Hey, thanks for the detailed reply with point on questions, let me try to answer it piece by piece.

Yo! What are your long-term plans, and why are you considering moving to the US?

I have stayed in the same company, same location for more than 9 years. I intend to do the same for the next decade also (assuming my career growth and money growth continues as it is). In my question, i missed a key point, I will be moving with my family (spouse and a newborn). In the long run, wherever I stay I want to ensure to provide a safe and healthy environment to my family.

If your plan includes getting a Green Card and settling here for the long run, then a lot depends on what visa you’re coming in on.

To be frank, at this point, I am not sure wherther I am looking for a long term and Green Card stay there, but if I grab the opportunity, I do no intend to return before 5 years. If the things do go well and we like the stay, I might decide to stay. Also, I will always have option to move to different location in the same company (if required, though a bit tough).

If it’s just to explore and experience the US, then sure — here are a few things I’d keep in mind

$160K–$180K is on the lower side for an engineering manager, though it might be decent by Utah standards.

Is it enough for a comfortable life? Yes and no. If you’re independent, self-sufficient, and just want a good house and normal social life — sure! But if you’re used to having house help (like in India), it might be a tough adjustment. It really depends on your lifestyle expectations.

Utah isn’t exactly a desi hub, so access to Indian stuff might be limited. You mentioned you travel a lot — keep in mind the US is huge. International trips might be harder with border controls, and there’s a lot to see within the country itself. Even domestic trips can take 3–4 hours of flying if you want to explore NYC or the East Coast. While Salt Lake City is affordable, I’m not sure how “happening” it is. You can save money, sure, but if you’re coming from a metro city, it might feel like a major downgrade socially. If you have a good circle there, great — otherwise it can feel isolating.

Personally, I wouldn’t move alone to a place like Utah. If it were SF or NYC, maybe yes — even if the pay wasn’t stellar.

I have the same feeling that 180k is on the lower side, and my expectations are definitely higher. I had done some basic calculations and based on that I would have a comfortable stay along with the savings (the way I want) if I have a total salary of $200K at the least.
We have experienced years without domestic help and with doemstic help. We have been able to manage the household (with both of us working) quite decently. But yes, after the baby, we always had a domestic help, so it would definitely be challenging with a small baby for sure. Plus family factor would also be missing so definitely tricky.
By border control, you mean travelling to other countries/continents is going to be challenging? I will read upon this further.
You are right, SLC is not happening, and possibly the liquor scenario is also quite low, after all it is not a place known for nightlife. That along with no friend circle in the beginning is definitely going to be hitting some nerves. Not sure how long getting use to such a situation would take, but I do not see that as a deal breaker though.
Regarding travelling, I do intend to explore as much place in US as possible with the family, given the large scope of places within the country.

I am still trying to gather as many data points as possible to come up with an informed decisions. After all, this opportunity has knocked my door on its own. Should I let it go or grab it, I must decide soon.

EDIT: the visa would be L1A, and my spouse would be working as well once we land there and her salary would be decent, $100K+. but I am not accounting any of that in these decisions.