, went from the low to high and struggled. Raleigh North Carolina to Zurich Switzerland. My salary was 70k there, 110k here. Felt it big time, there I was rich, Zurich I was living paycheck to paycheck.
Viktor_Laszlo@reddit
What do you do in Zurich?
SellSideShort@reddit
Fintech
Competitive-Leg-962@reddit
Can't comment on your specific field, but paycuts compared to the US often only exist on paper since cost of living are often way lower, and insurance coverage is comprehensive.
Sorry_Product_3637@reddit
Took a ~40% paycut moving from the US to Europe. First 6 months were rough mentally because you keep converting everything back to dollars in your head. Eventually you stop and just... live. The lifestyle trade-off was worth it for me but the student loan thing would stress me out honestly — those payments don't care what currency you earn in.
_Anonie_@reddit
Oh yeah big time. I moved from Switzerland to Ireland. And yes still regretting it.
Competitive_Cat_2020@reddit
It won't be a problem. You'll be saving loads on medical insurance and food. Housing isn't bad outside of london and other high cost areas (ex. Bristol, Cambridge, Brighton)
Neverland__@reddit
You know immigrants gotta pay a massive NHS tax so insurance savings is not true I don’t think
Competitive_Cat_2020@reddit
Its not that much LOL it comes to like 1000 pounds a year... Until you get leave to remain. If your visa length is 2.5 years you only need to pay the fee twice.
Surely you know most health insurance policies in the US are way more than that
throwawayallday_25@reddit (OP)
Can confirm one month of health insurance cost that where I am in U.S.
Competitive_Cat_2020@reddit
Holy moly
Love-That-Danhausen@reddit
Yeah, biggest myth in UK politics is immigrants not paying their fair share with the NHS. Huge fees prepaid for each year of the visa + regular NI everyone else pays.
That being said, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. We left a similarly HCOL city in the US to live in London and love every minute, and as others have mentioned: cheaper and fresher food, no outrageous tipping culture, education cheaper, etc.
Neverland__@reddit
London is cool, but the majority of people talking about USA or uk seems like have never actually lived there
London is an amazing city and I think OP is also not living in London……
Love-That-Danhausen@reddit
Those people also probably aren’t coming from similarly costing cities in the US either so my point was that even London has cost and lifestyle benefits compared to similar US cities despite the high price tag
throwawayallday_25@reddit (OP)
Im from a super large U.S. city . I just dont want city life anymore lol
throwawayallday_25@reddit (OP)
Yeah my partner was born and raised there , he now lives outside it. I love the area "we" are in. Love london but dont see the point of paying top dollar .
For reference though I come for a pricey major U.S. city
Dear-Cheetah-8419@reddit
I am British but returned to the UK with my US attorney partner. He retained his job (securities law at a large NYC firm, transferred to the London office) and that helped massively. I think that with his loans, things would have felt tighter had he taken a pay cut.
Overall, I’ve found COL here less than the US. I make less but feel more financially stable.
throwawayallday_25@reddit (OP)
Jealous!! Lol is your husbands firm hiring? (Joking ....mostly)
Dear-Cheetah-8419@reddit
It’s a top NYC big law firm. A lateral would be unlikely if you’re not somewhere comparable currently.
boxesofcats@reddit
Pay but was 40% but on an hourly basis it was probably close to 15%.
It’s a psychological mind fuck at first but you eventually get used to it. The only downside is that it’s tough to save for retirement in the USA.
SnowyChicago@reddit
This is the biggest issue. It works if you plan to stay in Europe, take advantage of the education system and the healthcare after employer stops paying and retire in Europe. If you have to save for college and retirement in US, ends up being a tough situation to justify.
WillStillHunting@reddit
Had to cut my caviar and cocaine consumption by 30% to make ends meet. I’m struggling
lieutenantbunbun@reddit
I halved my salary when I first moved to London and worked my way up. I pulled double time the first few years in the Uk working in the US freelance and paid off my loans. After 3 years I decided to live as a Brit, stop missing money so much, and leaned into my community. Highly suggest you try something similar; yes it is hard to get used to, but in the long run it helps you immensely to not be focused so much on stress and survival.
Waste_Worker6122@reddit
I left the USA and made more money overseas....said (almost) no American ever. Even if you were paid the same you'll find taxes overseas higher...in some cases much, much higher.
I took a paycut when I moved to NZ. It made no difference to me because I had enough savings to pay cash for a nice home here. In NZ - as well as the UK - the cost of housing is very high. Solve that issue and it's surprising how little money you need to have a decent lifestyle
Sad_Firefighter_8407@reddit
Bear in mind the differences in costs like medical expenses and our 28 days annual leave as a legal minimum.
Also our groceries are incredibly well priced even though we have inflation… American friends who swing by our fruit and veg can be wide eyed that we are so well served without being rinsed.
Sad_Firefighter_8407@reddit
Have a look at our supermarket prices if it lets you from stateside.
Apart from Aldi and Lidl we have Tesco, Morrisons, Sainsbury and Asda.
Here’s a leaflet in a city near me from Lidl https://www.lidl.co.uk/l/en/online-leaflets/09-04-15-04-lidl-weekly-27f798/view/flyer/page/6
throwawayallday_25@reddit (OP)
For sure! Ive had many visits and love the lower COL
Embarrassed-Key-3513@reddit
You should definitely cross-post this over to r/Amerexit and r/AmericanExpats.
While this sub is great for general advice, those communities are specifically tailored to the logistics of Americans moving abroad. You’ll get much more granular, "been there, done that" feedback.
The folks over there are usually super helpful with the nitty-gritty details of the process. Good luck!
throwawayallday_25@reddit (OP)
Thank you for this x
phb71@reddit
No struggle, just a temporary setback but ultimately, you can get back to that level usually.