Should I take this salary package?

[Cherrypop]

I've recently applied to a job in China and interviewed with them. I was given this offer. The package they gave me seems really low. Much lower than I expected I could earn. The only reason I'm considering this school is because I have a relative that works there. This position is for an elementary teaching position.


Here is my experience.

BA in English
5 years of full time teaching experience.


Base Salary RMB 20,400/ monthly

Housing Allowance
Option 1 Will be reimbursed for the actual amount of rent paid, up to 2,050 RMB per month
Option 2 A non-shared one bedroom apartment for single teacher. A two bedroom apartment for teaching couples.


CNY Bonus RMB 2,400/annually (paid in February).

Completion of Contract Bonus RMB 16,000 (for two-year contract)


Relocation Fee Teachers will be reimbursed up to 12,000 RMB for the following:

One-way ticket to China. Visa Expense. All visas will be paid by the school, including the health check in China. This reimbursement does not include the health exam in your home country

Return Flights(FOR TWO-YEAR CONTRACTS ONLY) RMB 6,000

Tax=(Basic salary-5,000)*20%-1410 All bonuses and return flights are prorated if the contract is not a full year




I will be traveling with my husband and 2 year old son as well, but this salary package doesn't seem to include them. I asked the school if they would be covering their expenses as well, but have not received a response yet.


Thank you!

[Helen Back]

Not good enough. The salary is on the low side and if you get nothing for your dependents forget it. You can do better. What city? It wouldn't change my comment, just interested.

[Cherrypop]

That is exactly what I was thinking.

I believe the city name is Suzhou, China.

[wrldtrvlr123]

Agree. Salary and housing is low (more like an ESL salary than an int'l teaching position). You would likely be out of pocket at least another 2K rmb for a decent place for you and your family.

Also, any decent school will cover visas and flights for your family (for at least two dependents).

You could likely do better, unless you are just dying to get over there and be at the same school as your relative.

Good luck!

[secondplace]

You'll need to spend at least 5000 RMB to get decent housing.

[Cherrypop]

@secondplace

Wow, 5,000? That's concerning. We'd definitely need a 3 bedroom. I'm just not sure what is considered "decent" in that city. My relative says it's really cheap and that she has a two bedroom while only spending 1,800rmb of the housing allowance.

[PsyGuy]

Are you credentialed as an elementary/primary edu?
Your 5 years experience is teaching what and where?
Is this an international IS or is it an academy in a Chinese DS, or is it essentially a private/independent DS for Chinese host nationals?

[PsyGuy]

Whats the medical/health plan?
Why do you say you need "at least 3 bedrooms"? Its you and spouse in one bedroom and a bedroom for your child, thats a 2LDK?

[Cherrypop]

Thanks for your reply!

I’m a certified teacher in elementary education. 4 years in the USA and 1 abroad in Korea.

After doing some more research on the school, it seems like it’s only the high school that’s “international”. The elemntary side of it is something else. I think bilingual. Though my sister’s salary is still very close to mine and she is in the high school.

I actually don’t know what you mean by DS.


I haven’t seen the health package yet. 3 bedrooms is more comfortable for us, but we could do 2.

2LDK? I’m not sure what you mean.

[adminpaul]

A 2LDK would mean that there are 2 bedrooms plus the Living, Dining, Kitchen part, a 3LDK would indicate 3 bedrooms and so on.

[Psychometrika]

Since you are certified and experienced you can most likely do better than this. My advice is to keep searching.

[Cherrypop]

Thanks @admin

Ohh okay. Yeah, my thoughts exactly.

I’m sure my sister is signing on for 2 more years at this school. The whole idea was to be close together living in a different country. We’re really close. We are a year apart in age. Went to the same university and lived together after college for 3 years before I got married.

We wanted to live near each other and so on...it’s just when I saw my salaray package, I started to second guess the decision since I’ll be supporting my husband and son as well. My husband really wants to go though.

We also discussed finding a new school after this one if we really like it and possibly going to live a different country. Idea would be to maximize our potential income as a teaching couple.

[eion_padraig]

There are a number of good international schools in Suzhou. You might target them specifically. Even if you lived in Shanghai, you'd find it easy to go to Suzhou on weekends. We're talking about a 20 minute train ride from city to city. You'd spend more time depending on how far each of you lived from the train stations.

But that's a terrible salary as other people mentioned.

Eion

[secondplace]

The two international schools I would consider in Suzhou are the big 3 programme IB one and the British one.

Beyond that, well, the other schools might be a good way to get into China, Suzhou and international teaching but you wouldn't want to stay at them for long.

[PsyGuy]

@Cherrypop

Is this one year in South Korea teaching ESOL?


DS = Domestic School, a school that primarily serves the local host population. It can be public/maintained or private/independent, etc.

2LDK = A notation used in Japan to describe apartments/flats. In private (non-shared) accommodations the number indicates the quantity of multi-purpose/general purpose rooms which you can think of as bedrooms. The "L" is a living type area, the "D" a dinning type area and "K" is a kitchen type of area. a "B" indicates a second or additional bathrooms (its assumed that the listing includes one bathroom), a "S" indicates a small storage/supplemental type room (about the size of a small walk in closet). In shared housing "R" indicates just a room, such as a bedroom, if it includes a private bathroom than the notation "Br" is used if the bathroom is less than a full bathroom (such as a vanity) than its "b". The rest of the accommodations kitchen, living, dining, recreation, bathrooms, etc are assumed to be shared or communal.
So a 2LDK means 2 general purpose rooms and a living, kitchen, and dining area.

So this IS would be an academy from your description. An IS inside a much larger DS where the upper secondary program uses an international curriculum, and the primary is an intense or immersion ESOL program, though the student body is mostly Chinese. Is that about right?

This would be a third tier IS, and a lower third tier IS.

My position is going to substantially differ from the previous contributors. First, I disagree with @WT123 that this is a ESOL salary and package, its a third tier salary and OSH package for China. Third tier salaries in China top out at about RMB¥25K/month and start at about RMB¥20K/mth. Yours is on the lo side of that, but I dont see a lot from your resume description why you would get better. You have a PASS score of about 2 which is an entry class IT. After taxes your looking at about USD$3K/month which is right around the IT global average. You have a BA in English (not elementary/primary) you have a credential and 4 years experience. There isnt anything special there, and certainly nothing that would indicate to me that you would be able to break into second tier for elementary, especially considering the logistical factors of your family. You have a 3:1 traveler ratio which makes you an expensive IT for primary. 2:1 ratios are more typical of hat an IS will tolerate expense wise, and 3:1 ratios are moving into the realm of 'unhireible', especially for an unremarkable primary vacancy.
Its likely the offer includes nothing directly for your family members, because this is a third tier IS and thats not their problem. Your not going to get an accompanying OSH package until you move up a tier or at the least a floater third tier IS and then your still an unremarkable IT how teacher primary. Why would they hire you when there are plenty of primary ITs who are cheaper, and why would they pay more for that. They are however funding your families travel and relocation costs, thats what that bonus is, and while you dont get to pocket it, from the ISs point of view your not going to be a career investment, why should they invest so much coin in an IT thats going to do 2 years and move on. What they are effectively giving you is that if you complete the full two year contract your bonuses will provide for your spouse and childs travel and visa fees.

Third tier ISs generally dont provide lavish lifestyles and a 3LDK is a much greater ask (most dwellings are built for at most 1 child), while youd be more comfortable with a larger place, your comfort especially considering that theres an actual cost for that comfort isnt a priority for the IS.
I disagree with @secondplace , while a lot of the 'western' modern housing you see starts at around RMB¥5K/mth, for the RMB¥2K/mth you are getting that will get you a 2LK with IKEA furnishings, it wont be grand but it will be serviceable.

However you may be able to do better than the salary you are offered, it is on the low side, but you seem to have a strong personal factor of moving to the same city and IS as your sister. You may get a few thousand more RMB, but you woudnt be living and working with your sister, and that kind of support system absolutely has value.
Looking at the contract are there penalties for breaking it or leaving before the contract completion, do they delay salaries or withhold salary over breaks (including summer)? Is the salary they quoted you the RMB¥20,400/mth is that for 9 months (they dont pay you for break and holidays), 10 months (they dont pay you for summer break) or 12 months? If its 12 months your making USD$36K/yr at an 8% tax rate and with your costs and housing provided for, even at 10 months your making USD$30K/yr. This is January its the very very beginning of peak recruiting. Having a job with your sister in your pocket is a strong position and gives you something real to compare other offers too.

I dont think you can do much better with this IS, they likely think youre worth X, and they can get some other IT that will do it for X, but you have your sister on the inside and thats a more stable hire. I would counter with RMB¥22K/mth and explain that after taxes you need RMB¥20K/mth and Id ask for one of their 2LDK apartments even though you arent a teaching couple. If they give you either one id take it as a safety option. You can always keep looking, since you want to be at least near your sister if not working with her, and thats a small job search area. Nothing is preventing you from continuing to look for something better and even after you start working there for something better. Your an expensive hire logistically for what amounts to a warm body with a pulse to fill a primary classroom.