1 - California (and a slightly lesser degree, New York) will easily have the highest salaries. But you can easily eat into that with taxes and rent (if you choose to live in "Trendy" areas of LA, SD and The Bay). Colorado, Texas and Washington are also very strong in tech, but jobs are available pretty much in any major metro. Colorado and Austin are generally considered the best balance of Income : CoL : Lifestyle : Climate. It's a power polygon, what you gain in one area you lose elsewhere; for example California has awesome income and climate, reasonable lifestyle amenities, but terrible Cost of Living. You'll need to find the place that has the best balance for you and your family.<p>2 - it's generally very easy to get a job with an American firm since there is lax regulation and an emphasis on bringing the best talent into the economic sphere ("braindrain"). Due to the current situation, they're more likely to want to hire you remote though. If they are wanting to bring you into the office, you have to verify that they do sponsorships from the outset (else they'll expect you to make your own visa arrangements). If they sponsor you, this is the easiest route and would require an H1b. If you believe your skills are in high demand, you're an asset in your field and have an impeccable background; you can self-sponsor (H2B) or, even more unlikely, get an extraordinary talent visa (O). There's also the TN1 visa, but I'm less informed regarding it and generally is less intended for your use case.<p>3 - there are literally millions of employers in the US and thousands in the sphere you're targeting. It would be impossible to give an exhaustive list. First find employers that are willing to sponsor, in your area, with a job you qualify for. Then go about crossing them off via Glassdoor.<p>4 - only the ones you probably know. Guns are more prevalent. You'll need to pay for your medical insurance; in your field this will probably be provided by your company at something like 30-150/mo individual or 100-400/mo family (depending on plan and generosity of your company, make sure to ask about this during your initial interviews). You'll need to get a local driver's license. You will need to have a hefty chunk of cash in the bank if you want a decent apartment, to prove fiscal responsibility (as you have no credit).