Job Discussion Forums

chaz47 · Joined: 22 Apr 2005 Posts: 157

I work in Korea and just finished a visa run to Fukuoka, it was pretty cool. The weather was nice and so were the people. Granted, I did only stay 3 days.

One thing that really surprised me was a cab driver claiming that language teachers (not just English teachers) can make up to 700,000 and in some cases even a million yen a month. I am assuming that this must be with a significant number of privates.

I like the city I am in Korea now quite a bit, it is very clean and not crowded at all. But it is illegal for someone on an E-2 visa to teach privates here (which totally takes away any serious motivation for me to learn the Korean language).

Anyway, is this cab driver completely nuts or what?

Gordon · Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 5309 Location: Japan

Yeah, the cabbie is off his meds.

canuck · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 1921 Location: Japan

Jon Taylor · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 238 Location: Tokyo

Mark · Joined: 23 Jan 2003 Posts: 500 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Certainly I can see someone making 400,000 without a great deal of effort as an eikaiwa teacher and/or ALT plus some privates. If you really went bananas and worked all the time, you could probably get 500,000. But more than that and you'd really have to be full-time staff at a university.

But you have to factor in the amount of money it takes to provide yourself with a decent quality of life. I live in Tokyo and I find that I need 200,000 yen (at minimum) to maintain that decent standard. Rent, utilities, health insurance, cell phone, internet, etc. all adds up to probably 120,000 yen per month.

teacherteacherteacher · Joined: 11 Nov 2006 Posts: 1

Actually, just about every language school job that is advertised on daves esl cafe pays 250,000 and the jet program pays 300 000.
12 years ago i was on the jet program in a rural town and got 300 000 with subsidised accoommodation. I'm finding it hard to undertsand how someone survives in an urban area on 250 000

I;ve heard that there are some well paid jobs in ESL but they're mostly for people who got good contacts.

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

I'd say luck has a lot to do with it.

furiousmilksheikali · Posted: Fri Dec 22, 2006 3:41 am Post subject:

chaz47 · Joined: 22 Apr 2005 Posts: 157

My qualifications are definitely not anything grand.

I kinda thought that the guy was a little too generous in his estimates but just thought that I would check.

Just curious though, what do university positions typically pay? Would it actually be possible if your main gig was at a university?

canuck · Joined: 11 May 2003 Posts: 1921 Location: Japan

taikibansei · Joined: 14 Sep 2004 Posts: 811 Location: Japan

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Beat out 30 or 40 other applicants and you could be looking at something like 500,000 a month.

moot point · Joined: 22 Feb 2005 Posts: 441

A taxi driver? Yes, he'd be the most knowledgeable souce, wouldn't he?

Sarcasm aside, it is possible to make 1,000,000yen a month but you'll have to work your butt off. You'll also need to network and find the better positions.

I did it for a couple of months. My main income was through a dispatch company teaching intensive business classes during April and May, which took me all over Japan teaching up to 60 hours in a week but compensated well for it. Then I worked as a DOS recruiting for business classes during the day and moonlighted by night. I also had a good gig for two days/week teaching a 13-hour seminar that paid 130,000yen each shot. I managed to reach the million yen a month mark but it was awfully hard work. I was leaving my house before eight in the morning and returning around ten in the evening. Because of all the stress, I found myself blowing 30k every Friday night to justify working so hard.

sidjameson · Joined: 11 Jan 2004 Posts: 629 Location: osaka

Very impressive Moot point, the most I ever earnt was 700k......BUT I could NEVER go back to that schedule.