Job Discussion Forums

Tiger Beer · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong

UNI JOBS in China = LOW PAY? (true or false)?

What are other typical working conditions? Generally?

alter ego · Joined: 24 Mar 2009 Posts: 209

Cool avatar.

Uni jobs in China and low pay are synonymous, aren't' they? Laughing

I think if you make at least 6K/month you're doing okay. I'm earning 6.8K for 14 45-minute classes this term. My job includes an older but adequate and comfortable one-bedroom apartment for 415/month.

With yearly travel and airfare stipends and paid winter and summer breaks, I figure I'm earning around 11K/month (this includes 2K/month saved with the almost free apartment) in my current position. I don't think that's low for the hours I put in and kind of work that I do.

And those 8-week breaks twice a year are worth their 3/4 pay in gold.

That Canada Guy · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 12:18 am Post subject:

Hey alter ego, if you don't mind me asking what city do you live in and did you have any teaching experience before coming to China? Just curious because that sounds like a pretty good job.

The Ever-changing Cleric · Joined: 19 Feb 2009 Posts: 1523

mat chen · Joined: 01 Nov 2009 Posts: 494 Location: xiangtan hunan

My uni gives 3k rmb for twenty hours of work to anyone who has two legs and looks foreign. Every term they get twenty newbies. They do a good job or a bad job they are gone at the end of the contract.

Hansen · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Posts: 737 Location: central China

Mat Chen, The recruitment/retention philosophy of your university is also known as "throwing [mud] on a wall and seeing what sticks."

That's the best some organizations can do.

alter ego · Joined: 24 Mar 2009 Posts: 209

killian · Posted: Wed Dec 09, 2009 9:19 am Post subject:

work as a corporate trainer (thats an english teacher in a company). northwards of 15,000 RMB per month. the year endbonus (up to 24k) is a great incentive.

learn to speak chinese.

Orrin · Joined: 02 Apr 2005 Posts: 206 Location: Zhuhai, China

There is one university in Zhuhai which pays up to 18K per month. I know. I worked there for 1 year; but the workload is oppressive. Now I work at another uni in town for less than half of that; but I'm much happier.

gregmcd101 · Joined: 06 Jun 2006 Posts: 144 Location: Ireland (for now)

7500, for 14 hours a week, 36 weeks a year. If you want, plenty of extra hours available, in or out of house. Free apartment and all that. I am satisfied.

14x36 = 504 hours a year (no office hours) plus I have practically no prep time as I have 100 or so class plans which I reuse, just tweak them a little, update if necessary.
7500x12= 90000

90000/504 = 178.57/hour (teaching hours here are 40 minutes)
so 267.85 for an actual hour in class

compare to an average 'mill' job
40 hours aweek (incl office time) - not sure how many weeks they do, gonna guess 44
40x44 = 1760
guessing 12000x12 = 144000 = 81.81/hour

It is all relevant - some like the guaranteed bigger income, even if they must work much harder for it. Others like the freedom of a more modest income with lots of free time, with the option to earn extra almost a certainty, but not 100%, guaranteed. I go with option 2. Doing this I picked up 36000 in extras last year - not a fortune but a nice booster. Could have been more, but, as i decided to go home in the summer (a nice option to have, but i missed out on a gig that would have netted me 1000 a day for 3 weeks).

So, as i say, horses for courses. I can struggle by on 7500, and basically pick up extras at will, whilst enjoying 3.5 day weeks and 16 weeks holidays - it is my path, and I am happy with it

JZer · Joined: 16 Jan 2005 Posts: 3898 Location: Pittsburgh

alter ego · Joined: 24 Mar 2009 Posts: 209

Yeah seems more the norm nowadays for unis in China to offer 10-month contracts Sept. to June. Just gotta look around and read the job postings as most will tell you if the contract includes paid summer breaks. There are just too many folks who'll take the 10-month gigs for 5K a month and travel or pick up summer jobs during July and August. I think some unis allow FTs to stay in their campus apartments during the breaks, which means they can keep their belongings in one place while they do some traveling or summer teaching.

Renegade_o_Funk · Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Posts: 125

my university pays half pay during the summer, at the end of the summer, only if you sign a contract for the next year. So if you show up in September, you get paid for the summer. Same way for the winter holiday, I suppose they pay us at the end as a sort of safeguard on people who pull runners during the break.

bradley · Joined: 28 Mar 2005 Posts: 235 Location: China

My uni pays for my summer vacation if I re-contract Smile

Tiger Beer · Joined: 08 Feb 2003 Posts: 778 Location: Hong Kong