[edmcnulty101]

Because it's expensive as hell to live in the US.. Health insurance and rent alone is the typical salary in another country. And don't even think about having a major illness, it will bankrupt you. We have shitty public transportation so one needs a car. And we have shitty safety net so a huge chunk of your money goes to retirement or savings to avoid homelessness at all stages of life. We also have numerous levels of taxation, Fed, State, City, Municipal, Local, Sales, Property. We also have massive insurance requirements on everything from health to cars to housing which is almost like another tax. Then we have to pay for our college which is the most expensive in the world, or get massive loans to repay.

After taxes rent utilities insurance car payment gas groceries savings retirement student loan you're looking at take home of like 20% of advertised salary.

Then the average person spends 8 to 10 hours working and another 30 minutes to an hour commuting with like 2 weeks of vacation a year average.