Job Discussion Forums

[Minhang Oz]

People contemplating coming to China often post here asking about "fair" salaries to expect.
I think a calculation of an hourly rate is a much more accurate way to go, e.g. divide your monthly salary by the teaching hours for a month. Assuming free housing and airfare are provided, my belief is if you're not getting at least 80 rmb/ hour, you're underpaid. For the east coast, Beijing, Pearl River delta, that should be more like 90-100. You'll need to work other factors into the equation such as holiday pay, bonuses etc. If its a 12 hour a week job, and 4000 a month, you can't complain too much. You've got lots of time to do extra work if you want/need the money. If you're on 20 hours a week, you should get a minimum 6400 up to 8000 and so on.

[MartinK]

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[Minhang Oz]

No Martin, it was just a regular job on the internet, and there's more where that came from. Life is more expensive in The Big Smoke, so pay rates need to reflect that. On 75 you're pretty close to the mark: no food parcels for you yet I'm afraid.

[Millerlong]

If you are considering teaching on the east coast then you should receive nothing less than 100 RMB an hour. I live in Shanghai and when I was teaching for more than a year I was receiving a minimum of 100 RMB an hour and sometimes 140 RMB an hour. I not only got a great salary but I also got great hours. I was studying at a university in Shanghai in the mornings and working in the afternoons and earning roughly 9000 RMB per month with all transport (taxis) paid for. So if you are working in the big cities then 100 RMB minumum. Never accept your first offer because it will be too low or even if it isn't then ask for more anyway because your boss is also making loads of money from you. When I hear people working for 3000 or 4000 RMB for fulltime teaching I think that you are being seriously cheated. Look for something else. Checking out one of the universities that have many foreigners is a good place to start because many of the students have secured great paying part-time jobs in teaching, so asking them is a good start. Many employers actually recruit by going to universities in China to find foreigners. I found all three of my jobs from employers coming to my university and looking for western looking people. Good Luck.

Millerlong

[Minhang Oz]

Although Millerlong, if you were working privately you didn't have accommodation supplied. I calculate that's worth 2-3 k a month in Shanghai, utilities as well, which will be lots if you run the AC all day in summer. So I think 80-100 from a school that provides these is around the mark.

The point is, fellow campers, when we accept low pay we keep it low for others.
On the other side of the coin, work hard and sleep with a clear conscience.

[arioch36]

Millerlong,

Let stay on the same page.

You worked at a university that provided you apartment, utilities, computer, airfare etc, and the university gave you 9,000? Your the first person I heard of making that.

Or are you working illegally as a student? How much money do you pay for your house etc?

[Millerlong]

Guys,
Let me clear some things up. I was studying at the university not working. However, after study I would work privately. Yes I did have to pay for my own rent (1700 RMB per month) but it was well worth it. I earnt about 9000 RMB per month with still more shifts offered to me. So I could have been working a lot more and earning even more that 9000 RMB. It is possible to find these jobs but you need to look in the right places and know how much YOU are actually worth (100 RMB per hour minimum). Most of you other teachers are under contract and have your accomodation included which is great but how much is that really worth??? The school supplies you with the accomodation so it probably isn't the best. In total I would probaly pay 2000 RMB per month for rent and all utilities including phone. Yes, I was working illegally. I was working on a student VISA which is not allowed but nobody is going to enforce it. All of my friends in Shanghai are also working illegally but nobody cares. The Shanghai municipal government is not going to do anything about it because they need the teachers. In fact all you teachers are also probably not supposed to teach anyway. You should be a native speaker of English and have a mimumum Bachelor degree to be able to teach English in China. How many of you fit this criteria???

[Millerlong]

Almost forgot, you must have also completed one year of teaching experience in your home country. Something to think about!!!

Millerlong

[klasies]

Miller

I furfill the criteria!!!!

Andre

[dractalks]

I fit the bill. BA IN ENGLISH, 10 years teaching experience (international). ! One and 1/2 years in CHina. I agree with ESL guru. Anyone teaching with less than a BA illegally should do us all a favor and GO HOME>!

[Minhang Oz]

Yep, I'm over qualified according to some, make 100 an hour , work in a state school, have accommodation better than most off the privates I know in town, and I'm legal! I was just trying to clarify your original post which didn't mention the accomm/utilities factor, which I brought up. What do you base your assertions re unqualified teachers on?

[Millerlong]

Ministry of education of the People's Republic of China is my source. I am not trying to make anyone feel as though they have been under-valued but I am just trying to point out that maybe there is a better way. I suppose it depends on what you are in China for. If you are here for the money then being flexible is the best way to go which means that maybe you are better off not signing a contract and not getting a Z-Visa. If you are here to experience China then either way is an option. I teach English part-time only while studying at university here in Shanghai, therefore money is extremely important to me. I do, however, enjoy the experience of teaching these little #@$%'#. I earn a good salary per month for little work and have the added advantage of swapping empoyers at my will without needing any release documents people with Z-Visas need.

Millerlong

[Minhang Oz]

A matter of different horses for different courses I suppose. I enjoy the security of a legit. contract with a school that isn't a money making enterprise. I feel I am valued for my work, rather than my financial potential, or skin colour - a misty eyed dream maybe. My wife is able to work at this school also, which adds to our stability, and bank balance, not to mention saving us the joys of the extensive, time consuming travel that goes with these part time jobs. What do they work out at, per hour, if calculated from when you leave home to when you return? There's plenty of extra work out there when I want it, but I generally only do it for good guanxi.
Millerlong, as I assume you're making more than you can spend, how do you handle the financial side of being an illegal?

[Roger]

Seen from another angle, since the poster is so frank about his illegal status:

Sometimes, publicly-owned units "hire" expats to do dirty work, but they never sully their own fingers!
There is, for instance, CP-owned Guangzhou Daily, which publishes an English paper once a week (with many errors, and mostly written by Chinese students). It also runs an English training centre, a sure source of steady income these days, which all Chinese public businesses badly want and badly need.

Well and good, they hire NETs, but they will NEVER sponsor you, which leaves you in a critical situation vis-a-vis the law. Does working illegally for a CP-held unit protect you? No, it doesn't!
There was a guy there (he posted on the Job Information forum) who got hired illegally.
He was one of those (I do not know hwo many people have been in this situation, but judging by the few posts on Dave's on this subject, it is more than one per year!), who saw police in their classroom. The PSB interrupted the lesson, then he had to explain his status (business visa), then was fined and expelled from China. Did it rub off on his employer?
Not at all.
Guangzhou Daily is advertising every week.