Job Discussion Forums

[kanjizai]

I've watched the wages slide down over the last five years. Is it me or have other people witnessed this?

I know, from time-to -to-time, I see people remark on this, but I would like to hear some anecdotes from people in Tokyo about their experience.

Thanks in advance.

[Apsara]

Eikaiwa salaries at least have dropped hugely since I first came to Japan. When I started at Nova in 1996, fresh out of university, the base rate for people in the greater Tokyo area was I think 260,000 yen, and most people had another 20,000 of evening and weekend bonuses as part of their monthly salary too so started on 280,000 and that was standard to low among eikaiwa at the time.

I haven't been in full time eikaiwa since 2004 but it seemed like starting salaries were already going down by then and have just continued to do so.

[marley'sghost]

No, it's not just you and there is nothing subtle about it. I used to make about 32 man a month working dispatch 6-7years ago. I was a JET before that and made even more. Down to about 28 now and that's the high end. New guys are getting 24. Pretty bleak.

[Pitarou]

Given Japan's general economic malaise and the sharp rise in unemployment among people leaving education in the West, it should come as no surprise that schools find they can get away with offering lower salaries.

[Inflames]

A lot of the smaller places have cut salaries bit by bit, but most of the big places are around the same. Raises have been cut back though.

New people at Nova make essentially nothing - I ran into a friend who was working there because he needed the visa and he was making between 180,000 and 200,000 yen a month for a full-time job. What a joke!

[Black_Beer_Man]

Back in 1995, I was told that there was actually a minimum salary imposed by the government (I guess to stop language schools from underpaying foreign teachers). It was 250,000 yen a month. Nova was paying 259,000 yen if you worked in Tokyo. A smallish, but apppreciated bonus to help with Tokyo's higher cost of living.

18 years later, that law seems to be gone as some language schools now have starting salaries of 240,000 yen.

What can you do?

[Mr_Monkey]

I think the law was actually a guideline which stipulates (d?) that a foreign employee should be paid the same salary as a Japanese one.

My guess is that visa-sponsoring companies have found that they have been able to sponsor visas while offering a lower rate of pay without the immigration officer issuing the visa telling them it's "too low".

[steki47]

Back at the old Nova, salaries could increase rather nicely over the years. Renewal raises ranged from 10-15K/month and then dropped down to 5K/month as I came in. Then people starting getting no raises and then the company died.

Also, I simply saw more jobs everywhere, it seemed.

[qwertyu2]

I've seen advertisements for essentially full time work as low as 170,000 per month. Now, with massive stimulus and the weakening yen, inflation is going to drive the purchasing power of those already low salaries even lower.

[thomthom]

I've just started a position that's �200k a month (with lunch, dinner, and transport covered). Awful money but I needed the visa. There are perks, though: the school is extremely relaxed. I can wander in late, leave early, easily book time off, I never have paperwork, and I have essentially 3hrs of break time a day. I am never stressed.
Makes me think: is it even worth 'upgrading' to a 250-260k position at a typical hellhole? Eventually perhaps, but...


I'm sure Korea will eventually go the same way as Japan. The former seems approximately 25 years behind the latter.

[kanjizai]

Great stuff..

Ive been here for 9 years and have been all over the spectrum; juku's, eikawa's, dispatch companies, direct hires and privates, so it's hard to know what people are making. I've worked for 1600 yen up to 7500 yen per hour, but I usually work part time.

I was thinking about going full time somewhere to cut back on some of the administrative stuff, but I don't see any jobs that pay old minimum of 250k, much less 300k or more.

I hope thomthom is right about Korea, because that has always been my plan B to Japan. And with the way the global economy is going, it would be nice to know there is refuge somewhere in Asia, even if it is a war zone with crocked Hagwon owners.

[rxk22]

[marley'sghost]

[Cool Teacher]

I recently saw a job for 150,000 a month for a high school job. Not ALT, but working in yout own classroom and making ones own syllabi's!

[HungryteacherY]

Haven't cracked 210k for 3 months in a row at NOVA.