Job Discussion Forums

billy chong · Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 8

I'm new here, so forgive me if this has been asked to death, but what are the current pay averages in China? I'm interested in teaching in the PRC and want to have a better idea of what the status quo is for jobs when scowering the web for positions. I've noticed that 4000 seems average. Am I wrong? Feedback from the old hands is sought!

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

Oh God here we go again. You are going to get all the "yeah that's average" and the "that's too friggin' low ask for twice as much" posts.

It depends where you will be working and for how many hours a week. Also it depends if boarding is included.

There are a few threads about pay rate. You should check them out.

billy chong · Joined: 27 Jun 2005 Posts: 8

I realized there might be some great debate, but to clarify: 16 hours a week, 4000RMB a month with campus housing. This seems to be a common offer from abroad. I still prefer hearing from people who aren't pushing the jobs that are currently living and working there to get their opinion. As for searching, well I tried but I find the search function on this forum not particularly user friendly. If you'd care to share a link I would certainly be indebted to you.

brsmith15 · Joined: 12 May 2003 Posts: 1142 Location: New Hampshire USA

As tw tried to tell you, unless you give more details, especially the city, it's a tad hard to give you a definite answer. 16 h and 4,000 ON THE AVERAGE isn't bad if you've got little or no experience, a bit low if you're a seasoned EFL'es, quite low if we're talking the big cities.

Wouldn't the rep of the school be of more interest to you? As a close friend just told me, 22,000 a month at a hellhole, 35 hours a week is no picnic.

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

It all depends on:

- age
- ethnicity
- education
- physique
- gender
- charisma
- type of school
- location

Sorry to be so general, but that's basically it.

A black African teaching in Beijing will earn less than a white American teaching in a small city.

Teachers who teach in colleges and universities make little money compared with private institutes. They also have less freedom, and are treated like possessions rather than employees.

I earn more than double what you said was the average. I also have a three bedroom house with all the fixings. If you live on-campus, watch them give you a curfew. Watch them limit who can visit you and who can't.

I might get flamed, but university jobs make me laugh when I see advertising on-line.

HEY! You can have a room on-campus AND we'll give you 4000 RMB a month! What a deal!

No, thanks. I could never understand why some would work for next to nothing teaching lazy college kids who don't appreciate their teachers and often cheat and plagurize and then go home to a tiny little on-campus room with a shared kitchen and a 11 pm curfew and restrictions on who visits you at night.

Chris_Crossley · Posted: Thu Jun 30, 2005 8:40 am Post subject: 22,000 WHAT, exactly?

Babala · Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 1303 Location: Henan

I know a guy who is earning 20000RMB a month. Anything is possible.

Chris_Crossley

Babala · Joined: 28 Jan 2005 Posts: 1303 Location: Henan

One job, he holds the head teacher position.

Louras · Joined: 24 Nov 2004 Posts: 288

Everybody knows somebody with greener grass. And 4000 for 16h is (do a ...damn search) average. Please for the love of .... can we move on?

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

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

I agree with GWoW, nobody should put up with crappy things like curfews. We used to have one at my school. But everyone walked out, and I almost did, but I met Mrs CD and they dropped the curfew and the office hours.

I like our accommodation though. I do live in a shared house, but our apartment is upstairs and its just me, Mrs CD and another couple. It's an extremely spacious apartment though, with a roof patio you can sit out on (when it isn't too hot/cold). I simply couldn't afford to live somewhere similar back home.

I remember Old Dog saying he had a dire curfew law at his school - couldn't even leave the floor he lives on at night.

I would no way stand for any bullshit like that.

izzy272 · Joined: 16 Jul 2004 Posts: 29 Location: Shanghai

I have never added my 2 cents to one of these threads but as I now past as a veteran of China please allow me this little ramble.

Wages over 20k are out there I myself would not take less. I feel giving my experience and the market I have earned it. Having said that please know that 90% of the teachers in China will never break the 8k mark. That is unless they are willing to work 7 days a week and take whatever job crawls out of the darkness.

I have also noticed that wages are coming down. This may be another thread but I feel that is because people are taking these 4k positions. I saw a job last week offering 2500Rmb.

If you would like to make the �big Money� I suggest the following� make an appointment with a few of the universities show up in a suite/ Dress and be what they want, be that person that they must have to impress whoever it is they need to impress.
Oh it helps to have your PhD in hand as well.

If you are interested in Money go to Korea

Zero Hero · Joined: 20 Mar 2005 Posts: 944

I quite often meet FTs in China, especially in Shenzhen (usually South Africans for some reason), who earn 20,000 or even 30,000 RMB a month (and yes, I have seen the payslips). This is typically government-commissioned IELTS preparation work. Send a PM to 'Hashish'; both he and his other half recently got onto such a scheme. I must say, it is very lucrative.

There was an advertisement in the SCMP post today looking non-Chinese race people to fly to Shanghai to do two days work as film extras. The pay was a tad over 1,000 RMB a day with free accommodation.

Chris_Crossley