|
Job Discussion Forums
"The Internet's Meeting Place for ESL/EFL Students and Teachers from Around the World!"
|
| View previous topic :: View next topic |
| Author |
Message |
dackinator
Joined: 17 Sep 2010
Posts: 105
|
 Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 10:32 am Post subject: wage expectations? |
 |
|
Hi there, I have a simple question I was hoping to get some advice on from people out in Taiwan.
On the internet im seeing a lot of varying salarys offered, and hourly rates. For example, one job offering 35k NT per year, another offering 60k.
What would you consider to be a reasonable wage for a full time contract teaching in Taiwan? I have a few years experience teaching and dont want to find out later I'm earning much less than what I could have elsewhere. |
|
| Back to top |
|
 |
forefit
Joined: 03 Sep 2010
Posts: 22
|
| Posted: Fri Aug 10, 2012 5:25 pm Post subject: |
|
|
| Well, to answer that properly you need to give more details. Is it a high school or a Buxiban? 35K a year? you mean a month? also how many hours is it teaching and unpaid hours? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 8:44 am Post subject: Re: wage expectations? |
|
|
| dackinator wrote: |
Hi there, I have a simple question I was hoping to get some advice on from people out in Taiwan.
On the internet im seeing a lot of varying salarys offered, and hourly rates. For example, one job offering 35k NT per year, another offering 60k.
What would you consider to be a reasonable wage for a full time contract teaching in Taiwan? I have a few years experience teaching and dont want to find out later I'm earning much less than what I could have elsewhere. |
I assume you meant 35K~60K per month, not per year. Because on 35K per year, you'd literally be living in a cardboard box and foraging for grubs and edible plants.
Most jobs for native English speakers pay 500 NTD to 600 NTD per teaching hour (not counting lesson prep or other duties). The pay is hourly (i.e. if your classes get cancelled due to a typhoon, or there's a lengthy Chinese New Year break, you don't get paid for the hours that you didn't end up working). Salaries are rare.
Most contracts at buxiban these days are for less than 20 hours a week. The legal minimum is 14 hours per week to get your ARC sponsored, and many employers offer right about that amount (I was on 15 hours per week for my last year in Taiwan).
Some buxiban offer more hours (20~30) but those jobs are much, much, much more competitive, especially in the big cities like Taipei and Kaohsiung.
If you want to teach at a regular school (public or private), you'll need a bachelor's degree in a relevant field and a home country teacher's license. Most people don't have these, which is why most people don't teach at public school.
If you are only able to secure a few hours a week (14, 15, or 16 hours a week), you will probably make enough to survive, but your savings and lifestyle won't be that great. Some people on this forum will tell you that you can string a bunch of part-time work together and make more money. That's only partially true, because:
- Most buxiban want you to work at the same times. Almost every buxiban wants you to work Wednesday and Friday afternoons/evenings. Since it is impossible to be in two places at the same time, this means that usually, it is very difficult to increase your hours.
- You can theoretically teach kindergarten in the mornings, which won't conflict with your buxiban schedule, but it's A) illegal and B) extremely competitive since all the other foreigners in town are also looking for extra hours from a limited number of kindergartens.
- In theory, you can teach private lessons, but A) it's also illegal, and B) most Taiwanese people who initially show interest in private English lessons aren't willing to pay more than about 300~400 NTD per hour. No thanks.
- If you have another skill, you can get a part-time job doing that on the side. In my case, I am proficient in Korean, so I made some extra money doing Korean  English translations over the Internet, proofreading, article rewriting, etc. Of course, being able to make money in this manner relies on having a job skill besides just speaking your native language, which many EFL teachers in Taiwan don't... You'll have to be the judge of your own situation. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
dackinator
Joined: 17 Sep 2010
Posts: 105
|
| Posted: Sat Aug 11, 2012 10:28 am Post subject: |
|
|
| forefit wrote: |
| Well, to answer that properly you need to give more details. Is it a high school or a Buxiban? 35K a year? you mean a month? also how many hours is it teaching and unpaid hours? |
My mistake, I meant month.
I'm talking about standard language institutes where you teach 20-25 hours per week (im guessing this is the standard amount, coming from teaching in s.america).
I guess public schools are also an option as I have a BSc as well as teaching experience. |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
Rooster_2006
Joined: 24 Sep 2007
Posts: 984
|
| Posted: Sun Aug 12, 2012 2:54 am Post subject: |
|
|
| Quote: |
| I guess public schools are also an option as I have a BSc as well as teaching experience. |
Okay, I just told you in the previous post that public schools are not an option unless you have a home country teacher's license, which, so far, you have not mentioned having.
Do you have a teacher's license in your home country?
If not, then no, they aren't an option.
Unless you break the law. Which would, quite likely, get you busted. Fined. Deported. Banned. Because guys from the Labor Bureau CAN and DO come to check up on you (I've been audited three times).
Seriously, did you read my post? |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
phdinfunk
Joined: 30 May 2008
Posts: 69
|
| Posted: Thu Sep 06, 2012 3:09 pm Post subject: Re: wage expectations? |
|
|
| Rooster_2006 wrote: |
| dackinator wrote: |
Hi there, I have a simple question I was hoping to get some advice on from people out in Taiwan.
On the internet im seeing a lot of varying salarys offered, and hourly rates. For example, one job offering 35k NT per year, another offering 60k.
What would you consider to be a reasonable wage for a full time contract teaching in Taiwan? I have a few years experience teaching and dont want to find out later I'm earning much less than what I could have elsewhere. |
[...]
Most jobs for native English speakers pay 500 NTD to 600 NTD per teaching hour (not counting lesson prep or other duties). The pay is hourly (i.e. if your classes get cancelled due to a typhoon, or there's a lengthy Chinese New Year break, you don't get paid for the hours that you didn't end up working). Salaries are rare.
Most contracts at buxiban these days are for less than 20 hours a week. The legal minimum is 14 hours per week to get your ARC sponsored, and many employers offer right about that amount (I was on 15 hours per week for my last year in Taiwan).
Some buxiban offer more hours (20~30) but those jobs are much, much, much more competitive, especially in the big cities like Taipei and Kaohsiung.
|
Wow, not my experience. I found a Kindy in Sanxia offering 45K for three days a week. A couple of Buxibans offered 65K or so in Bade (after I said no to 60k). 24 and 22 hours per week. The only school I applied at in Taipei proper wanted a bunch of extra hours, bring me meals on site and crap like that for 60k. I basically said, "are you crazy?" I worked in Taoyuan for 65k and good bonuses at 24 hours a week. Offers in Taichung for 65k for 24-26 hours.
Hell, you should be making 60k a month at a Shane school (my first job, and plenty of friends in that chain) after two-three years or so. Probably the boss would lie on your taxes too, so you'd get better take home pay (be careful if you want an APRC). And for that job, you's just flip flash cards and play stickyball games all day. As long as you give the kids stickers and stay popular, lie like a rug on their tests.... you'll get treated like a pro by the owners.... Plenty of stoned-out idiots do those jobs all the time.
I settled in Puli at 60k and a 4 day work week. The school is owned by a Canadian who really likes to actually educate students in English. I get a lot of freedom to teach how I want, and my outcomes are fantastic. I feel like a real teacher. My students respect me instead of being infatuated with me or thinking I'm cool because I have the newest variety of games. I just renewed for another year.
I only had one person last year offer under 600 NTD an hour. I was curious what kind of people he was hiring. They struck me as new kids. Fine, that was his gig. He also made it clear that he lets teachers do what they want. But I wouldn't even consider a job for under 650 an hour or 60k a month. There are so many out there..... |
|
| Back to top |
|
|
|
|
You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot vote in polls in this forum
|
This page is maintained by the one and only Dave Sperling.
Contact Dave's ESL Cafe
Copyright © 2018 Dave Sperling. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2002 phpBB Group
|
FAQ
Search
Memberlist
Usergroups
Register
Profile
Log in to check your private messages
Log in
