Yes, I didn't have a job in the US when I applied and was approved immediately. It asks about your income, but as far as I understand you can include your spouse's income.
I've had an Amex in Germany for a few years and was able to open an US Amex card under my name without a SSN just last month using the Global Card Relationship link that was mentioned in a previous post (https://www.americanexpress.com/us/customer-service/global-card-relationship/). There was an option for people who don't have a SSN to put in their passport number instead.