Job Discussion Forums

CFTU-Beijing · Joined: 25 Jan 2013 Posts: 40

This horror story is one of many we found online and is typical of how an agent can drastically affect the "starting salary" of a newbie in China. It is self explanatory: http://www.onlinetefl.com/tefl-chalkboard/vagabond/posts/13379-too-many-scam-agents-amp-recruiters-in-china-be-careful-fellow-expat-foreign-teachers

Here is the all-time worse case scenario we found a while back and should be a wake up call to every teacher coming to, or already in China: http://www.thebeijinger.com/forum/2013/01/31/beware-chinaesl-scam-alert-rebecca-tang-will-rip-you

And yet another: http://www.onlinetefl.com/tefl-chalkboard/fransa150/posts/13383-the-case-for-agents

What a school pays and what a teacher receives varies by as much as $12,000 a year depending on whether or not an agent is involved as well as the negotiating skills of the teacher.

Screen Print No: ESLCAFE-27.9.24.13

Delltron · Joined: 03 Sep 2010 Posts: 54

My first year I got 6500/month for Uni.

The second year I got 7000.

Both jobs provided housing. All utilities were paid my first year. I had to pay for water and electricity my second year.

BlueBlood · Joined: 31 Aug 2013 Posts: 261

muffintop · Joined: 07 Jan 2013 Posts: 803

BlueBlood · Joined: 31 Aug 2013 Posts: 261

Don't disagree with your attitude about uni gigs one bit, mt. And actions speak louder than words: I'm presently applying for such relatively low-paid uni jobs.

I didn't realize summers were generally paid?

muffintop · Joined: 07 Jan 2013 Posts: 803

It may become a point you discuss during the negotiation phase. Some schools pay you for the summer, some pay you if you return to the school for another year, some don't pay or reduce the salary. It's one of those things that's usually open to discussion.

Denim-Maniac · Joined: 31 Jan 2012 Posts: 1238

BlueBlood · Joined: 31 Aug 2013 Posts: 261

@ mt and @ DM, terrific input and perspective.

In the States, the only ESL teachers that can make any sort of a living at all, to my knowledge, are those lucky few who land jobs at state colleges or junior colleges. Indeed, I'm not even sure that lot gets benefits, but would suppose they do.

I'm very much looking forward to this. Even if I don't teach for the next 5 years, I know I won't regret doing it for the next 2 or 3.

Bolt · Joined: 25 Sep 2013 Posts: 34 Location: China

NP1970 · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 35 Location: Beijing/Tianjin

I started 2 years ago at 12,000 yuan per month and the school paid half of my rent (1,800 yuan cap) but I had a flatmate as well. I now earn 15,000 yuan per month and they still pay half my rent. But teaching in Tianjin is a bit boring so I am looking for a new job in Beijing or Shanghai. Any schools you can suggest would be appreciated. Thanks.

Bolt · Joined: 25 Sep 2013 Posts: 34 Location: China

Harbin · Joined: 19 Feb 2013 Posts: 161

NP1970 · Joined: 26 Sep 2013 Posts: 35 Location: Beijing/Tianjin

vikeologist · Joined: 07 Sep 2009 Posts: 600

I do agree that there should be some kind of minimum salary. It's hard to say exactly what, but maybe working at a Uni for 4k a month is under-selling yourself. I'd be on board with the idea of suggesting that the minimum salary for Uni jobs should be 5k, and that if you have skills, exp, etc on top of that, you should be able to get more, even for your first job in China. But it is after all a part time job. Uni teachers can earn extra money from private classes, but only if they have some useful skills. It's not going to be handed to anyone on a plate.

Also, if you're getting 4k a month, but 100% pay over the holidays, then that's potentially better than 5k a month, with no holiday pay. As others have said, you have to look at the whole package.

With full-time jobs, it's trickier to say what a fair low-end salary would be. Lots of different factors like office hours, time needed to prepare classes and how many holidays you get.

Unfortunately the CFTU's figures are just nonsense, and it's causing problems because people are reading these forums and believing that they can earn $1,500-$2,000 a month in China as a minimum. It's giving people unrealistic expectations. They can't find the jobs paying this much, and they wonder, where are they?

It's not that nobody is earning this much. Actually, there are teachers earning a lot more than this.

I'm all for the idea of a 'minimum wage' for foreign teachers, and I think we have a lot of power on this forum to force up expectations, but there are some important things to recognise.

The salary inflation would be artificial
There is no actual data to back up any figures
Teachers don't actually deserve or have a right to higher salaries. it's just market forces.
Shanghai / Beijing etc are more expensive to live in.
Given that it's a free market, ultimately we should all be out for ourselves. We can inflate our own values and marketability by being, you know, competent and valuable.
Expecting a 6k minimum for Uni jobs, based on everything that I've been able to find out, is just delusional. 5k might be workable.

There's still a of Uni jobs paying less than 5k, so even if this figure is still low, it would be a start.

The thing is that pretty much everybody can get a Uni job paying 5k f they hold out for it. Almost no starter teachers will be able to get 6k. If the CFTU would just live in the real world then their phony research and whatever scam they're trying to pull may actually be useful, but at the moment it's just causing problems.