Work Differences Between the USA and Europe

I was working in Rome-Italy for 4 years as an interior designer in a small studio of 5 architects/designers fact that makes me found many work differences between the USA and Europe so I can resume you the work differences between work in the USA and Europe.

I moved here in the USA in April and I started to work for Studio19 Architects in Seattle (15 people) and this month here I found many work differences between the US and Europe.

Here the main work differences between the USA and Europe:

1. Work Hours

Here you can arrive from 8 am to 9/9:30 depend on you nobody control you. You work for 8 hours and you choose the best time for you.

Italia was very similar too but sometimes you work more hours and nobody pays you the extra hours like in the USA.

2. Salary

The salary here for an interior designer entry level is

Average Base Pay

$55,762/yr

You can live very well with this salary the city for me that I come from Rome is not expensive but compare to other cities in the US is more expansive.

But I can pay my rent, food, restaurant, vacation and save money.

Italy the salary is very low and you have to pay more taxes so I think if you are lucky $20,000/yr (not for an entry level), unfortunately, the entry level in Italy don’t receive more the 500E at month… very important work differences between work in the USA and Europe.

And the city (Rome) is very expensive!!!

3. Vacation

Here I have 9 days of vacation for all the year! so usually you take 2, 3 days at a time and you try to combine with other holidays so you have more days.

In Italy we have more vacation! 4 weeks a year… And usually, you take 2 weeks or more in August the work in very slow many studios closed and also in Christmas time.

4. Lunchtime

In the US you eat your lunch at your table alone, I sometimes go outside in a beautiful square to eat with a college but the other people eat alone at the desk.

Italy we lunch altogether and talk.

5. Interior design projects: (renovations)

Is very different the way that we do a project here:

-faster

-fewer details

-all are big and new

-clients very rich

We start with a concept idea, choose materials and present the project to the client, they approved or make some changes you make the changes and send all the project by email.

But you don’t have to calculate all the material that you need to make the renovation only the type. Also, you don’t have to do all the details of the project because is only a design project.

The constructor will do all this by himself.

In my next post, I will explain better all the types of projects not only renovations!!

The photos are from Pioneer Square here I usually go to lunch! Love that place!