Job Discussion Forums

mitsui · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1562 Location: Kawasaki

I knew someone who made 400,000 at Berlitz back in 2008.
He taught French and English.
He knew someone who was a DOS there (or similar) who had three kids.
He went back to California but gave up and went back to Japan.
Some people will never move beyond their BA. They just do enough to get by.
Also, when the spouse works and the in-laws help, things are not so bad.

In America, I must sponsor my wife and I will have to work hard.
Our income could go down if she does not work.

The Transformer · Joined: 03 Mar 2017 Posts: 69

I know that some of the people who've been at Gaba a long time, who started before the downturn period I mentioned, are still making an absolute ton there. I knew one person on the top belt (D2), who'd been there at least 10 years, and was working up to 15 lessons a day sometimes (yes, 10 hours of eikaiwa a day, between 7am and 10pm), and they must have been easily making 400-450k a month (at least). This was 2 years ago.

The salary raises across the board have contracted so much though, I doubt anyone else is going to be making that sort of money from an eikaiwa instructor level job ever again.

I know an ISL (Learning Studio Manager) at Gaba who was making 300k basic per month, and got an annual bonus of nearly a million yen, about 2 years ago.

mitsui · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 1562 Location: Kawasaki

To make money teachers have to work more.
I hear of people who live in Tokyo but have to go out to Saitama or even Gumma for work (part-time that is).
It seems that there is something one has to put up with, whether the long hours, or long commute.

Good pay, but work on Saturdays (6 days a week).
Good school, but bad commute, and forced to wake up early (5:30 a.m.).

Really though, people are worker harder for less money.

The Transformer · Joined: 03 Mar 2017 Posts: 69

A friend of mine lives outside of Tokyo, about a 30-45-minute commute in, working a variety of business classes, a day a week at a language school, and does some translating and proofreading on top. He's married and raising two kids, working 6 days a week sometimes. He has an advantage though as he lives in a 3LDK apartment for free, owned by his mother-in-law.

Getting married and having that kind of support from your spouse's family really helps. Without that, he'd either be living in a much smaller place, or living further out with even longer commutes.

Vince · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 559 Location: U.S.

The Transformer · Joined: 03 Mar 2017 Posts: 69

The friend I referred to has the house for himself, the wife and kids. The mother lives separately so it's kind of perfect in a way. I did know another guy who got married and moved in with the wife's parents. I think that lasted a few years but I heard him and the missus eventually had to move out. Apparently him and the mother had a personality clash and ended up hating each other.

Maybe it depends on the in-laws, but I'd imagine that living with your spouse's family could drive you crazy.