I will soon be joining a magic circle firm as a trainee. I keep hearing that UK firms pay less than the US ones because they respect your life, but from a lot of posts I keep reading that work at a magic circle firm is really intense.

Is it several times crazier at an American firm or is the difference in work-life balance over-hyped? Has anybody made the move and found it worth the extra cash? Also, how easy it to move as an NQ or at one year PQE? Are any particular US firms more considerate than others?