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What is a reasonable salary for a qualified teacher in HK?

 
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sheridan



Joined: 15 Mar 2003
Posts: 20

PostPosted: Tue Mar 18, 2003 3:02 pm    Post subject: What is a reasonable salary for a qualified teacher in HK? Reply with quote

I have a B Ed, Dip Tch, TESOL Certificate, 18+ years teaching experience (K-12 + TAFE & University), 10 years in Training & Organisation Development management positions as well as private sector management experience. Some of my teaching has been esl - children and adults.

I have been offered a kindergarten teaching position 8.30-5 M-F + some Saturdays with salary of HK$12000 per mth + free shared accommodation.

I am still applying for teaching positions advertised in the SMCP but they all ask me to nominate desired salary. I have no idea what is reasonable but I suspect it might be difficult to live on HK$12000 per mth. Am I correct in my assumptions?

Can any of you vets give me some answers?
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Scott in HK



Joined: 11 Jan 2003
Posts: 148

PostPosted: Wed Mar 19, 2003 12:07 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Did you see the ad in the paper last Saturday for a NET position at some local school? I can't remember the name, but this is the time of year that some schools look for their NETs on their own. They hire you and then go through the ED to get you accepted.

I wouldn't accept anything so low, unless I had to. I would think jobs at that level would available all year.

And keep your eye out for the international schools...they always have ads in as some teachers as some decide at the last minute to leave.

I would think with your B'ed you are worth more...
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Roger



Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138

PostPosted: Mon Mar 24, 2003 10:57 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

When I was living in HK,I was ran into an offer of a mainland kindergarten job that paid 12000! So why should you settle for 12000 in expensive HK and SHARE housing with someone else???

That is a bad offer, however you look at it!
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sheridan



Joined: 15 Mar 2003
Posts: 20

PostPosted: Mon Mar 31, 2003 8:45 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you to Roger in HK and Scott. You have verified my assumption. However, I still need a $ figure to ask for when applying for those positions advertised in the SMCP. I don't want to price myself out of the market but neither do I undervalue my experience and expertise as a teacher and a manager of training and development organisations. I believe that I will need to get some "street cred" in HK before I ask for and get the top jobs and big money. However, I need to have clean, unshared accommodation and enough money to eat and get to work if I am to perform at a reasonable level.

Can anyone out there give me a reasonable salary to request?

I don't drink - unless being plied with champagne and then I'm definitely not paying for the champagne - at least not in $$.

I do smoke and don't mind the occasional "hunk" but I only pay for the cigarettes.
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sheridan



Joined: 15 Mar 2003
Posts: 20

PostPosted: Mon Mar 31, 2003 8:50 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Sorry Scott in HK and Roger! I hope no prospective employers are reading this! What salary could I possibly command when I can't even keep two names straight for a few minutes! My hard drive is definitely full. If only I could buy a floppy disc for my brain!
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arju



Joined: 18 Feb 2003
Posts: 58
Location: h.k

PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 2:32 pm    Post subject: net salary Reply with quote

hi sheridan
12000 is chicken feed in order to help you need to exactly state how amny years primary /secondary teaching you have done since getting the Bachelor of ed. the hong kong ed only pay for time full time classroom teaching since getting a degree of education therefore the other experinces though good in ither countries are worthless here for salary purposes to give you a clue I have 11 years since my B.ed and get 32000, my wife has 8 years recognised since her BED and gets 27000.
write back and give a figure and I will look it up at school on the ed dept salary list
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Scott in HK



Joined: 11 Jan 2003
Posts: 148

PostPosted: Tue Apr 01, 2003 11:29 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

arju's figures are only for people on the government NET program...private schools do not follow the ED pay scale...and although 12 is low...i don't think anyone makes over 20K in a private school...

international schools also have their own pay scales with most teachers getting over 30K...i think...i only know two international school teachers...
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Roger



Joined: 19 Jan 2003
Posts: 9138

PostPosted: Wed Apr 02, 2003 1:49 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Scott in HK's estimates are probably closest to the current pay scale. I would generalise that 30'000 is a starting figure for most jobs although kindergartens may offer less than that, or work you to the bones.
In my time (until 2000), private lessons earned me 300 to 400 HK dollars in HK Island.
In Kowloon, this figure might be somewhat high - settle for 280.
I knew someone that was making the rounds on some NT estates, asking for 250 dollars an hour. But he had to commute by public means of transport, and the distances were formidable!
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Egas
Guest





PostPosted: Wed Apr 02, 2003 7:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

So what would a guy like me earn in the NET scheme. Since I applied for secondary schools positions I suppose I have to scrub out my experience in Taiwan where I taught younger students. But I also taught in a university preparation program in Beijing, teaching 17-20 year olds. Will they scrub that too? Those positions include director of studies and leading teacher positions. It seems to me that they are just cost cutting. All the experience has taught me heaps about English and ESL teaching right from absolute beginners to advanced. Why do they discriminate like this? I have never taught in any other system where they refused to recognise any of my teaching experience. It's enough to really piss me off!

So if I count my actual secondary experience it adds up to 3 1/2 years. I have a B/A degree with an honors year and a postgraduate diploma in Education (total five years uni ed). Can anyone tell me what kind of pay I am likely to receive in the NET scheme? Or where I can look it up?
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Scott in HK



Joined: 11 Jan 2003
Posts: 148

PostPosted: Wed Apr 02, 2003 8:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

With the education degree you start around 19K...and then i think that it is about 1k for every year of experience...so you get 22K...i don't think they count half years...and they would count your experience with 17-20 year olds as that equates well with Form 5-7...so add to that your special allowance 13K and you get 35K a month...

none of the esl operations I have worked for before every really counted experience...you might get a higher starting salary but no increments once you began...every year you are in the NET program your salary will rise...

getting your experience to count is one of the biggest complaints among NET teachers...but if you don't like the salary you can always go somewhere else...
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sheridan



Joined: 15 Mar 2003
Posts: 20

PostPosted: Sun Apr 06, 2003 1:30 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Thank you to Scott in HK, Roger and Arju for all your advice. I have accepted a position in Japan but still hope to get to HK eventually so I'll probably need your advice again at a later date.

May all your chickens not turn into roosters and kick your hen house down!
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Bertrand



Joined: 02 Feb 2003
Posts: 293

PostPosted: Fri Jun 13, 2003 2:44 am    Post subject: start at 20,000 or 30,000 a month and then go up Reply with quote

20,000 or 30,000 would be fair.
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