Job Discussion Forums

killian · Posted: Tue Dec 21, 2004 11:39 pm Post subject: legal salary maximum?

hi ya'll. am currently talking with a school about coming back to china. the school insists it cannot pay more that 4,500 RMB a month for my services because it is the legal maximium.

i have never heard of a legal maximum pay limit. anyone know of such? thanks.

nolefan · Joined: 14 Jan 2004 Posts: 1458 Location: on the run

never heard of a legal maximum.... that's like the salary cap but if it was the case, there would not be so many folks with money out the wazoo.

If they can't increase the salary, can they cut down on the number of hours? that is just as good, if not better

Sinobear · Joined: 24 Aug 2004 Posts: 1269 Location: Purgatory

There's no maximum amount of profit that they can make from your face or your labors, so why should there be a maximum on their salaries?

Dig deeper and push.

Good luck!

JamesD · Posted: Wed Dec 22, 2004 12:26 am Post subject: The South?

Ya'll?
Sorry, it just reminded me of a few years ago when I heard some teachers talking about a student. One of them said, "Benny's in Mike's class." Her friend asks how she knows this is my student and she answers, "They all say "Ya'll". Ah, the curse of southern gentility.

Maximum legal salary?? That's a new one. Good try on the school's part and may even be an urban legend one day. Now there IS a legal MINIMUM.

Now, after working with Chinese administrators a bit I could have an explanation. If they are not familiar with hiring foreigners and don't have a high level English speaker communicating with you it is POSSIBLE (stress that again, possible) that they mean this is the most they can afford to pay you.
"Legal maximum" could be twisted (we've all heard Chinglish worse than this) from "the most we can pay". I know that's a stretch but you could at least ask.

lagerlout2006 · Joined: 17 Sep 2003 Posts: 985

In public schools , budget set by the government, there is a maximum. I think they have some room to move--but not much..That doesn't sound too hard to believe. In a private language mill of course there is no maximum...

ContemporaryDog · Joined: 21 May 2003 Posts: 1477 Location: Wuhan, China

This sounds like utter nonsense. A friend of mine is on 8000 base salary in Dalian, for instance.

joe greene · Joined: 21 Mar 2004 Posts: 200

It depends on which type of school. As Lagerlout said, public schools (universities at least) do have their salaries set by ministry regulations. Although I heard a rumour that next year the base salary will increase by 500 to 1000 RMB per month.

hermoine · Joined: 19 Dec 2004 Posts: 28 Location: china

Sorry. It is true. Government run schools have a salary cap - universities and middle schools. Private schools do not have maximum salary limits; however, each city and province is different.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Alright, hermoine, I would like to take you up on your assertion: can you supply some examples?
Just curious. So far I have only known about the legal MINIMUM pay (set at 2200); in Guangdong pay scales vary hugely between PUBLIC colleges within the same municipality - one example I can state is in Guangzhou some college offered RMB 8000 or more, while the majority seem to pay 4000 to 5000.

hermoine · Joined: 19 Dec 2004 Posts: 28 Location: china

Yeah, I will take you up on that Roger.

I used to own a language school and have dealt with the education department of the local and provincial government. I have also helped recruit teachers for middle schools and colleges in the province I used to live in. The people in the education department and the waibans at schools complained that they were always stuck hiring missionaries, because there was a salary cap on foreign teachers. They could never afford to hire teachers who weren't with a missionary group. They previously could not go over 3000 RMB/month. It has gone up now, but I don't know what it is.

Guangdong may be different. I know it is easier to hire foreign teachers there than in most other provinces. Maybe salaries are different.

Where did you hear someone getting paid 8000 at a college? Directly from the college or from some teacher on some internet site?

Sinobear · Joined: 24 Aug 2004 Posts: 1269 Location: Purgatory

I got 21500 (net) at a college (a month!). The limits some people are talking about (salary caps) are for Chinese nationals. You can get more money from Chinese schools if you push. Imagine if they gave one laowei 6K a month. What to do about the other 20 of them?

But this topic will never die.

Cheers!

badtyndale · Joined: 23 Jun 2004 Posts: 181 Location: In the tool shed

Drinks all round!

Cheers, Sinobear!

Very Happy

(ARE there any missionary positions going begging?)

killian · Posted: Fri Dec 24, 2004 12:12 am Post subject:

sinobear,
can i come work at your school? Laughing

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

Sinobear · Joined: 24 Aug 2004 Posts: 1269 Location: Purgatory

That college has since dropped starting salaries to the 8K range (and you have to arrange you own apartment).

I always ask a prospective employer how many students they have in the classes I will instruct and how much the students pay. I consider the city and take a good look at what kind of vehicles people are driving. When you see a lot of Mercs, Beamers, Pajaros, etc., it's wise to negotiate what you think is a fair salary and hold out 'til you can get it.

Cheers! (and Merry Christmas, everyone).