Job Discussion Forums

[BlueBlood]

Based not only on this board, but also from PMing and even meeting current/former FT's, I've frankly gotten some figures that are rather out-there. By "out-there" I mean a huge discrepancy btw the high end and the low end.

In fact, I was personally offered a uni job which would have started this month. Free flat on campus. The hours? 18 teaching per week. The pay? Wait for it...About $650 U.S. per month. No joke there.

On the other end, an FT I know well, who's actually a gifted teacher but doesn't have a bachelor's degree (not that his school knows that!), told me about his situation: 16 contact hours per week; free flat on campus; and the Pay? Again, wait for it...$1,500 U.S. per month!

Can a few of the old hands here please chime in on this? As well as FT's currently working at Chinese unis? Where are the highest-paid uni jobs?

Thanks in advance. At the former pay, I literally cannot afford to teach in China due to financial obligations back home. At the latter, I can.

[Shroob]

[BlueBlood]

Good input, Shroob. Thanks.

No, money isn't everything, but when you're my age and have child support obligation back home, money certainly matters.

In what city was that job, btw?

[Bud Powell]

You have over 200 posts, but have you actually read this forum? It's a topic of frequent discussion.

But since you seem quite vexed, I'll help you to understand the discrepancies.

Public universities, generally, pay less. Why? Because that's the way it is.

Language schools pay more because they charge more in tuition and because generally, teachers put in more hours.

"...an FT I know well, who's actually a gifted teacher but doesn't have a bachelor's degree (not that his school knows that!), told me about his situation: 16 contact hours per week; free flat on campus; and the Pay? Again, wait for it...$1,500 U.S. per month!"


Your friend is not working for a public university and getting paid that kind of money without a degree unless the school is very desperate for a teacher. That happens sometimes, and the outcome is usually pretty bad.

The highest paid public university jobs are where you find them. One cannot count on finding higher pay in the larger cities because the larger cities attract more FTs.

Take a look at abroadchina.org to see the spread of salaries for all sorts of schools throughout China. That will answer a lot more questions.

There's my fifty cents, but you can have it.

Good luck.

[BlueBlood]

Yes, as my post count indicates, I've read many threads here and am somewhat disappointed by your implication. It is what it is.

My friend is teaching at a private university, but his hours are low and he definitely does not have a college degree.

He insists salaries vary generally throughout China, but has no idea which cities generally paid the best. He's heard Shenzhen schools pay well, but isn't sure. I created this thread hoping for more info. Please feel free to ignore it if you think it's superfluous and the information is already located in other threads. Thanks

[teenoso]

It's a fairly safe rule that many FTs will be creative with the truth about money / salary - your friend earning 9000 RMB at a private uni, while deceiving the employer that he has a college degree, does not sound plausible.
But obviously , wherever you are, private unis pay more than public ones. You might find a high pay public uni job in Shanghai , but think of the living costs.

I would check out the adverts for colleges like Pei Zheng in GD, or BNUZ in Zhuhai, where they employ lots of FTs , and the base salary is high to attract many applicants.
The richer the city, the more opportunities there may be for private lessons to supplement your main income. Places like Suzhou, Wuxi, Hangzhou come to mind.

[johntpartee]

[Non Sequitur]

I agree that you should think 'package' when comparing remuneration.
The Chinese aren't idiots and if there are the high end salaries mentioned here, there will be a reason.
The trick is to assign a realistic cash value to perks such as free apartment on campus, no commute, access to subsidised dining etc.
Remember also that paying for your own apartment is a vastly different proposition in Shanghai than it is in a provincial centre.
Schools don't pay high salaries in main centres because of the cost of living but are at least as likely to pay low salaries because of a surplus of candidates for positions.
Low hours open up opportunities for private work which you may or may not want.

[Simon in Suzhou]

In my experience of searching for university jobs, the best salaries are in Guangdong Province- Guangzhou, Shenzhen, etc. A Chinese friend of mine told me that it is really hard for her to place people in these jobs because the competition is so high. So keep that in mind.

I second what Non Sequitur says about getting a job with low hours and more time for private classes or a part-time job if you want to bump up your salary.

I'm not someone to make grammar comments at all, it is just a message board after all...but the title of this post really made me cringe. We all make mistakes, but you might get some more personal help in finding a good job from the regulars here if you proofread a little more carefully before clicking "submit." Not trying to be snarky, just helpful.

[buffalobill12323]

[Javelin of Radiance]

[BlueBlood]

[BlueBlood]

[buffalobill12323]

[Javelin of Radiance]