Remeber the cost of living is way higher in Europe than the US, at current exchange rates everything over here costs about twice as much over here than in the States. eg Gas $10 a gallon, Levi jeans £60 or $120, the list is endless. A half decent 3 bedroom house will be in the region of £250-300,000 or $5-600,000, which would be not the standard of a house in the US costing $250,000.
Gas is twice as much but cars are 2 times more fuel efficient in Europe, food you buy in the supermarket is about the same price, only real estate makes a real difference.
In America, people need to pay their own health insurance and pensions and wages are about half of what you get in Europe.
Minimum wage in Europe is around 2300$/month after tax, in the US it is 1100$ before tax and health insurance & social security.
The life standards in Europe are alot higher than in the U.S. thanks to higher wages.
Save in Europe, spend in the US.
Working visa is not an issue, not for F/O's, not for Captains.
Ryanair is recruiting unexperienced F/O's and may argument that they need experienced F/O's instead.
Ryanair is not recruiting US pilots to loose them in a couple of years. When the US markets comes online again, Ryanair will keep pilots interested with their planned transatlantic operation.
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