Job Discussion Forums

[alexmac84]

Hello all,

I've read through the forums and it seems like the average salary for a newbie is around 250,000 yen. I'm wondering IS THERE ANY WAY to make a bit more than that without taking up some side work? Sadly, I have a bit too much debt to live off of that kind of salary. I know this isn't Korea or China, the land of high paying jobs and cheap rent, but there have to be other options, right?

I'm a 30-year old copywriter in the U.S. and I have volunteered as an ESL teacher twice (once in Japan) and really enjoyed it. Besides that, I'm a newbie to teaching and I don't have my TESL yet. I want to go to Japan because I'm almost an intermediate speaker in the language and really want to become fluent.

I'm also curious what you think about living in Tokyo vs. other locations in Japan. I lived in Tokyo for 4 months in college. I enjoyed it, but thought it was a little too cement. I do, however, have some friends there which makes me want to live there again. I'd love to hear where you guys live, and what you like and don't like about it.

I realize I'm at a disadvantage as many of you on here have years of experience, and may resent that I'm even asking this question. I'm sorry in advance if I seem like I'm trying to take the elevator rather than the stairs, but I just want to see what's possible.

Thank you for reading!

[mitsui]

If you just have a BA you would be lucky to get 250,000 a month.
250,000 was the average in 2007, which was before things got really bad.
People can get 220,000 or even less.
Even Korea is getting competitive, but you could get a free place to live in.

So much has been cut back here.
ALT work in Tokyo is paid by the hour now, and teachers just work twice a week at most.

[RM1983]

[mitsui]

For public high schools in Tokyo, it is.

[RM1983]

[mitsui]

Things are changing and many schools hire ALTs by the hour for one or two days a week.
I got a call from a school in Fuchu which wanted me to work on Thursdays.
Pay is just 5500 per hour.

Schools are trying to save money.

[RM1983]

[mitsui]

No, 29 hours a week are not even guaranteed anymore.
It is just case by case depending on the school.

I am at a private high school but before had to work 4 jobs and had no work on Fridays so signed up to be an ALT.
Only 5 teachers got dispatch work in September out of public high schools in the entire
prefecture of Tokyo.

I knew one black teacher who got just work a couple years ago at a high school in Chofu twice a week then had to go to a couple of other schools.
In the past he would have been full time.

[RM1983]

[mitsui]

Anyway, back to the OP.
Tokyo is big and crowded but if you want to make money,
you cannot avoid being in the Kanto area.

Kansai, Naha, and Sapporo are far better places.

[nicenicegaijin]

30 is getting too late to start at the bottom of the food chain. Without side work on an entry-level salary you will find it tough to make 250.000. If you add evening work such as business english 5 nights a week you should be able to make 400.000, but it will be very tiring. Then if you don't do an MA TESOL and a PhD these days you will not be able to step up to the mid-career positions. So you will be stuck with the option of business english, ALT, eikaiwa. Unless you really want to live in Japan it might be better to get stick at what you do back home and make a career of it.

[alexmac84]

Hmm. Interesting. Many of the jobs on this site start at 250,000.

Hustling to make pennies doesn't sound like something I can do at 30, you're right nicenicegaijin.

Do you need to work full-time to get a working visa? I could teach part time and do my other work from home perhaps.

[alexmac84]

Also I forgot to thank you all for answering my question. I really appreciate it.

[mitsui]

Business English only pays 3500 per hour.
You won't get 400,000 per month.

[nightsintodreams]