Job Discussion Forums

[Moto]

Hello , Can anyone who is currently teaching in the Czech Republic give me an idea of the average TEFL teachers earnings ? , If I am going to teach there I need to have an idea of how much I can earn . Thanks .

[spiral78]

Most teachers earn enough to live on OK, but not to save up much or to travel much outside the country. This isn't a place to come if you need to pay off debts back home or want to save up for major investments like car or house.

The biggest kicker is rents. If you are content to flat-share, this can help considerably in terms of your monthly bottom line, but saving much still would be difficult.

You can expect to be able to enjoy lots of cultural events, eating and drinking out (usually avoiding the tourist places), and to travel around the country.

If you've got aspirations to more, you probably won't find it anywhere in Europe. The job market here bears very little resemblance to Asia, where teachers are more in demand and pay is therefore relatively higher. Most teachers in their first and second years in any single location here work to build up local contacts, reputation, and language skills, and then are able to find the few 'better' jobs around, but this takes time and commitment to a region, along with qualifications (and some luck).

Don't forget up-front costs. It's very rare for reputable schools to hire anyone from abroad (just too many teachers around for them to need to take a chance on someone sight-unseen). You'll need to plan to get over here, pay for your rent and upkeep for a couple of months, all before landing that first paycheck (most employers pay monthly at the end of the month worked).

Numbers? I think salaries hover (still) around 22,000 - 28,000 kc/monthly - confirmation, anyone? My latest direct info is from 2010.

But keep in mind it's not just about how much you earn - it's about cost of living and how much of your wage will be eaten up by basic cost of living.

[Moto]

Thank you for your reply , enough to live on is what I wanted to hear .
It looks like I will do OK .

[zbduk]

I'm in the Czech Republic at the mo and have been here since August. Spiral78 is right in that flat-sharing is the way to go if you want to do anything other than work and stay in the same town at the weekends.

For 25 hours a week, you should get about 25k/mth which is fine to get by on outside of the cities.

I'm here with my husband and he works online doing something web-related so the only 'real' money we get is my wage and we're doing ok. We share a decent sized flat with another teacher from the same school.
We're in a small town but the railway links are pretty good and compared with the UK, train travel is cheap.

Hope this helps.

[Moto]

Thanks for that , it is good to hear from someone who is there right now and has bang up to date information Thanks ...

[thesuitthatdidnt]

read between the lines when teachers say 'they get by'.

Getting by infers subsistence living...better to visit the Republic than to go hungry in it.

[Mercury Morris]

Spiral78 says-

[Moto]

Thanks for all the replies .
I lived in Prague for four months in 2010 and fell in love with the place , I know it well , my interest in teaching there is simply to make enough to live on and enjoy all that Prague and the Czech republic has to offer from a lifestyle and cultural point of view . I am under no illusions that teaching is a money maker , I know full well that it is not As long as I can cover my basic living costs and live there legally , that is all I need as I am in the very fortunate position of having a reasonable secondary income from a small web based business which I can run from my Laptop anywhere that has an internet connection , I always used the free wi-fi upstairs at Starbucks on Wenceslas square when I was living there as well as many other places around Prague that offer free wi-fi .
Once again , thanks for all your input , Na Shledanou for now .

[teflworldwideprague]

Hi Moto. I've been in the TEFL industry in Prague for 13 years now. TEFL salaries for a newbie here in Prague are 17,000 - 19,000kc net. Pick up some private students on the side or get a part-time job at another school and you can be netting over 20,000kc. The new teachers that I know are renting rooms for between 7,000 to 8000kc/month and have money to travel around Europe. I know dozens of teachers who are having a good time here. They are not saving money or paying bills back home but they are traveling. Teaching here is there passport to travel Europe. So budget wisely and you can have a good time.

[Moto]