When a pronounced taste for science leads researchers to self-select themselves in academia, higher education systems must be able to protect it. By relying on the economic theory of higher education, the international mobility and the sociology of science literature, we compare the working condition in the four major European higher education systems: the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy. Remuneration level especially its variable component is of paramount importance for all researchers. Job security in terms of tenure-track positions and habilitation process as well as the career length are relevant for early-career scholars, whereas the institutional prestige and the funding availability together with the disciplinary-centre approach as well as the language biases are significant conditions for international researchers specifically. According to the target, policymakers should rely on specific leverages to increase a country competitiveness.