I wouldn't necessarily pick one place over the other- it all depends on your circumstance. By far Oz has more favorable treatment towards intl students as most are allowed to stay after graduation. This isn't true if you are in the US- some students as far back as 9 yrs are still waiting for their residency. So, if you are an intl student perhaps Oz maybe a better option. If you are US or Oz citizen you can pretty much flip the coin- you'd most probably live and work where not only the pay is high but you'd also consider these factors- working conditions, standard of living, raising a family, nightlife, weather, etc. And both of the places are equally competitive in these respects. Normal work week hour is 40 for US vs 36 for Oz; however, depending on your profession most salaried professionals go over beyond these limits anyway. Varied experiences within US and Oz: I kind of despise the south (perhaps b/c of bad experiences when I was growing up- I once wore big belt buckle and cowboy boots when I was 12 and spoke like a honky all the way)- TX, LA, etc. And I feel the same way about Queensland (a state in Oz). If you can find a billy bob in TX then you can find a similar bloke in QD. The whole environment from people to weather in these places- they just aren't for me. In contrast, I admire the Bay Area and the northeast (hate fighting the snow in the morning tho) as I do the southeast in Oz- Melb, Sydney. Being impartial, I think I wouldn't mind settling in Melb but eventually I may return to the Bay Area...both places have got sky rocketing property prices BTW albeit salaries in my industry ain't bad...