Job Discussion Forums

[HappyTown]

Some questions after my recent job hunting:
I work at a fairly low level university in eastern China. I am paid 4,500RMB per month for 16 hours teaching a week, with the other usual benefits. During my recent job hunt I have contacted a number of more reputable/well known institutions, and have found that they are only willing to offer me rock bottom salaries (3300 - 3500RMB per month). I have a BA degree, TESOL cert (though this doesent count for much here) and two and a half years experience.
My question is, can I try to bargain these offers up at all, or is that a bad idea? How rigid are the government pay guidelines? (at my school they seem pretty flexible, and the school will 'find a way' to pay more for qualified or experienced teachers) How do the good universities hope to attract teachers when their pay is lower than average?

[Redfivestandingby]

Actually, for the number of hours that you work you're getting paid fairly well. Of course it also depends on the city you live in and what type of institution you work for.

I know several people who teach more than 20 hours a week and get paid 2200RMB. They work for a public university. I have a MA, four years teaching experience, and I'm getting 3300RMB. Low, as far as I'm concerned, but normal. I work for a private organization.

One major factor is the institution you work in. Stick to private training centers for higher salary. Public universities will usually offer lower pay.

By all means provide a counteroffer. The center I work for originally offered me 1200RMB!!! Ridiculous.

Hope this helps!!!

[Roger]

2200 RMB is the legal minimum salary in the teaching line, so 4500 RMB is a rather high one, considering the low number of weekly hours! 3000 is not bad at all. I personally worked for that salary three years ago, and my successor at the same normal school considers his 3500 so good he refuses to accept sideline jobs for pay!

Qualifications don't matter much as you are always a subaltern to some Chinese teacher or principal whose qualifications put him or her in a far better situation, though not pay-wise.
Be glad to have a good job!

[HappyTown]

Yeah, I realise that my current situation is fairly good...I was just a bit surprised, because my University is considered academically sub-standard locally, yet offers better pay and conditions than any of the other universities I have contacted so far. However, salaries in my affluent little city are higher than most other spots outside the biggies...

[ChinaLady]

you have added to the feedback I have gotten for the past couple months. I was approached by a "good" university and offered 3500 a month, this is 1000 below what I am making now. BUT - less hours and a brand new apartment. so I am being a bit serious about leaving my current university, which is a good deal but the new foreign supervisor (Chinese person) has low English skills and worse ability to deal with people problems. The rumor is that she was "promoted" to get her out of her other department. and it was her turn to "deal" with the foreign devils. but she makes life miserable at best, for me.
what the market will bear seems to be the rule in China.
and just as you complain about your money they will remind you that you are getting the top of the "scale." (never have been sure who's scale it is.) hey, I'm not the one in the BMW, and I see lots of those on campus.

[arioch36]

China Lady..Unfortunately this is too often the case...the ,"I don't want to deal with the foreigner, you do it" Actually, I don't envy the job of many FAO's who are basically instructed by their boss to lie to us to get us to come, and then the boss givess the FAO no support in helping us...this isn't always the case, but

Original thread...bargai, bargain, bargain. I was orignally offered x,xxx for 14 hours, but am being paid a 1,000 more for 12 hours, and was actually introduced to a local "two-year school" to teach extra hours. Definitely a better deal then any language school, with three day weekends, and able to reschedule my Monday class when I took a four day weekend....

This is China...bargain, bargain, bargain

[chastenosferatu]

I work for a private language school and the contract calls for a minimum of 20 hours a week for 4,000. I actually work, by my choice, 40 hours a week and bring in over 13,000 rmb. One month I hit a high of 18,000 and change, but the work is mentally the toughest I have ever done.

[arioch36]

Dear tutu...you is crazy. 34 hours a week..once, never again.

[Owen]

It takes considerable effort and several counter-offers and turning down the low-ball offers, but you can get higher salaries in China, even out of the public universities. Having a Masters in Education helped, but it was mostly having taught in China before and being willing to move. Many schools will stick to the low offer and insisit that they cannot pay more, but there are some schools out there that are willing to pay to get someone they really want.

I turned down two offers for 8,000 for 18 hours for a lower pay in Shenyang because my Chinese wife wanted to live there. The other two were in less favorable locations.

You have to consider everything, not just the monthly pay. Many schools try to get away with only paying airfare one way. I am living off campus at my current school, which with the campus lock-downs has turned into a real plus. Where other teachers are limited in being able to leave campus, I have no restrictions on me. Even before SARS I didn't have to worry about the curfews that most teachers living on campus have to put up with. I turned down one job in Dalian (a really favorable location) because they were going to enforce a curfew. I told them I was not a student and at 50+ I didn't need somebody telling me when I could come and go. I have a larger apartment than most teachers on campus, but I pay for that and the freedom of movement with the fact that it is the same apartments that the Chinese staff live in, hence not the best.