I made the move from mid-east B-747 Capt. to US major F/O a few years ago. (Have worked in Asia also.) Paycut was short lived, security & insurance are great (out 6 months with ski injury, sick leave and insurance combined made my income about 90% of normal), work rules wonderful( commonly get 16-18 days off per month), and pay just keeps getting better and better(right time, right place is a lot of that, but even on the bottom you can't complain). Let us not forget, you get to live in the US of A. After 13 years living overseas and just visiting here, I had forgotten just how much freedom we have, and how great the living standard is. If you play the game well you can take a good income, invest smartly, and be rich in 10-15 years. If I had started this when I was 25 rather then 45 I would be ready to retire now.
Taxes can be easily reduced with proper planing. (Payed 14% on over $175K gross using deductions for real estate, 401K's, airplane business, ranching, etc.)
At my airline you have to have about 20 years senority to hold F/O as many retired Capt.s who mismanaged their lives, or have no life, fly as S/O's for a few years. Actually, they get checked out and call in sick for two years! In a few years there won't been any S/O's at the majors.
Your experience isn't going to count for much at the interview so don't get a big head. In fact take a course on how to interview if you are serious about this. In the US most airlines only give pilots a small imput as to who they hire. Frustrating, but just the way it is. If you don't have a green card or US Passport I wouldn't start packing your bags just yet. If you do, good luck. You won't be sorry that you made the move. The way I am treated I would rather be and F/O here then a Capt. at any of the ex-pat places I have flown at or even heard about.
Cheers.
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ex-expat.