Job Discussion Forums

Voldermort · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 597

I would say they are shooting themselves in the foot. Us, how can I say it 'experienced' FT's are demanding higher salaries. The uni's are lowering them. As a result all they are gonna get are deadbeats applying for the positions. After a year or so the tides will turn.

latefordinner · Joined: 19 Aug 2003 Posts: 973

V'mort:

joesgonnago · Joined: 21 Apr 2006 Posts: 25 Location: Yueqing, China

not for nothin...

I recently applied as a newbie to schools ranging the gamut. The lowest offer I've seen so far is 3000RMB. Here are just some.

Laiyang University the salary pay scale is between 3000 - 4500 RMB per month depending on teacher's qualifications and experience. Accomodation,water and electricity are free. Travel allowance is provided according to teacher's nationality and contract term. No other specifics requested

For 20 lessons (each lesson 45-50 minutes) per week, Monday to Friday in Chengdu, Sichuan. Monthly salary is between RMB3500-4000 according to your teaching experience. International Airfare reimbursement of RMB7000 after completing a 10 month teaching contract and travel allowance RMB1000 for one semester.

At a Henan University, there is a teaching position with a work load of 16 to 18 teaching hours(45 minutes/teaching hour).The salary is 3500RMB per month, paid vacation(winter vacation for about one month) and if you sign a contract for one academic year(10 months), the university will pay for the returned air ticket(economic class), and travel allowance for 2000 RMB.

In Wuxi College in Jiangsu province, for 16-18 classes per week. Monthly salary will be RMB4500 .A one-way ticket will be provided for each semester. No other specifics

A salary of 4000-4500 RMB per month is offered Shijiazhuang, the capital of Hebei Province I'd be required to teach 16-20 teaching hours per week.
If you stay for 6 months, your school will refund a one-way plane
ticket (usually up to 4000 RMB). If you stay for a year, the school will refund a return plane ticket (usually up to 8000RMB).

Liaoning, Dalian offered 6000 Yuan per month (including travel expense 200 Yuan/month, accidental personal injury insurance 35 Yuan/month, medical subsidy 100 Yuan/month and transportation fee 100 Yuan/month After the employee works for more than 1 year for the employer, the employer will pay the single trip ticket from the departure place of the employee to the destination for the employee when he/she first come to China, and the employee should provide the original ticket from the departure place to the destination to the employer. When the contract is terminated, the employer will be responsible for buying the single trip international ticket for the employee to come back to his/her home country (the tourist class). For half a semester for the employer, the employer will be only responsible for buying the single trip international ticket for the employee to his/her home country in tourist class) when the contract is terminated. The work hours will be 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. Around 25 lessons per week. Holiday's included:New Year�s day, spring festival, international labor day, national holiday and other festivals regulated in the laws and regulations. blah-blah - I asked for lots of clarification, tons.

4800RMB for 20 classes in Sichuan province. 800 of which is paid as a completion bonus. I asked for clarification (like 800 x 12 = 9600 clarification). Plus, 50RBM per class OT, 7000RMB flight allowance, 2000 travel allowance, and the Employee shall be entitled to the same public and the School holidays as other teachers at the allocated school or college. Again, I asked for clarification -ie Paid?

Also there was a salary offered that will be paid according to the following scale: Probation Period (1st � 3rd month) - Start date through 90th day employment - monthly salary of 5,000RMB(net); Secondary Period (4th � 6th month) - 91st day through 180th day of employment: Monthly salary of 5,500RMB(net); Final Period (7th � 12th month) - 181st to 365th day of employment - monthly salary of 6,000RMB(net). In addition, the Employee may have the right to a bonus at the end of the employment according to the Employers valid bonus scheme, if any. The job was located in Taiyuan the Capital City of Shanxi Province by EF.

Changzhou, Jiangsu offered 5000RMB plus all the goodies.

and finallySouthern Taiwan, Changhua City Salaries range from NT$50,000/month- NT$55,000/ month 100 hours per month (excluding administrative duties)
* Teaching Hours: 25 actual teaching hours per week (45-50 minutes long class)

Anyway, I hope this can be useful. Sorry for it's length and structure - a good deal of it was cut & paste.

Joe

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

my wife and I did the university thing for two years before we decided to move on to "bigger brighter" things in a big city where we make quite a bit more cash on a monthly basis but we are back into the rat race...

True, bigger cities pay more but we didn't come to China to earn money, we came to have a better lifestyle. As uni teachers, we could spend quite a bit of time together in between classes, go out for meals, and the whole nine yards; not to mention about 4 months of paid vacations/year.

In the big city, we're making more than double the uni salary but we have to pay the flat, no paid vacation, commuting, etc....

tell you what, we're going back to the university teaching gigs as early as september... it's not only about the money.

let's assume you earn 4500 rmb for 16 hours, here are your real benefits every month

4500
1000 (rent)
200 (utilities)
-------
5700 for working about 16 hours a week which you can always try and get in block of 3 days and get it over with leaving you with plenty of time to get extra work if you want it.
This does not even take into account the fact that your visa is taken care off, you have a relaxed lifestyle and what not.

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

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

That was kinda my point. There's nothing wrong with coming here to work 16 hours or so and then having lots of time for exploring China. But, schools and unis know that they will usually find this type of teacher, so they also know they can afford to offer 3500 to 4500 and will find takers. As long as there are takers, there will be no reason to raise the wages (esp. since a majority of teachers are "spoken" English teachers and "Spoken English" is not considered a real class/subject in many Chinese schools).

Thus, the ones with a teaching background who came to China to maybe save money or experience the culture yet still use their teaching credentials to perhaps earn some halfway decent money will suffer, because those type of high-paying teaching jobs are few and far between.

It's not an "us vs. them" situation, this is just the reality of China. If and when schools start asking for specific qualifications and credentials (because they are looking for FTs to teach more than "spoken" English) and still want to offer 4000rmb, then they'll run into problems, because MANY professional teachers won't take those jobs and those who don't know how to teach the mechanics of English, for example, will also be out of luck.

Voldermort · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 597

I was intervied and offered a job with a local uni just this morning. As soon as the contract was handed to me I had to make an excuse and leave.

16 hours equates to 20 periods, with an extra 1 hour per week for English corner all at a mere 4000 yuan. Overtime at 20 yuan, medical at 500 yuan, monthly travel allowance at 20 yuan, 60 percent paid winter holiday, no summer holiday, 5000 yuan round trip....

Well, after being quizzed on my teaching styles and methods for 1 hour, smiling when being told about the lack of modern classrooms, laughing when they insult Japan, you can imagine what was going through my mind. I think all I can do now is ammend their contract and let them sweat it out a little.

Malsol · Joined: 06 Mar 2006 Posts: 1976 Location: Lanzhou

Voldermort · Joined: 14 Apr 2004 Posts: 597

pandasteak · Joined: 01 Apr 2004 Posts: 166

what's this 5000rmb round trip airfare?

are they only paying 5000 of your airfare?
I just bought a return ticket (to eastern canada and back) for 12000. I nearly cried...

I worked a uni in Dalian a while back, and they payed the total return fare. I don't think that's uncommon. (Correct me if I'm wrong)

7969 · Joined: 26 Mar 2003 Posts: 5782 Location: Coastal Guangdong

grwit · Joined: 20 Apr 2006 Posts: 329 Location: Dagobah

4000RMB to live in beijing doesnt go far. Beijing is expensive!!! I also don't like this idea of 5000rmb capped airfare! What if it does cost you 7000 or more? Do you have to make up the extra?

My return ticket to Australia costs my college 11000 rmb and they pay for all of it.

I was earning 4000 rmb for 16 hrs that seems to be the norm. But this year I am working 24 hrs for 5500 which seems reasonable to me. I also live in a small city where everything is cheaper than the big cities. So 5500 is a good wage. I can buy dinner (including beer) for myself for less than 5 yuan I have bought dinner for me and 2 students (including beer) for less than 10 yuan. I'd like to hear of someone living in Beijing or Shanghai buying dinner for these prices.

If I was going to accept a job in a big city I would be asking for 6000 rmb. Luckily for me I don't like big city living so that will never happen. I am very happy in my small city.

vikdk · Joined: 25 Jun 2003 Posts: 1676

wow grwit love to join you in one of your slap-up banquets - what does that 5 yuan buy you - meat that has been stored all day in unrifegerated conditions, fry-ups that have been fried in a "yuck" that has been reprocessed from waste oil (a common way of saving a few quai), cheap chinese beers that rumoured to contain hi levels of carcinogenic formaldehyde, maybe multi use chopsticks and all the fun they can entail!!!

By the way I can also live on the same poison in the city for almost the same price - maybe I have to pay an extortionate 3 or 4 yuan extra (for three people I still havn't tried a 10 yuan meal - even though paying such a fortune sounds so decadent) - but then again I'm a lot closer to half decent docs here if something medical did backfire with my exciting gastronomic world. And if things really get too much, there are lots of supermarkets where I can find all those (well stored/refigerated) materials I can use to make my own food - even western food - which, I personally think. is probally the best combination between economy and health safety you're going to find here - and also a way of keepoing you sane when your 3 yuan noodles, fried rice and dumplings just get too much!!!!

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

Speaking of airfare . . .

My FAO found for me a RT flight from Shanghai to San Francisco on Japan Airlines (JAL) for a great price of 7500rmb (my school will pay for all of this + a little more). The problem is that all the seats are "booked" (not paid for at this time, just booked) so I had to put my name on the list. What about business class? Plenty of seats available . . . for 26,000!!! Apparently, these 7500 seats are some sort of discounted seats and it seems they get booked months in advance. How? Where? By Whom? How do they know about these prices? If I can find a low airfare NOW, I'd be more than willing to book it AND pay for it right NOW! As is, I won't know for sure, until a couple weeks before my departure date. I'll keep shopping around . . .