New York, Boston, San Francisco
Study and work in United States
The strongest salary upside for elite tech, finance, and research paths, but immigration risk is materially higher than Canada or Australia.
First salary
US$72k
Market entry estimate
5-year salary
US$118k
Mid-career preview
Monthly rent
US$1,650/mo
New York, Boston, San Francisco
Initial budget
US$58k-95k
Minimum to comfortable runway
Tax preview
24-35% effective
Simplified effective rate
Policy route
F-1 OPT + STEM OPT + employer sponsorship
Verify before applying
Who this country is best for
- Students targeting high-upside technology, AI, quantitative finance, research, or brand-sensitive graduate schools.
- Applicants who can tolerate immigration uncertainty in exchange for the highest salary ceiling.
- People with enough budget to handle high tuition, insurance, rent, and a longer job-search runway.
Salary projection
| Career point | Expected salary |
|---|---|
| After graduation | US$72k |
| After 3 years | US$92k |
| After 5 years | US$118k |
| After 10 years | US$165k |
Budget and take-home preview
Minimum runway
US$58k-95k
Tuition, insurance, visa costs, rent setup, and first 90 days.
Student rent proxy
US$1,650/mo
Blended shared/student estimate across expensive university metros.
Effective tax preview
24-35%
Simplified federal, state, payroll, and local-tax preview.
Visa and policy signals
- USCIS describes OPT as temporary employment directly related to an F-1 student's major area of study.
- Eligible STEM graduates may apply for an additional STEM OPT extension if requirements are met.
- Longer-term stay usually depends on employer sponsorship routes such as H-1B, O-1, EB-2, or EB-3.
Data confidence
| Data | Confidence | Source | Checked | Review |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Salary projection | Official | Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational wage data Occupation-level salary signals are based on BLS/OES-derived CampCareer datasets. | Jul 9, 2026 | Approved |
| Tax preview | CampCareer estimate | CampCareer simplified tax model Simplified single-filer estimate; credits, deductions, and local rules are not fully modelled. | Jul 9, 2026 | Approved |
| Rent preview | Market estimate | City rent estimate Monthly shared/student housing proxy derived from city-level rent assumptions. | Jul 9, 2026 | Approved |
| Initial budget | CampCareer estimate | CampCareer methodology Directional landing estimate; validate with country detail pages before making decisions. | Jul 9, 2026 | Approved |
| Visa and policy | Official | USCIS Optional Practical Training F-1 OPT and post-study work authorization reference. | Jul 9, 2026 | Review before applying |