Job Discussion Forums

browniea · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 18 Location: Guadalajara, Mexico

Hi Everyone!

I am serioulsy considering a position at Linguas Centro de Idiomas y Traducciones in Guadalajara (linguasmex.com). I was wondering if anyone has heard of them or has any kind of experience with them?

Also, anyone who was worked in Guadalara, do you think that $7,000 pesos a month is enough to live on? That is what the school pays, but I hope to take on a side job or some private clients to make a bit more.

Thanks! Very Happy

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

Do a Mexico forum search and find a recent discussion on this situation and school. It may or may not be helpful to you.

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

From news stories I am seeing, teachers in Oaxaca are striking because in their rural areas they are earning only 7,000 pesos a month. My guess is that the cost of living is less in Oaxaca than Gdl, but Melee can comment on that better than I can. If you are earning only 7,000 pesos a month, you need to have savings to draw from. Remember, the campesinos who left Mexico to go to the US are leaving $400 a month jobs behind.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

Exactly the same from my side of the country, Tim.

J Sevigny · Joined: 26 Feb 2006 Posts: 161

People who were born, raised and continue to live in Mexico do, contrary to what some might think, have some financial advantages over those of us who come here from the outside.

My brother in law, a professional who lives in Coahuila, can survive on a 5,000 a month salary because he lives with his parents in a house that�s paid for.

Another factor is the standard of living some of us are used to compared to what people in this country have been dealing with for years.

A family that earns, say, 10,000 pesos a month in Mexico can get by by never going out, shopping at neighborhood markets and otherwise cutting costs. It may be that some people aren�t prepared to make those "sacrifices."

I think it all depends on what you're looking for. If you want to go out drinking every night, or even three nights a week, live in a nice apartment, and drive around a lot, 7,000 pesos probably won�t cut it.

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

I wouldn't call 7000/month a great salary, but it's certainly enough for someone to pay the rent, a few utilities, eat reasonably well, and do a bit of travel. Don't expect to bank a lot of savings any time soon.

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

Start doing the math:

Rent, 1500 to 2000 pesos a month for a little bit better than a hovel in GDL.
Food, 1500 to 2000 pesos a month, depends how much street food you eat, how much you cook for yourself and how much quality you expect.
Transportation 500 pesos or more, depending on how close you live to your job.

All of a sudden you are pushing a budget of close to 4500 pesos. We haven't even talked about clothing, any entertainment purchases, health care, taxes, weekend trips, and a night out occasionly. Yeah you can subsist on 7000 pesos a month, but how many are willing to make the sacrifices needed? Basically, 7000 pesos a month is a vacation salary, you need to make more in order to plan to stay any longer than an extended vacation.

I know some of you may disagree, but your opinion keeps wages down, my opinion supports raising salaries. If schools are unable to find workers willing to work for 7000 pesos a month, they will raise the wages to a level that will attract qualified candidates. We come to Mexico as professionals and we shouldbe treated as professional, working conditions and salary wise.

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

The way this works in my particular area is that Mexican teachers are being hired to teach English after receiving a certificate issued by one of the Universities. They are happy for the jobs, salaries and benefits and generally stay put, unlike foreigners. The notion that we foreigners are here to do Mexico a favor doesn't go over that well in all areas of the country. Remember that salaries for other professionals are LOW here too. Nurses, doctors, lawyers, accountants.....wages are dreadful by many country's standards.

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

ls650 · Joined: 10 May 2003 Posts: 3484 Location: British Columbia

Sgt Killjoy · Joined: 26 Jun 2004 Posts: 438

I disagree, ls650, maybe i would have agreed with you a few years back.

Now, corporate teaching in Mexico City, that pays decent. You have to hustle but you get good money. But on the other hand, two years ago, I was asked to several government teaching seminars in Thailand and earned $25 per hour, 250 pesos an hour.

Ben is right, people who make a choice to live in Mexico are there are for other reasons. And it goes back to my original point, bring savings if you are going to earn only 7000 pesos a month.

Last year, I was in Mexico City and was asked by a family I know to facilitate the hiring of Filipinos maids in Mexico City. I was asked by one family how much they could hire one for? I threw out the figure of $350 a month, I know the figure was less, but I didn't want to be a job broker. Really? 6 days a week? live in? Sure, I said. They were paying their current maid 3500 pesos a month and they had to deal with too much bs.

Naturally I couldn't believe that maids were earning that much in el df but I did check it out.

Here are some salaries of friends in Mexico City and nearby areas:
United Airlines bilingual call center agent: 9,500 pesos starting salary.
Secretary in an Queretaro Government Office: 18,000 pesos per month
Bilingual secretary in an office in Polanco: 9,000 pesos a month
United Airlines computer tech: 21,000 pesos per month

I don't mean to sound combative, I don't mean to be. Most of my experience is in the central Mexico area and having lived in Gdl, four years ago, 7,000 pesos a month would have been a stretch.

If you are going to Mexico to experience the culture, do it, you will enjoy it. Use the salary earned from teaching to augment your income, not be your sole source of income. If you need the teaching to be your sole source of income, you need to aim higher and look for higher paying jobs, they are out there.

I just reflected on this post and maybe I shouldn't post it? Maybe I should let everyone go for the 7000 peso a month jobs so that the higher paying jobs are reserved for those of us with long term interests in Mexico.

Twisted Evil

Ben Round de Bloc · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1946

Along the lines of teacher's pay vs. what some other people earn here in Merida:

~ When the guy who washes cars in the parking lot at school washes 2 cars per hour, he earns more per hour than I do teaching at the university.

~ Standard rate to get someone to come in and clean (not a live-in) is 100 pesos for about 3 hours of work. Many teachers here work for 30-35 pesos per hour. City government education programs pay their teachers 40 pesos per hour.

~ Waiters and barmen earn almost double (pay + tips) my hourly wage plus all the free food they can eat when they work private parties.

~ A teacher I work with used to work for a local tour agency on weekends. He earned more on Saturday and Sunday -- wages, tips from tour groups, and kickbacks from souvenir store owners for taking tour groups to their stores -- than he earned Monday through Friday teaching 25 hours a week at the university.

Cdaniels · Posted: Sun Jun 25, 2006 6:02 pm Post subject: Gringo income tax- la mordida

Wouter · Joined: 06 Oct 2004 Posts: 128 Location: Tlaquepaque

What not must be forgotten is that most of the teaching jobs are for around 5 hours a day. This means that if you want to make some more money by getting some private students there is enough time. A big part of the salary goes to rent. So make sure you find a cheap place.

Wouter