Job Discussion Forums

kev7161 · Joined: 06 Feb 2004 Posts: 5880 Location: Suzhou, China

A recent job offering I received in my email:

william wallace · Joined: 14 May 2003 Posts: 2869 Location: in between

Nothing to say.

Pericles77 · Joined: 30 May 2005 Posts: 56 Location: Edmonton/Harbin

I received a similar offer the other day, except it was 3000 per month for 14 hours per week and no flight reimbursement whatsoever. I promptly deleted it from my emailbox. I should have written them back and asked them if they were serious.

peabocardigan · Joined: 14 Jun 2005 Posts: 63

I heard that due to an abundance of FTs in China salaries are generally going down.

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

When I came over last year, it seemed like there were more schools offering salaries of 4500 and above. 18 months into it, I can't help but notice and be alarmed at this tendency of salaries going down.

Most people that spend time on these forums know better than to accept such an offer unless they have a pretty darn good reason for it but there are plenty of lost souls out there that have no clue.

I know off a couple teaching in Sichuan for 500RMB/month....I kid you not. the school pays for everything else plus round trip and the usual but only gives them 500RMB/month..... it's ridiculous. I only know this because one of our teachers went there and signed a contract with the same school for 4500RMB/month and was astonished when he heard about the deal that the others got....

As Roger mentioned a few months back, the good jobs are going away. The east coast offers somewhat standard deals to teachers but the middle and the western provinces in China could be compared to the wild west.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

I think this holier-than-holy indignation is not entirely justified. The city is XI'AN, and 3500 go a long way there; 3500 is quite standard in most of China; the majority of us are based in the richer provinces along the coast and up to the capital; let's not forget there is a chasm separating affluent China from its poorer parts. Xi'an IS in the poorer parts.
I also noted they ask for a BACHELOR - that's surely not asking for a lot of qualifications for such a job where you teach ENGLISH LITERATURE! Apparently, they give some of us more intellectual credit than many deserve (I did teach literature here, not just oral cr@p!!).

tofuman · Joined: 02 Jul 2004 Posts: 937

I'm amused to hear about these "low salaries." I live in a "poorer" province, one of the poorest. My salary is in 3-5K range. I save about half each month. Not a lot byAmerican standards, but more than many people here make a month.

Sample expenses:

Breakfast: 2-4 kai
Lunch: 4-7 kwai: includes beer
Lunch: for 4 with good beer: 40-50 kwai
Dinner: 6-12 kwai. Beer, add 3-12, depending on your taste.
Popsicle: .5-1.5 kwai
Watermelon: 8 jiao/jin
Bottled water: 9 kwai/bottle
Denim pants: 50 kwai
Half hour massage: 12 kwai
Rubdown in spa: 10 kwai
Haircut: 4 kwai
Tai ji: 10 kwai/monthly
Hooker: I wouldn't know
Excellent quality bicycle: 600 kwai

I questioned someone about low salaries recently and discovered that, according to him, the Chinese head of the English department in a major university made 2000 Rmb/monthly; however, there was a housing subsidy that could be as much as 3 years salary.

This was only hearsay, but people are not buying flats and outfitting them at a cost of 300,000RMB on 2000 mb/month salaries nor are they buying and operating vehicles on those salaries.

Figure you make $60,000/year in the States. A decent house there costs $350,000 with a lot of variables.

That's about 6 years salary.

Here a person might earn 50,000 Rmb. A decent flat costs about 150,000 plus the interior which could be that much again for a total of 300,000--6 years salary.

Rough estimates, but in the park.

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

go_ABs · Joined: 08 Aug 2004 Posts: 507

Well, we've had these salary discussions many times over, but what's once more?

I think some posters make errors when talking about money, by discussing what (they feel) should be, rather than what is:

kev, like you, I wouldn't consider this job. I'd simply delete it from my inbox, as other posters have suggested is the best response.

T_Lanc · Joined: 12 Aug 2004 Posts: 63 Location: China

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 4946 Location: Blabbing

I would look at the school's name, make a mental note, laugh out loud (or at least chuckle) then delete.

If you want decent teachers, offer decent salaries. Otherwise, stop sending me what amounts to spam.

amandabarrick · Joined: 30 Dec 2004 Posts: 391

One reason for the salaries going down may be the increase in the number of retired couples from Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Britain, or the USA seeking teaching jobs in China. I have met 4 couples in their golden years during the past year and they say they are only here for the experience and joy of teaching, etc... They don't really need the money, they are just interested in traveling, living in a foreign country, experiencing another culture, etc... As such they would take a job for 3,500 RMB per month. Many who are not in their golden years would also take a job with a low salary, but I can't understand why. I wish I could say to these people that there are plenty of volunteer jobs out there for you.
What scares me the most is the increased rate of inflation in China combined with salaries for FT's going down.
AB

Midlothian Mapleheart · Joined: 26 May 2005 Posts: 623 Location: Elsewhere

Edited to remove offensive content.

Middy

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

lagerlout2006 · Joined: 17 Sep 2003 Posts: 985

I don't really buy it that salaries are going up down or anywhere. They seem the same assortment I saw 3 years ago.

I don't see why an offer of 3500 at a College in Xian is posted as an instance of things going all to hell. I for one will raise my hand and say this sounds like a decent offer. A College deal offers no pressure, very low hours and absurdly long vacations. Also extra or overtime is almost always available.

What I consider insulting was seeing an offer of 7500 RMB in Suzhou. Why.---no visa or housing and 25 plus classes a week. With tax utils and the rest the salary is no better than what eveyone is scoffing at.

I'm surprised this tired old topic keeps coming up. No wonder a lot of forum people "are staying away in droves."

We all have our limit I guess. Go BELOW this and I will start to agree.

But if cash is God go elsewhere---we hear this endlessly. Rolling Eyes