With Americans earning, on average, 20-40% more than their European counterparts, an increasing number of UK residents are choosing to work night shifts to take on U.S.-based roles.
A new report highlights the rise in European remote workers taking on full—to part-time jobs in America to gain greater work flexibility and higher pay. Market research indicates that software engineers in the U.S. typically earn around $115,000, while the average in Europe varies by region and is about $75,000. A similar disparity exists for marketing managers, with U.S. salaries averaging $107,000 compared to Europe’s average of $70,000.
While it has been shared for Europeans to work American jobs, the shift to remote work following the pandemic has opened the floodgates, allowing Europeans to secure positions traditionally reserved for American workers.
“I’ve been working remotely for over a decade, but during the pandemic, many companies finally seemed to acknowledge time zone differences and adjusted accordingly,” Irish marketing executive Laura Mundow tells Fortune.
European workers have found what works for them when it comes to scheduling their day. Some break up the day to complete their initial tasks during the European morning when coworkers are less likely to interrupt with calls, emails, or instant messages and reserve the afternoon for video conference calls.
“I don’t need to be at my desk for eight hours straight,” says Romanian video and audio editor Otinel Mezin. “I can stay nearby and return to my computer if any urgent editing requests come in.”
Cultural differences also play a significant role in UK staffers’ working with US companies. American companies tend to operate at a faster pace, with a more assertive approach to sales and more open conversations about salaries than European companies. However, despite these contrasts, many Europeans say they have come to appreciate innovation and optimism.
“I really love working with Americans,” Mundow says. “There’s an openness there that you might not get in Europe. The stereotype of work being a massive focus for Americans is true. That might not suit everybody. It suits me, but I can see how it could be jarring if work weren’t a central part of your life.”
“I find clients to be more polite in the way they request work and not haggling over prices,” Mezin adds.
European workers encourage other UK-based remote workers to know their worth and avoid undervaluing their work due to location. Once a competitive salary is secured, Mudow recommends living in a country where your earnings stretch further than they would in the U.S. or UK.
“If you’re earning American money, you can live very well somewhere that is not America,” she says.
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