Questions about Spain

Getting work residency can be easy or difficult depending on your particular background. If you marry a Spaniard it is 100% easy. If you have an employer willing to sponsor you, it's not that difficult. Otherwise, it takes time, and might be very challenging. I know of many Americans who live and work here "under the table," which means if you don't have one of the two above, you're probably going to find it easier to get illegal employment here than to seek legal work residency.

American degrees are appreciated here, in the abstract , but are not (on their own) officially recognized for most public employment. You have to go through the "homologación de título" for them to be accepted in most public, government jobs.

The hands-down number one "best" career (in the sense of easiest to get) here in Spain for English-speaking foreigners is teaching English. In fact, it is hard to get pretty much any other job here. (Maybe there is a market for English speakers in tourism... but Brits can do that and don't have visa issues like Americans.) Warning, there are a lot of native English speakers in Spain who are willing to work in this profession under dubious pay (i.e. very low and often delayed) and work conditions (i.e. illegal). Finding employment right now in Spain is extremely tough. Unfortunately, anyone would be lying to you if they answered you in any other way (that is in these very general terms).

All that said, good luck with it!