Job Discussion Forums

[eslteacher2014]

Hi

Does anyone know the going rate if someone has a phd in applied linguistics?

Alot of my friends are saying that one can make 20-25 thousand SAR per month. But honestly I feel that having a phd makes one overqualified.

Any thoughts?

[currentaffairs]

I think more realistically the average for teaching is 17,000-20,000 riyals with a PhD. A lot of the top universities are not paying really high wages; the attraction is a fair wage and decent students. However, if you move into middle management, become a DoS, or take on a co-ordinator position then you could probably hit those figures that you mention. Therefore, doing a PhD in Educational Management might be useful..

[gregory999]

[plumpy nut]

There's an advantage of having a PhD in that when they call you Doctor in the ostentatious way that they do, you really are a Doctor.

[scot47]

At KFUPM The Faculty Appointments Committee met to review all applicants for positions. When I was on the hiring committee at KFUPM we used to award NEGATIVE points to those with PhDs. I would sooner hire a competent classroom teacher than someone who had done years of reading on Applied Linguistics - or even worse on Comparative Literature.

When recruiting teachers we were not looking for administrators. That function was largely performed by Saudi nationals.

Remember too the rule that only the teaching experience after your highest degree counts for increments.

[nomad soul]

The PhDs I worked with mostly taught in the English language program alongside MA holders. Others were also professors in the university's education department; however, most of those positions were filled by Saudis with doctorates from the US, UK, and Canada. Ditto for those in management/supervisory roles, so don't expect to get into one of those positions given Saudization and that Arabic is required. By the way, coordinators are usually MA holders who also teach a reduced load. It's doubtful they get paid more for turning in timesheets, leading meetings, keeping track of exams and reports, etc.

[currentaffairs]

Co-ordinators are almost always foreigners and not Saudi. Mostly, they have MAs, though some may have PhDs. They have a reduced workload and more money. If they go into the administration and become managers then they don't teach at all. This is more common in the vocational colleges, but several teachers I know have almost become administrators at their universities with 3-4 classes per week.

A PhD would be more useful somewhere like UAE or Oman than Saudi, I would think. The three-year on-campus commitment would be better served outside Saudi in terms of opportunities. Any kind of distance learning just wouldn't be recognised.

[Hatcher]

I worked with many PhDs and they were all paid more. They were volun-told to do research and give it to the Saudis so they could publish it under their name. If that happens, the PhDs would get more OT.

I knew a couple of guys who had PhDs and took a pay cut to avoid this.

They were often put into admin positions and had low ratings in the class as they were too theoretical.

[sicklyman]

all the PhD holders I've met spend most of their time pretending that they're really not inwardly dying professionally.

If after the time, effort and expense of a PhD, you can throw all that effort away on a job in Saudi, go for it.

[Gulezar]

[Hatcher]

I would add that several PhDs in Saudi I worked with got better job offers in the UAE and Qatar. Why stay in Saudi if the money is equal somewhere else?

[sicklyman]

[plumpy nut]

Very bad pay for having to deal with the original visa, unscrupulous contracters, divisive students and just a plain bad system.

[johnslat]

Yup, making over a quarter of a million SR a year's chicken feed.

Call me skeptical, but I find it really difficult to envision an EFL teacher making that.

Regards,
John

[scot47]

John

Did you not know that the streets of the Aramco Compound in Dhahran are paved with pure gold ?