Currently in Germany working for DoD. Pre Covid, it was amazing. Switzerland, Amsterdam, Brussels, Prague, Paris, etc are all within a 2-5 hr drive. Life here is 10x better than in the states bc of all the traveling you can do. It’s also a better place to raise kids in my opinion. If it wasn’t for the 5 year rule, I would definitely stay.
The pay rate for a GS 12 step 1 starts at ~$67k. You can always negotiate a higher step based on your experience of coming from outside the federal system. On top of salary, you will get LQA which is tax free and covers housing + utilities. You will also get Post Allowance which is tax free as well. The amount of LQA and PA you get is based on your grade level and the size of your family. OPM has the LQA and PA rates on their website. The LQA is a use or lose. For example, if you get a max of $46k per year for housing and utilities, you cannot rent a cheap apartment for $15k per year and pocket the rest. For someone new to the federal system, you will get 4 hours of leave per pay period for the first 3 years. It then goes up to 6 hours at the end of your 3rd year.
As far as how hard it is to get a job here, you just have to apply and hope you get an interview.