Job Discussion Forums

[Gamecock]

I found it fascinating that China's "Harvard" had an ad on Dave's today for English teachers and the clever way they framed their salary offer- per annum. 50,000-60,000 per year works out to be a lofty 4100-5500 a month while living in Beijing!!!

Now there is the prestige of working at the top university in the country, I guess, but are people with Master's degrees + (preferable published!) lining up for this position??? I know public universities have limited funds, but its just a little embarrassing that every kindergarten in the country offers a better package to newbies off the boat than the most hallowed university.

Kind of hard to make a go of it in the big city on that salary, but I suppose it would look good on the resume.

[Zero]

But you'd be making three times the salary of the average Chinese professor! Just be careful that they don't hit you with their BMW as you walk to class!

Edit: Fixed typos

[The Great Wall of Whiner]

[JayCee86]

Tsinghua is the MIT of China. Bei Da is the Harvard of China.

[Teatime of Soul]

We have the same situation back in the US; only it exists only for the privileged classes.

If 'dumber than a bag of hammers" junior wants to get into an ivy league school, all he needs is dad or mom to be an alum ("legacy"), esp. a generous one.

Driving drunk and poor = go to jail. Driving drunk and a senator's son = free ride home by police.

Rob a bank = life in jail, Loot the treasury = fat bonuses and a speaking tour.

In China, the perks of corruption are pushed way down further the food chain so even the moderately well to do. and below, can enjoy the benefits of greasing those cogs in the system.

Actually, perversely, it is a more egalitarian system.

Further, I'd imagine an economist could make the argument that the necessity to grease the wheels results, in many instances, in a more efficient allocation of scarce resources.

In an ideal world, we'd have no gray money or corruption. But in the real world, we ALWAYS have it at the top. The only question is how many below the elite can purchase these special privileges.

Think about this, Bank of America and many other huge, multi-billion dollar companies pay absolutely zero dollars in federal taxes while enjoying gargantuan taxpayer funded bonuses. Meanwhile, retired seniors are targeted for "austerity cuts". BoA has the lobbyists who can simply have the law written to shower themselves with exemption and benefits.

So, in the large scheme of things, I'd say let's look at the root cause of the problem before looking at the fringes. What teachers collect is really the barest of table scraps compared to the buildings, factories, and no bid contracts awarded to the big dogs.

The big dogs gorge on a whole hog while hungry dogs fight over an old bone tossed to them. Don't be distracted over the table scraps.

Cheers.

[XO]

[kev7161]

While I don't disagree with Teatime (Hollywood celebrities can be included in his examples), the fact of the matter here in the Chinese education system is that many foreign teachers are paid peanuts while being, basically, lied to by being told that the salary they are offered is far more than the Chinese teachers make. Actually, perhaps not a lie, just a bending of the truth. Sure, on paper, the disparity of salaries can be quite wide, but with GWoW's gray money examples, many Chinese teachers can be quite a bit more well off than you or I.

At this point in my time in China, I am kind of craving a car. I grow weary of the public transportation system, esp. the packed-to-the-seams buses that I often have to take. For a simple trip to the other side of the city, I have to use up an hour or more of my time just to get there (ditto for the return trip). Having a car and taking the bypass, I'd be there in as little as 15 minutes. However, I can't really afford a car, although my salary is quite nice at the moment. I have financial obligations back home (including saving for retirement), so a large chunk of my money goes there and I usually am left with around 5000 rmb money here as my monthly allowance. Plenty of cash for day to day expenditures to be sure, but saving for a car, not so much. I was told by a dealer that, since I'm a foreigner, there is no payment plan option and I would have to buy a car outright, full amount. Well, saving 100,000 or whatever is not an easy option. So I am surrounded by my car-owning Chinese colleagues (some with VERY fancy cars, I might add) who allegedly make only about 3000 a month or so. Some of these car owners are quite young and I'm sure they must have gotten some help from the folks, but how are they making (possible) car payments, insurance payments, fuel and maintenance costs, plus apartment payments and all sorts of other monthly expenditures on that measly salary (okay, coupled with their spouse's measly salary perhaps)?

[mat chen]

The problem is the disparity of salaries for teachers. Unfortunately the teaching of the arts is not highly rewarded. If you were in engineering or other sciences then you would gain more.
Ya very funny how short Chinese memories are. One day they tell you how they make less than you. 3,000 rmb a month or something in that range and a month later they tell you how they saved 70,000 last year and bought three houses and have a big black windowed car.
You have to find other things here in China to amuse yourself other than spending and saving money.
I can and have lived on a dollar a day here. Actually the lack of money has been good for keeping my waistline down. But there is free taiqi in the park everyday and if you're young lots of B ball.

[TexasHighway]

The Great Wall of Whiner wrote:

[Skyblue2]

I saw the offer too. Shocking.

I like the line about this being a "fixed-term appointment (10 months)."

Translation: we won't pay you for your holiday, either.

Now take your pittance and move on.

[bradley]

I saw that posting as well and it shocked me. I teach at a university in the south and the pay is more than double that.

[mat chen]

I saw a posting 10 years ago for the university and they were offering 6,000.

[daCabbie]

Has anyone bothered to check if the advertisement in question is legit?

It sounds like a recruiter dug up an old ad and did a cut and paste job.

Y'all should know by now; don't believe anything you read on Dave's.

[dog backwards]

I have never worked for a top-tier Chinese university.

I do not possess a Ph.D. I have an MA from a lower mid-tier American university.

I have never taught at a top-tier American University, but I taught as a lecturer-level (MA) instructor at my alma mater. Provided that one could get a three-year, full-time contract, the best that he could expect would be a $25,000.00 per annum starting salary. After 20 years, one could expect a maximum salary of about $40,000.00 with 20 classroom hours per semester, provided, of course, that his contract was renewed every year. That's less than $1000.00 increase every year.

I received no assistance in addition to my salary. I paid rent, insurance, and automobile expenses out of my salary, as well as utilities and food and everything else one needs to pay to stay alive.

In all of the cities in which I have lived and taught in China, my room and utilities were paid. Summers were paid, as well as winter holidays.

At my alma mater, if I worked summers, I was paid extra.

If I have current information about Tsinghua U., the FT's are provided with an abode with utilities paid. (Please correct me if I am wrong. I may be wrong).

In every city in which I have worked in China, I could go everywhere in the city via bus before 6:30 pm.

I am paid approximately 60,000 rmb per year. I do a fair share of dating, eating out, and general carousing, and I still save money. I don't NEED an automobile. I don't HAVE a mortgage or a landlord who requires a monthly payment.

Could I live the same lifestyle on a salary based upon 20 years' non-tenured MA lecturer's pay in the U.S.?

No.

[Zero]

Tsinghua and other Beijing universities can pay peanuts because it's Beijing. Lots of idealistic young adventure-seekers want to be there.