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Where is the highest paying ESL/TESOL country???
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curioustraveler



Joined: 01 Feb 2009
Posts: 13
Location: United States

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 3:41 am    Post subject: Where is the highest paying ESL/TESOL country??? Reply with quote

I would like to know what country in the world pays the highest salary for teaching English. I have a lot of student loan debt and want to get that paid off. Here is my information, so please let me know where the best place would be. I�m not afraid to get my hands dirty!

Please don�t take offense to all the information I put about myself, but based on the posts I�ve been reading, it seems to make a difference where someone should teach and how much they will be paid.

I am�

An Anglo American with no regional dialect
40 years old and in generally good shape
MA in TESOL from an American institution (with honors)
BA in Linguistics (TESOL concentration) from an American institution (with honors/Dean�s list)
Certificate in TESOL (obtained with BA)

Thank you very much for your help. I�m willing to have a direct message or Skype conversation as well.
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 3:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

You didn't state if you have any TESL/TEFL experience.
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curioustraveler



Joined: 01 Feb 2009
Posts: 13
Location: United States

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:01 am    Post subject: my experience is Reply with quote

My experience is...

2 years in China - full time teaching
2 years teaching in Egypt (during Master's program)
3 years working in a US-based language school for foreign students (teacher's helper and sub teacher)
5 years tutoring foreign students in US (independently and some community college)
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nomad soul



Joined: 31 Jan 2010
Posts: 11454
Location: The real world

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:13 am    Post subject: Re: my experience is Reply with quote

Check out TEFL jobs in Saudi Arabia. In addition to above-average, tax-free salaries, the cost of living is moderate. However, the trade off is that it's a very conservative country, which some expats find quite challenging.
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curioustraveler



Joined: 01 Feb 2009
Posts: 13
Location: United States

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 4:16 am    Post subject: actual pay Reply with quote

Just giving a best guess... Could you give me some dollar figures for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd highest paying places to teach with a Master's? Thanks.
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naturegirl321



Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Highest paying countries don't matter: it's where you can save. tttompatz usually has some good figures.

So in country A let's say you make 10K a month, but cost ofliving is high, so you only save 500 bucks.

Now country B, you make 2000, but save 1500. You're making less but saving money.

NOrmally good countries for saving can be found in the Middle East (Saudi, Oman, UAE, Kuwait), parts of Africa (Libya), ASia (Japan, China, Korea, Taiwan).

For the ME, I've seen jobs that pay as low as 2500 to as high as 4000, a month I've heard there are higher paying ones. YOu'll get a good expat package. LIbya, I've heard of similar ones, but with 6 RT flights a year, one month on, one off. So imagine you can make more on your months off. Asia, depends. If you're in China and can land a good job, you might make up to 4000 a month (though that's not common) and you can do IELTS and bring in another 6K or so a year. Korea, there's another board for it, separate registration, though 15K a year is doable. Japan and taiwan, I have no idea. Sorry.
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tttompatz



Joined: 06 Mar 2010
Posts: 1951
Location: Talibon, Bohol, Philippines

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 8:12 am    Post subject: Re: actual pay Reply with quote

curioustraveler wrote:
Just giving a best guess... Could you give me some dollar figures for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd highest paying places to teach with a Master's? Thanks.


Gross salaries (dollars per month) for people fresh off the plane:
Korea = $1800-2500 (plus housing and airfare).
Japan = $2000-3000 (no benefits)
Taiwan = $1800 (no benefits)
Vietnam = $2000 (no benefits)
Thailand - $1200 (no benefits)
China $500-2500 (negotiable: plus housing and airfare)
Middle east = $2000-5000 + benefits.

As mentioned above, gross salary is NOT a good measure due to widely varying levels of costs of living. Savings at the end of the year are a much better measure.

$2500 in China lets you save about $18k per year.
$2500 in Korea, even with the added benefits only lets you save about $12k per year.
$2500 in Thailand lets me save about $20k per year.

You will always do better in your 2nd year after you have:
a) proven yourself in the classroom
b) made connections (it is about who you know and who knows you).

If you really need to pay down a monstrous debt then the middle east is the best choice for bucks even though the living sucks.


.
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naturegirl321



Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 10:02 am    Post subject: Re: actual pay Reply with quote

tttompatz wrote:
As mentioned above, gross salary is NOT a good measure due to widely varying levels of costs of living. Savings at the end of the year are a much better measure.

$2500 in China lets you save about $18k per year.
$2500 in Korea, even with the added benefits only lets you save about $12k per year.
$2500 in Thailand lets me save about $20k per year.

If you really need to pay down a monstrous debt then the middle east is the best choice for bucks even though the living sucks.


OP, ask about bonuses and such. Some places give you an extra month's salary or two when you leave. Also, about the ME, the biggest complaints I've heard were that it's boring and you can't drink. If you're like me and don't drink or need a social life beyond coffeeshops, you should be fine.

Also, what tom says abotu connections is true. You could pick up extra work on the side.
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Glenski



Joined: 15 Jan 2003
Posts: 12844
Location: Hokkaido, JAPAN

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 11:43 am    Post subject: Re: Where is the highest paying ESL/TESOL country??? Reply with quote

curioustraveler wrote:
I would like to know what country in the world pays the highest salary for teaching English.
Have you done any previous research on this? It pretty much gets asked once a month.

Quote:
I have a lot of student loan debt and want to get that paid off.
How much per month? Helps to know so we can cross certain places off the list and not waste time.

Quote:
I am�

An Anglo American with no regional dialect
Sorry to dispute this, but you actually do have one. The U.S. has about 30 or more (almost 30 in the continental states alone). It may sound clear to you, but it is still a dialect, not lack of one.

Quote:
40 years old and in generally good shape
Realize that in one of the higher paid countries (Japan), your age will automatically make you pay a little more for health insurance. Goes with the territory.

Quote:
MA in TESOL from an American institution (with honors)
BA in Linguistics (TESOL concentration) from an American institution (with honors/Dean�s list)
Certificate in TESOL (obtained with BA)
This is all good information, but just exactly what do you want to teach? Here in Japan, things like a dean's list is meaningless, and you haven't mentioned any actual teaching experience or publications. Do you have either?

Keep in mind that the dollar salaries quoted by tttompatz will change daily because of exchange rates. Also, even though Japan rates high on some people's list of salary requirements, there are also fairly high setup costs.
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Sashadroogie



Joined: 17 Apr 2007
Posts: 11061
Location: Moskva, The Workers' Paradise

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 1:07 pm    Post subject: Re: Where is the highest paying ESL/TESOL country??? Reply with quote

curioustraveler wrote:
An Anglo American with no regional dialect


I see nothing very wrong with this statement. The poster is stating that he is a speaker in keeping with a national standard. Perhaps he meant accent, of course.

In any case, Curioustraveler come to Russia. May take a while to get set up, but you could make some decent money without suffering the restrictions of the Gulf.
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denise



Joined: 23 Apr 2003
Posts: 3419
Location: finally home-ish

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 5:41 pm    Post subject: Re: actual pay Reply with quote

naturegirl321 wrote:
Also, about the ME, the biggest complaints I've heard were that it's boring and you can't drink. If you're like me and don't drink or need a social life beyond coffeeshops, you should be fine.


The ME is as boring as you choose to make it. I had other issues there, but I was rarely bored. And yes, you can drink. The biggest complaints that I heard & felt personally were administrative/bureaucratic incompetence and the feeling that as a western woman I was always being stared at.

OP--depending on your personal preferences/tolerances, I'd suggest Oman as a decent place. There is more money elsewhere in the Gulf, but the consensus among my colleagues who had worked in & were able to compare other places was that Oman was the most pleasant. I only ever lived in Oman. Depending on your salary, location, and habits, you could save $1000 to $2000 monthly, and still have enough money to go out.

d
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EFLeducator



Joined: 16 Dec 2011
Posts: 595
Location: NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS

PostPosted: Thu Jan 26, 2012 6:18 pm    Post subject: Re: actual pay Reply with quote

naturegirl321 wrote:
If you're like me and don't drink or need a social life beyond coffeeshops, you should be fine.


I'm the exact same way, Natruegirl. Give me a Starbucks and a Chi Tea Latte and I'm all set. I never drink nor do I need a social life to define who I am.
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CarolinaTHeels



Joined: 03 May 2011
Posts: 130

PostPosted: Fri Jan 27, 2012 3:34 am    Post subject: Re: actual pay Reply with quote

[quote="tttompatz"]
curioustraveler wrote:

$2500 in Korea, even with the added benefits only lets you save about $12k per year.


?!?

2500 is a high figure and one would save alot more than 12k in a year.

1800 one would save 12k or more. (2mil = 1800)

2500 = 2.8mil won

Being very conservative would cost someone 500,000 - 700,000 won a month.

Moderate spending like 1,000,000.

So at 2500 a month (2,800,000won)

Thats ATLEAST 1,800,000 savings a month.

1,600 x 12 = 1,920

Plus severance and end of contract bonus.

Thats easy 20k saved in a year.
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Prof.Gringo



Joined: 07 Nov 2006
Posts: 2236
Location: Dang Cong San Viet Nam Quang Vinh Muon Nam!

PostPosted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 6:40 pm    Post subject: Re: actual pay Reply with quote

EFLeducator wrote:
naturegirl321 wrote:
If you're like me and don't drink or need a social life beyond coffeeshops, you should be fine.


I'm the exact same way, Natruegirl. Give me a Starbucks and a Chi Tea Latte and I'm all set. I never drink nor do I need a social life to define who I am.


In my career there is NO social life...Hahaha! 12 hours of work a day and then relax in my nice room. Maybe watch the sunset... Read a book. Work out a lil bit in the gym. And then, when I am done...Look at my bank account and BAM! Another $25,000 grip of money! Gotta LOVE my job Cool
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naturegirl321



Joined: 04 May 2003
Posts: 9041
Location: home sweet home

PostPosted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:01 am    Post subject: Re: actual pay Reply with quote

Prof.Gringo wrote:
In my career there is NO social life...Hahaha! 12 hours of work a day and then relax in my nice room. Maybe watch the sunset... Read a book. Work out a lil bit in the gym. And then, when I am done...Look at my bank account and BAM! Another $25,000 grip of money! Gotta LOVE my job Cool


But your main career isn't teaching now, is it?
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