Job Discussion Forums

[petethebrick]

Hi,
I'm currently looking into teaching in China. I previously taught in Korea for two years but am considering China this time for a new experience.
If money wasn't an issue I'd already have decided to go there but I have student loan repayments of about 500 euro a month for the next year.

I could easily pay this back form the salary I could earn in Korea and am wondering how likely it is I could do the same in China.
I reckon I would need to earn between 10-12K RMB a month to manage this.
What is the average salary I could expect in China? I have three years experience and a MA degree but no TEFL certification
I've seen some positions offering 14K but they are seem few and far between (and possibly dodgy because they're offering this much??)
Could I expect to earn much extra through teaching private classes and/or a second job?
How much on average do most of you get by on per month living in China (in RMB)?
Any replies would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[Sinobear]

Here's a reply you won't like. Don't come to China if you have financial obligations elsewhere. The cost of living is constantly rising and wages/benefits (if you're lucky enough to get them) are on the decline.
Sending money out of China is expensive and full of hassles.
If you are in-country for a few years, you can source/find a really good position but even these are few and far between.
China is not the Mecca for anything (tai-chi, gong-fu, epicureal delights, culture, archeological windfalls, 'eye orgasmic' scenery, and certainly not huge economic gains for mere minutes per day).
No TEFL means no chance of a position here in GZ (legally).
Elsewhere, a university spot may get you a whopping 5K RMB/mo. I pay more than that per month on rent and groceries alone.
A mill might net you 8K/mo if you're willing to work like a dog and share an apartment.
A third-tier college can net you a wee bit more if you bargain hard but it drains the life-blood out of you.
With an MA, you could hit up the foreign schools. Salaries could hit 30K/mo RMB if you've got the right degree. Teaching English? Drop down to 12K/mo.

Second jobs or privates are up to you (unless you're in a mill - no time, or in a small town where your employer forbids outside employment).

Finally, I spend about 9K/mo for rent and living expenses in GZ. Because of my job, I'm here - but given the choice, I'd much rather be in BJ or Shanghai.
If I was to down-gear and teach middle-school or primary, I'd definitely head for a much, much, much smaller city.

Cheers!

Edited to remove a beer-induced typo

[Mister Al]

Okay, so let's start by comparing Shanghai, Shenyang and Suining.....groan.

[The Ever-changing Cleric]

petethe brick, you might like my answer a bit more than the previous one posted by sinobear.

[samhouston]

[mister tom]

lol, nice one

[Mister Al]

[eddy-cool]

I have to support Sinobear in allhis points. Going overseas with a heavy debt burden on your shoulders is a risk that I for one would never want tobear; bearing it in CHINA is evenmore daunting. 500 Euros is about 5000 yuan; the majority of TEFLpositions pay just around what you want to transferback home. Living in Shanghai costs a good deal more than living in Mohe, and you need to make twice that amount just to survive.

There is more than just the anecdotal storyto support the observationthat salariesare tending downwards. This is true even if individual TEFLers haven't noticed this trend yet.

The TEFL market is dominated by an unusually complacent crowd of FTs that are given to braggadocio about their eldorado-ish living conditions; take their self-portrayals with a big pinch of salt, and don't give too much credence tothose that are constantlybad-mouthing China either.

[kev7161]

On the flipside, if one happens to land a good paying job and their apartment and utilities, etc. are thrown in, then it is quite possible to save and pay off debt. That's what I'm doing right now. I STILL have student loans (I started college a little later in life) plus a monthly credit card bill that is slowly but surely going down. I send home roughly 1/2 to 2/3 of my salary, pay extra (more than the minimum) on my loan and credit card and still put money in savings as well. Granted, I could bypass saving and pay off those debts even more quickly, but I choose not to do that. In the meantime, I still have about 5000 a month to spend here. Once I've converted and sent off money and my monthly bills and savings are taken care of, I can spend my 5 grand freely without feeling guilty on splurges. Of course I could be more frugal here and actually have RMB savings as well, but what fun is that?

[bendan]

[The Ever-changing Cleric]

[petethebrick]

Thanks for the replies. I think it will have to be Korea for another year and then maybe China once I'm debt free.
Korea is pretty great I think anyway but was hoping for a change.

[bnej]

Korea, Japan, and Taiwan are really the places to go if you want to teach and save / pay off debts...

[struelle]

Agreed with Sinobear on most of the points ... I think he got it quite well on debunking the 'myth' of China being the exotic place for travel, scenery, and making lots of money. This is getting off topic, but the Chinese idea of tourism runs counter to nearly everything about my own travel philosophy that I don't even bother with domestic vacations anymore. Trips during winter and summer break are invariably in SE Asia.

As for salaries, there are, however, many good gigs around to pay debts and save money if you're willing to look. The key though, is not to be desparate for a particular employer.

If there's anything I've learned after almost 8 years in China is that you always, always, always have a Plan B. That is absolutely critical. If the locals get a sense that you're locked into something particular in their country, or they can somehow 'own you', then the life in China will be super miserable. They can spot that sort of desparation to earn money a mile away.

If, on the other hand, you have options elsewhere and you're not tied down to making money in China, the experience can be excellent.

Steve

[FloridaTEFL]

If working more than one job is legal/allowed, then how easy is it to find a part time gig for evenings? Assuming you'd be in a large city.