Job Discussion Forums

A.K.A.T.D.N. · Joined: 12 Jun 2004 Posts: 170

This doesn't sound good. Guy out there tells me he can save up to $1,500-2,000 a month in Taiwan and I wonder with a salary of NT65,000 how that's possible. Are there some 'super-salaries' out there or something or is this guy just a highroller? How much do you have to earn, in NT, to save about a $1,000 a month, and how can you do it?

Basically, I don't want to come to Taiwan for another year of sightseeing. I want to make some money this time.

killian · Posted: Sat Jul 03, 2004 3:55 am Post subject:

you can save 1000 US$ a month out of 65,000 NT$ easy. get a cheap apartment. still have almost 1000 US$ a month to fritter away after banking the first one. taiwan night life ain't much to write home about. the first few months will be the hardest. just "get back" your initial investment. after three months the 1000$ should be coming like clockwork.

wood · Joined: 13 Apr 2004 Posts: 202

MTurton · Joined: 10 Mar 2004 Posts: 107

If I didn't have a wife and kids saving US$3,000 a month or more would be childs play. Having an advanced degree helps, and so does translation ability.

SEndrigo · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Posts: 437

Going to bump up this thread...

Are these figures still possible? Would be cool to hear from you guys on whether it is still possible to save this much in Taiwan.

cheers!

SEndrigo

BigWally · Posted: Sun Sep 30, 2007 2:39 am Post subject:

With the state of the Canadian/US dollar versus the Taiwan dollar, you need to send about 35,000NT home in order to get your $1,000 CDN/USD.

So if you're making 65,000NT a month, subtract 35,000, and you're living off of 30,000NT a month, if you can do that then yes, saving money is possible, but no way as lucrative as back in 2004.

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

I was earning NT$100,000 a month and saving 1,500 Euros a month. Granted I was based in a university and was doing extra hours, plus one or two extra-curricular extra bits, but living in shared accommodation and doing private classes you can easily boost your salary. I was not alone in scoring a higher level income. Many of my former colleagues were doing likewise.

SEndrigo · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Posts: 437

Hey Wally,

Yes, it's amazing what the Canadian dollar has done recently...I remember when CN$1 was about US$0.70....

Now, those salary figures you've posted are for the average job, right?

I know there are mostly English teachers in here (or I assume that to be the case, since this is ESLCafe), but I bet some people who are working in other industries such as finance, banking, etc. are making way more than 65,000 a month, and I've heard some teachers make 120,000 or more, as Forest just pointed out.

What do you think?

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

The highest salary I came across in Taiwan was about NT$500,000 a month, plus a housing allowance of NT$350,000 a month in Yangmingshan. This person was based in the financial sector, and was very young (about 35 years of age).

SEndrigo · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Posts: 437

Crikey! $NT 500,000 isn't too shabby now is it!

You wouldn't happen to still be in touch with this guy, would you?

Also, what was his Chinese ability like and was he transferred from back home?

cheers for any info you could give!

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

He spoke or understood no Chinese, and his English was very, very poor. He worked solely in his mother tongue, and left Taiwan when his company would down operations. From what I know he has been transferred to elsewhere in South East Asia, and not 'back home' to his company's HQ, as his company has a major office in a SE Asian metropolis.

SEndrigo · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Posts: 437

Well then, there's hope for us all! ha ha ha!

Will the next person who gets an NT$500,000 a month job please post a thread in this forum Smile

It's good to hear that, forest1979, because it just shows that there are some opportunities there outside of English teaching

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

Sorry. I don't want to put anyone down but the chances of anyone scoring a NT$500,000 a month job in Taiwan are zero.

These people on the major wages are not hired in Taiwan, and are employed by major international financial companies to come in and set up grandiose financial structures in order to establish the organisation in Taiwan. These people are highly ambitious and extremely well educated. Their job is not so much to involve local culture but merely implement an aggressive company policy. Once that is done they move onto the next place to complete the same assignment elsewhere. The reason that the wages is so high is due to the job being not the best way to make friends, the fact that the job involves great monetary responsibility, geographical mobility and in many ways is inflated to ensure married citizens come with their families. Hence the enormous housing allowance too: "Come to taiwan, we provide a house with your own swimming pool." Get it?

Also, it would be very naive to think that such opportunities are going unless you're recruited back home and already have 10-15 years of highlevel experience within the company involved.

TaoyuanSteve · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 1028 Location: Taoyuan

SEndrigo · Joined: 28 Apr 2004 Posts: 437