It's more complicated than that. American faculty salaries are high in absolute terms, but they don't adjust fully for the local cost of living. While you can live a comfortable life as an academic in an average area, good universities are often located in areas with high costs of living. (Or maybe it's the HCOL areas that are concentrated around good universities.) For example, good luck buying a house within a reasonable commuting distance as an academic in the Bay Area.
When I was in Europe, industry salaries were ~50% higher than for comparable academic roles. When I arrived in the US a few years ago, I was surprised that the gap here was ~2x. Today the gap is approaching 3x, which makes scarce necessities such as housing really expensive.
When I was in Europe, industry salaries were ~50% higher than for comparable academic roles. When I arrived in the US a few years ago, I was surprised that the gap here was ~2x. Today the gap is approaching 3x, which makes scarce necessities such as housing really expensive.