Job Discussion Forums

[avolkiteshvara]

I've been trolling the different forums for a while now. It seems to be the consensus that Korea pays they best. Although they require a work week anywhere from 35+ hours a week. Given the extra time required, do they really pay that well. Couldn't one work the same amount of hours in Europe and make something equivelent to Korea?

[paulmanser]

TEFL world doesnt pay much.

Eastern Europe like Poland pays 2500 zloty per month roughly. which is about 500 pounds a month (800 US dollars).

Western Europe pays 1000 euros a month roughly.

South Korea, from what I researched pays about 1000 to 1800 US dollars a month.

Middle East is surpose to be the BEST for MONEY WISE.

Please be aware that this is a guide only.

[avolkiteshvara]

[mlomker]

[paulmanser]

I'm certainly not entering TEFL for money.

Some things are more valuable than money.

Yes, EU only asks for English guys, like msyelf, to work in Europe. Best place for a American is Asia, like Korea, China, japan blah blah blah.

[Glenski]

Just getting a bigger paycheck is not the only thing to consider.

1. As mlomker wrote, you have to consider whether you even can work in various countries, what with visa and passport restrictions.

2. What is a bigger paycheck for some is not for others, depending on the exchange rate and your nationality.

3. The paycheck alone might be bigger in some places, but so is the cost of living. I hear that in Korea housing is paid for by the employers (a real plus), but that many managers are unscrupulous, and if you lose your job, you lose your visa (a real negative that doesn't happen in some other countries).

[tedkarma]

Generally speaking, teaching EFL probably, on average (hedging here ) means fewer work hours per week than the average job "back home" - wherever that might be. IMO/IME.

It would be difficult to find an EFL job in Korea that pays less than US$1800 a month - if you do find one - it is still open as no one will take it for that little.

You can't really compare apples to oranges though. In Europe you probably are going to pay much higher taxes AND provide your own housing. In Korea - most jobs include housing and taxes are very low.

The issue isn't really how much you earn - as much as it is how much money is still in your pocket at the end of the month. That said, most people in Korea are able to save US$800-1000 a month without really trying. I think that would be quite difficult to do in any Western country - by people of comparable education, age, and job experience levels.

Just my opinion.

[ls650]

As an aside, you may want to also check out Taiwan. A former co-worker went there and was able to easily bank $1000 US per month.

[GambateBingBangBOOM]

You can save $1000 (10 X 10,000Y) a month easily in Japan on the JET programme, so long as you aren't in a major city- the majority of JETs are rural. If you try really at all (cook for yourself most of the time instead of restaurants, don't go to movies, but wait for the DVD or for it to come on satellite TV) then $1500 (15 X 10, 000Y) a month is a workable goal.

[Atassi]

Just a thought:

If you want stability and 20-25 teaching hours a week, there are many public school positions in Korea right now. You should make a minimum of 1.8 million won a month (not good, not bad). Also, 1.8 mil is more like $2000 now with the exchange rate where it is. It may be more. And you receive a month's bonus at the end of the year, flight tickets, housing, and often food.

Korea enables one to save money largely because meals are cheap. A very filling meal at any small soup shop will run you from less than $3 to $5. Even if you splurge, the cost of living is generally lower than what we're normally used to. It's often cheaper to eat out than to cook at home.

Now whether or not you like the food is a different story. My favorites are chamchi kimchi chigae (tuna kimchi stew) and bulgogi (barbequed or marinated beef).

Fruit, vegetables, and tech items are sometimes ridiculously more expensive than elsewhere.

In the Middle East, how much you spend really depends on where you are. Wages have somewhat dropped though in the Gulf.

Good luck where ever you end up.

Atassi

[Justin Trullinger]

It's not easy to compare countries- situations are so varied.


The original poster asked if Korean pay was better when one considered the extra hours, compared to Europe. The thing is, in most places in Western Europe, you COULDN't work the extra hours- split shifts and travel time get in the way. I've been in both Italy and Spain, and 25 hours of teaching a week, as spread out as they are, is TOO full time for most people. I've heard of teachers in Asia who can do thirty hours, in the school center, 8:00 to 2:00 every day. Working and schedule situations have to be taken into account.

So do local costs. A reasonably well qualified teacher could enter the New York public school system at $40,000 a year, or thereabouts- which is to say, 7 times my current salary. But my current salary makes for a very comfortable life in QUito, and what's $40,000 in New York?

What makes Korea work for so many people is the money/cost of living ration. It sounds like you can easily earn twice what you need to live, and can therefore bank half your salary. In New York, to compare, you might be earning twice as much as in Korea, but what would go into the bank?

Some countries lose in comparison, due to weak local economies. I could save nearly half my salary in Ecuador, but what's half an Ecuadorian salary worth anyway? Locally, I do well, but trying to move on with it is always difficult...

Best,
Justin

[avolkiteshvara]

Thanks to all. I am not out to get rich, but student loans are a fact of life. Just trying to balance quality of life, geography, and $ for future plans.

[sojourner]

Atassi,

Why are salaries falling in the M.E. ? With all the talk of terrorism and anti-Western (esp anti - US) sentiments, one would imagine that many FTs would be reluctant to go to the region - and through the operation of the Law of Supply and Demand, one would expect that salaries would actually have to rise ! Or, possibly, many countries are taking advantage of teachers from the Indian sub-continent and the Philipines (sp?) - thus, forcing down salaries .

But, maybe, the demand for our services is dropping because the English language is losing its popularity in the M.E./Gulf region ! So, what's going on ?

Peter

[Gordon]

[younggeorge]