What is a decent salary to expect in China/Korea?

[faina123]

Hi, i am a recent graduate, certified teacher of English High School from the state of New Jersey. I also have TESL/TESOL certification and have taught ESL to adult learners for a semester. I think i am too late to get a position at an International school in Asia, but i have gotten many offers from public and private schools in Korea and China through agencies. They all offer apartment/airfare/etc. But what salary is acceptable? What numbers or range should i be looking for? - Thank you

[goinggoinggone]

I don't know a lot about China, but I know that if you're looking at public schools in Korea there is a specific pay scale that applies to everyone. I believe with teacher certification you might be able to start at maybe 2.2 million Korean won a month. It's definitely enough money to be able to save money and travel. You can google the pay scales for the different programs (EPIK, SMOE) and find more specific information.

Private schools will sometimes pay more than public schools, but the hours/workload is sometimes a bit more than in the public schools and there is generally less vacation time than in the public school jobs.

If you're interested in international schools, you might want to join TIE online. There are still quite a few jobs posted there and it's probably worth much more than the fee if you get a job! A lot of international schools will offer more benefits in terms of vacation time and better salaries as opposed to public schools or language schools.

My advice if you do decide to go the private language school route in Korea is to do a lot of research on your own and apply to job ads directly instead of relying on recruiters. I spent three years teaching English in Korea before I returned home to get my MA and teacher certification, and by far the worse job I had in terms of working conditions and pay was the first one I got through a recruiter! If you have any more specific questions about schools or working in Korea feel free to pm me. It's a great experience and well worth it, but you definitely need to do your research so you end up in a decent school.

[faina123]

Hi goinggoinggone i tried to pm you but it said that option was disabled on this board. I wanted to thank you for the information it was very helpful. I have never taught abroad before so i am not sure where to start. I have been getting a lot of e-mails from agencies and recruiters. I rather not work for a private school. i rather work in a public school or an international school. You mentioned i should not go through an agency but where then do i see the direct posts from schools looking for teachers? If you happen to know of any specific schools that are good and are still looking i would appreciate it. The recruiters who responded to my resume all offered a furnished apartment and 2,ooo,ooo won and up. Any information at all you may have to help me get started, where to look, who to contact would be great. - Thanks

[goinggoinggone]

I'm glad I could be of some help. Most of the major boards for jobs in Korea including dave's esl cafe, hiteacher.com, and www.worknplay.co.kr and any others will contain some posts from recruiters and some from individual schools. I think you may need to use a recruiter to have a chance at public school jobs. The forum on dave's esl cafe has a lot of information about schools.

Any job offer from the public schools or private schools in Korea should at minimum include single furnished housing, airfare, 50% pension, 50% medical, and a severance bonus of one month's salary at the end of 12 months. All those things are completely standard and any school that does not offer those things is suspect. I would also think that 2.0 for someone with teacher certification is a little low. I knew people a few years ago who had no certification or TESOL who started at 2.0. Without more experience it may be difficult to ask for a whole lot more, but I would think that it shouldn't be too hard to get at least 2.1 to 2.2 or more.

Also, if you're really interested in international schools I would say go ahead and try sending out resumes and look on the websites that specifically advertise for international school jobs. It may be late in the season but it's definitely worth the effort and if doesn't work out for this fall then you have a better idea of where to look for next year.

[marlow]

I worked at an international school in Korea for five years; I had a very positive experience, but I knew several people who worked in ESOL schools, and did not. This isn't to say that it isn't possible to have a good experience, but my point is that you should also think about more than just the salary and benefits; the work environments and students of those institutions cover a wide range of the spectrum. One friend who did have a positive experience worked largely with people who were trained teachers, but my friends who had negative experiences were working with young backpackers who were out to make a buck and didn't care about the kids or work environment.

If possible, before taking a contract, ask (or try and find) about any information about who you'll be working with, as well as the reputation of the institution for whom you'll be working. Money is important, but if you arrive and you're working with people you can't stand (or for a boss who is merciless) then the money doesn't matter anymore.

[faina123]

So i took your advice and looked up the programs for teaching in Korea sponsored by the state etc...like the two you mentioned earlier..i looked at their pay ladder... i would be eligible to start at 2.2 mill won. I am getting calls from recruiters now all wanting to speak and start the process but i am now worried as to which one is reputable as opposed to another. They all seem to be pretty much offering and guaranteeing the same thing. What kind of questions should i be asking THEM once i start returning their calls? I believe that if i choose Korea i should focus on Seoul just because it may be easier to adjust with a city that offers so much. However, i am also now getting recruiters from China... one even from a university...i am finding it hard to decide now.. what would be a fair salary if i where to seek employment in China? I also want to thank the second poster on this thread in reference to making sure the schools and the environment and staff are top notch... i take pride in my work so i have the same concerns... if you have any other suggestions as to how to investigate a school's faculty or environment please let me know. At this point, with all these recruiters calling... should i simply respond to all of them, hear them out and see which one sounds better? As for teaching at an international school, i definitely am not averse to the idea.. however it is my understanding international schools usually ask for a 2 year contract. Seeing as this would be my first move so far away from my home and family i am looking for something that would be only a year long contract to ease me into the international teaching world. - thank you once again for all your help and if you can answer any of the above i would appreciate it. - Faina

[goinggoinggone]

I think if you're really concerned about having a qualified staff and a working environment similar to one you might find at home you really should consider international schools. Teaching mostly conversational English in a public school, private school, or university in Korea or China is quite a bit different than the kind of teaching you would do in an international school or a public school at home. Although most contracts are for two years, you get vacation that you could use to go home for a visit. Of course, if you do get a job offer it's very important to ask questions about the school and ask for contact information for teachers that work or have worked at the school. That's probably the best way to research a school and see if it and the people you will be working with are a good fit. If a recruiter sets you up with a job, you need to talk to the school and teachers that work there because the recruiters themselves don't actually work at or even know much about the individual schools.

If you do decide to go for the public schools jobs in Korea specifically, there are a few things you should know. First, you can only use one recruiter to submit your application to a given program (EPIK, GEPIK, SMOE). If your application is sent from more than one recruiter it will be rejected so you should probably decide on one. Also, if you're accepted to a public school program you will not choose your school. You're simply accepted to that program and once you go through your orientation you are given a placement in a school somewhere in that region.