Country profile
The world's largest economy, the deepest capital markets, and the most generous tax-advantaged investment accounts on earth — combined with one of the most complex tax codes (federal + 50 state + local). For high earners, especially in tech, the after-tax outcome can be very strong; for international employees navigating worldwide-income taxation, the path is unforgiving without good advisers.
Capital
Washington, D.C.
Currency
USD
US Dollar
Population
335M
Nominal GDP
$27.36T
Top marginal rate
37%
Effective at $100K
17.5%
Capital gains
23.8%
Federal income tax has 7 brackets (10% to 37% top marginal). State income tax adds 0% (TX, FL, WA, NV, AK, SD, WY, TN, NH) to 13.3% (CA). FICA: 6.2% Social Security up to $176,100 wage base + 1.45% Medicare uncapped + 0.9% additional Medicare over $200K single / $250K MFJ. Long-term capital gains: 0% / 15% / 20% federal + 3.8% NIIT + state. The US uniquely taxes citizens and green-card holders on worldwide income regardless of where they live.
Median annual wage
$80,000
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics median annual wage. Tech compensation skews higher than median due to RSU/equity components not always captured in BLS surveys.
Index (US baseline = 100)
100
US cities span an enormous range — San Francisco / NYC are 2x the national average, while Texas / Tennessee mid-tier cities sit close to baseline. Healthcare and housing dominate household budgets; sales tax (0–10%) is on top of sticker prices.
H-1B Speciality Occupation
Annual lottery, 85,000 cap, 3+3 year duration. Standard route for tech/finance employees of US companies.
L-1 Intracompany Transfer
No cap, no lottery. For employees of multinationals transferring from a foreign office to the US.
O-1 Extraordinary Ability
For people with documented exceptional achievement in sciences, arts, business, or athletics. Increasingly used by senior tech founders.
EB-5 Investor Green Card
$800K+ investment in a Targeted Employment Area. Direct path to permanent residence.
Citizenship eligibility: minimum 5 years of legal residence (varies by pathway).
Permanent residence (Green Card) typically requires 5 years before naturalization (3 if married to a US citizen). Country-of-birth backlogs for India and China can extend EB-2/3 wait by 10–80 years.
Delaware C-Corp is the default for VC-backed startups; Wyoming LLC is the budget choice for solo operators and consultancies. Both are US tax residents and subject to federal corporate tax (21%) plus state tax wherever the company has nexus.
Mandatory for almost all US VC funding. Qualifies for QSBS §1202 capital gains exclusion (up to $10M tax-free).
Wyoming LLC
$100/year filing fee, single-member pass-through taxation, strong privacy protections. Default for bootstrapped operators.
Personal accounts require SSN or ITIN + US address. Schwab Investor Checking is famous for refunding all foreign ATM fees globally. For business: Mercury and Brex onboard non-resident founders fully online with EIN + Delaware C-Corp filing.
System: Mixed (private + Medicare/Medicaid)
Medicare from age 65; Medicaid for low-income only. Most working-age adults rely on employer-sponsored or ACA marketplace plans.
Expat insurance: $250–$700/mo
US healthcare is the most expensive in the world per capita. Without employer coverage, expect $400–800/month for a single adult on an ACA marketplace silver plan, with $5,000–9,000 deductible. Cigna Global, GeoBlue, and SafetyWing offer expat plans starting around $250/month.
248 Mbps
Median fixed broadband. Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, March 2026