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Black_Beer_Man
Joined: 26 Mar 2013
Posts: 453
Location: Yokohama
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 Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 10:14 am Post subject: Getting Private Students in Japan - How Much Can You Earn? |
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I have tried those find students / find a teach websites and have had very little luck. I only managed to get one student over the course of 3 months of advertisiing.
One other reply offered me 2000 yen an hour to speak English with kids. I turned that offer down because I used to get 40000 Korean won ($40) an hour in Korea teaching kids privately.
Now I am wondering if it`s possible to even make a decent living teaching English in Japan? Either I am doing something wrong or the people in this country have no money.
Please post your experiences and advice.
How much money per hour can you expect to get teaching private students in Japan? |
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Rooster.
Joined: 13 Mar 2012
Posts: 247
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 10:27 am Post subject: Re: Getting Private Students in Japan - How Much Can You Ear |
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| Black_Beer_Man wrote: |
I have tried those find students / find a teach websites and have had very little luck. I only managed to get one student over the course of 3 months of advertisiing.
One other reply offered me 2000 yen an hour to speak English with kids. I turned that offer down because I used to get 40000 Korean won ($40) an hour in Korea teaching kids privately.
Now I am wondering if it`s possible to even make a decent living teaching English in Japan? Either I am doing something wrong or the people in this country have no money.
Please post your experiences and advice.
How much money per hour can you expect to get teaching private students in Japan? |
Good luck getting 4,000 yen an hour here with no private teaching experience (in Japan).
While never attempting to do this myself I continuously see threads asking the same thing and the answer is usually the same:
There are plenty of people out there offering what you are but with a reputation and a base. You are expecting too much and should have looked up what you could expect before turning down the offer.
Probably between 2,000 and 3,000 yen an hour would be what you could expect to charge and actually get when starting out. |
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mitsui
Joined: 10 Jun 2007
Posts: 1562
Location: Kawasaki
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 10:50 am Post subject: |
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Back in the mid-90s and earlier people could get 5,000 or more.
Those days are gone.
3,000 would be great but lots of people are cheap. |
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Mr. Leafy
Joined: 24 Apr 2012
Posts: 246
Location: North of the Wall
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| Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 2:07 pm Post subject: |
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It may not be that you are doing something wrong but some parts of the country are flooded. You can browse those sites yourself and see how many people offering the same type of lesson you are in your area.
About three years ago I got 4500 from one of those sites. Not many students, but I only wanted a couple. But I have a couple decades experience and a related degrees and I targeted a particular market. I asked the students why they choose me and one said it was because I didn't claim to teach every type of lesson but focussed on what he wanted. |
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Black_Beer_Man
Joined: 26 Mar 2013
Posts: 453
Location: Yokohama
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 9:30 am Post subject: |
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| Markets flooded with cheap teachers willing to work for peanuts. That sux. I figured that was the reason. |
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Solar Strength
Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 557
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
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| Posted: Thu Oct 10, 2013 12:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Mr. Leafy wrote: |
It may not be that you are doing something wrong but some parts of the country are flooded. You can browse those sites yourself and see how many people offering the same type of lesson you are in your area.
About three years ago I got 4500 from one of those sites. Not many students, but I only wanted a couple. But I have a couple decades experience and a related degrees and I targeted a particular market. I asked the students why they choose me and one said it was because I didn't claim to teach every type of lesson but focussed on what he wanted. |
You must be in leafy Kanagawa. |
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marley'sghost
Joined: 04 Oct 2010
Posts: 255
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| Posted: Fri Oct 11, 2013 1:27 am Post subject: |
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Yeah, used to be 5000 an hour. For private, personalized, one on one lessons, don't take less than 3000. Though I broke that rule even and took over a student from a buddy for 2000, (plus transportation and a cup of coffee). But that lesson is like, no preparation whatsoever.
I work "full-time" as an ALT and my private lessons are just extra on top of that. Though over the years that income has turned from beer money to new-handball-shoes-for-the-boy money.
It takes a lot of legwork and hustle to get private lessons from scratch. I'd hate to try and make a living by stringing together a bunch of private lessons. Preparing a dozen different lessons, commuting here and there has to factored in. Scheduling changes, cancellations, eat up your time too. That 3000 an hour lesson might take you 2 1/2 hours once you deal with all the other business. It can be easy money, but it can be a big headache. |
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Mr. Leafy
Joined: 24 Apr 2012
Posts: 246
Location: North of the Wall
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| Posted: Sat Oct 12, 2013 1:58 am Post subject: |
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| Black_Beer_Man wrote: |
| Markets flooded with cheap teachers willing to work for peanuts. That sux. I figured that was the reason. |
That's not quite what I meant, just that if you are in a populated area there will of course be more competition. It's true if you are an investment banker or selling takoyaki.
Solar, I am no longer in Japan but these jobs were in central Tokyo. Most of my students were university professors.
(I said 'three years ago', but it was probably more like four that I picked up these jobs. I doubt I could get that much today. The whole situation looks very bad for going back one day.) |
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Jagariko
Joined: 14 Oct 2013
Posts: 40
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| Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 4:26 am Post subject: |
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I charge 5000 an hour and won't waver. Of course I don't attract many students but I'd rather teach 4 classes for 20,000 than 7 classes for 21,000!
I think offering something specialised is the key. I mostly get contacted by female high school teachers because 1) I'm female 2) I understand the university entrance test process and 3) I teach academic writing and these teachers find teaching and marking essays as opposed to grammar translation very challenging. A colleague of mine markets himself as a TOEFL iBT specialist...
Very luckily, a company class paying 10,000 for 90 miuntes fell into my lap so I use that or 7,500 an hour for on site lessons. Of course, I don't pick up many classes. I don't charge for train fare and I have at least a 30 minute commute both ways so I think it is a fair fee. |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan
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| Posted: Sat Nov 16, 2013 5:17 am Post subject: |
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| Jagariko wrote: |
I charge 5000 an hour and won't waver. Of course I don't attract many students but I'd rather teach 4 classes for 20,000 than 7 classes for 21,000!
I think offering something specialised is the key. I mostly get contacted by female high school teachers because 1) I'm female 2) I understand the university entrance test process and 3) I teach academic writing and these teachers find teaching and marking essays as opposed to grammar translation very challenging. A colleague of mine markets himself as a TOEFL iBT specialist...
Very luckily, a company class paying 10,000 for 90 miuntes fell into my lap so I use that or 7,500 an hour for on site lessons. Of course, I don't pick up many classes. I don't charge for train fare and I have at least a 30 minute commute both ways so I think it is a fair fee. |
This person has the right idea.
There are various business strategies you can take, but if you charge 2000 yen / hour you're not going to eat.
Short answer: specialise, double your prices, and act like you're worth it. 99% of clients have no way to judge whether you really are as good as you say you are. |
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Solar Strength
Joined: 12 Jul 2005
Posts: 557
Location: Bangkok, Thailand
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| Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 10:15 am Post subject: |
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| Mr. Leafy wrote: |
Solar, I am no longer in Japan but these jobs were in central Tokyo. Most of my students were university professors.
(I said 'three years ago', but it was probably more like four that I picked up these jobs. I doubt I could get that much today. The whole situation looks very bad for going back one day.) |
Yes, the situation with regard to EFL teaching in Tokyo, and Japan in general, is bleak. Especially in terms of a career with any kind of social benefits.
As I've heard from others, Japan as a TEFL location has been played out. Too many teachers. Too few jobs. Low salaries. No benefits.
Head to China for a new EFL start. |
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jmatt
Joined: 29 Apr 2012
Posts: 122
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| Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 3:55 pm Post subject: |
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| Solar Strength wrote: |
| Mr. Leafy wrote: |
Solar, I am no longer in Japan but these jobs were in central Tokyo. Most of my students were university professors.
(I said 'three years ago', but it was probably more like four that I picked up these jobs. I doubt I could get that much today. The whole situation looks very bad for going back one day.) |
Yes, the situation with regard to EFL teaching in Tokyo, and Japan in general, is bleak. Especially in terms of a career with any kind of social benefits.
As I've heard from others, Japan as a TEFL location has been played out. Too many teachers. Too few jobs. Low salaries. No benefits.
Head to China for a new EFL start. |
Maybe you and rslrunner can set up a school in China. You both seem to know about as much about the EFL business here. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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I know of people who are personal trainers and the like. If you become popular, it is best to price yourself so that you get more serious people. Less likely to cancel, or just mess around all day.
Also chasing lessons for ¥1500 an hour is a waste of time. You need to have a ton of lessons for that to make any real difference in income. |
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Pitarou
Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 1116
Location: Narita, Japan
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| Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 10:12 pm Post subject: |
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| rxk22 wrote: |
I know of people who are personal trainers and the like. If you become popular, it is best to price yourself so that you get more serious people. Less likely to cancel, or just mess around all day.
Also chasing lessons for ¥1500 an hour is a waste of time. You need to have a ton of lessons for that to make any real difference in income. |
Hear hear!
It's a common observation, in many businesses, that the more you charge, the more seriously your clients take your time, and the less trouble they cause you. |
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rxk22
Joined: 19 May 2010
Posts: 1629
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| Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 11:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Pitarou wrote: |
| rxk22 wrote: |
I know of people who are personal trainers and the like. If you become popular, it is best to price yourself so that you get more serious people. Less likely to cancel, or just mess around all day.
Also chasing lessons for ¥1500 an hour is a waste of time. You need to have a ton of lessons for that to make any real difference in income. |
Hear hear!
It's a common observation, in many businesses, that the more you charge, the more seriously your clients take your time, and the less trouble they cause you. |
Well, and it makes it seem like you are more serious as well. It is def win-win.
But of course, if you are starting out, start low, and allow your self some room to make errors, without upsetting your clientele |
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