Originally Posted by
Kenny
I get paid slightly more here as a 3rd year 75/76 FO than I did at the top 73 level at VA but pay 60% less taxes and support family of 3 on one salary, very comfortably. Your pay goes far further here than it ever would in Oz. Do find myself missing the lifestyle of a DINK in Sydney though.
You may pay less in taxes, but don't you then have to pay a much higher price overall for basic things like healthcare, education and basic public services? For example healthcare:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List...ure_per_capita
In Australia we pay an average of $4400 per year per person on taxes for Medicare, private insurance and out of pocket expenses. In the United States that goes up to $9500 per person. For a system with worse outcomes.
Yeah we do pay more in tax (slightly) but we get a lot more for those taxes with our dollar.
I guess if you prefer to spend for those basic public services via your own money then the USA is the way to go. However I much prefer our way of living (even if it's considered "socialist" in the USA).
One other point, annual leave at one major US regional was one week per year, increasing up to a maximum of 4 weeks after 14 years employment as opposed to 6 weeks straight away here. And lower sick leave.