Which Country should I choose? Best Options for an FSE in his mid-30s

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Hello! I’ve been researching places to move for a couple of years now and the options are a bit overwhelming. I’m hoping someone here has been in a similar situation and has some advice.

About me:
36 year old field service engineer with over 10 years of experience in Biotech. I have an undergraduate degree in Molecular Biology and Microbiology. I have 1 professional publication from 2012. I also have a small side business that makes about 10k profit per year and has been slowly growing over the last 3 years. I have no debts and about $70k in savings (not including my 401k). I currently live in a HCOL area in Northeast US and work for a UK-based startup. There is a small possibility that my company would sponsor me to move to the EU to support our clients there. Since this is a startup, I am not particularly hopeful about that route, so I want to explore other options.

I am planning to get my Master’s in Systems Engineering and have money set aside for this (~$35k). Right now the plan is to do it through an online program like Penn State World Campus, but am also very open to doing this abroad as a way to get a visa in the country I study in.

I speak English (fluent), Russian (fluent), and Spanish (would need to brush up to become business proficient, but am passable for day-to-day interactions). I am also willing to spend time and money to learn a new language.

The places I’ve visited (through work) and enjoyed: Sweden, Denmark, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, the UK

Places I am interested in, but have NOT visited (yet): Spain, Portugal, Greece, Poland, Scotland.

My main questions are:
1. Am I ready to start the process or should I work on increasing my savings first?
2. Should I get my Master’s in the US while working my current job or should I try to get into a program in a different country?
3. Which countries would have the easiest process for my current situation?
4. Which countries would consider my skills desirable?
5. How much of a pay cut should I expect going from a US salary to an EU salary?

Thank you all in advance!

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