The Structure of this industry varies significantly between Europe and the USA. In Europe, your first flying job could be on a shiny B737/A320 with just over 200 hours of flight time. Opportunities in the US are merrier nowadays, but the requirements are tighter. 1,500 to get your foot into any 121 regional airline, and at least a few thousand hours at a regional to stand a chance with one of the legacy airlines. Starting pay in the US is quite low, especially getting the first 1,500. You can upgrade to PIC at a European based airline faster than in the USA I believe. New recruits to airlines like Ryanair expect a command time of no more than 5 years on a 737. What I have seen is that pilots in the US are generally 3-4 days away from home followed by 3 days at home. While in Europe, at most short haul airlines, you can expect to fly back home the same day I believe. Converting to EASA takes time and costs money like you said, it's really hard to give an advice in such situations. It really is up to you at the end, where do you want to live and work?