Job Discussion Forums

[Tiger Beer]

So what's the better deal? Pay and vacation time, etc.

I have a MA and teaching at a uni in Korea. I get paid around $2,800/month plus 5 months of paid vacation. (Others get less pay but free housing). I teach 12 hours a week during the schoolyear.

How does Japan compare? I wouldn't mind a move sometime in the future...

[markle]

Yes I'm interested too. I mean there is absolutely no information about university wages and conditions on this forum. It's like people expect us to use the SEARCH FUNCTION or something.

[Kilgore Trout]

It is a lot more expensive here and the university positions are quite a bit more competitive. Also, you might only end up teaching conversation to university students, but you could get lucky and get a better position in one of the more rural or less heavily populated settings.

I think the issue is more of a comparative one of the cultures, but some people simply consider the cost of living. You certainly will not make much more money, and your expenses will be a great deal higher depending on your location.

I have done both and prefer neither, so I became independent and teach privately as well as edit for university students and professors. Business is not always great, but it is normally better than $2800 a month on average.

[Glenski]

From the part 3 FAQ sticky.

[Khyron]

[may be going]

glenski, are you using the kansai pay scale scan in the link provided to base your idea on average salaries? i went to the link you provided and saw the scan of kansai pay scales at univ.

if that's what you're using i think it might be a little misleading. i'm guessing that these pay scales are for japanese citizens and not foreigners? not sure but guessing, as of all my friends who work at my current univ. or others in kanto, none get more or less depending on how many children they have.

thus i assume the salary scale provided, which pays according to dependents, is for japanese only.

if that is the case then it's misinformation to pass this on to people inquiring about pay for foreigners in japanese universities .......

[taikibansei]

[Glenski]

[Glenski]

UPDATE:
The previous 2005 figures and the ones below are for foreigners and Japanese, so my source tells me.

These are the average sennin yearly salaries for 21 Kansai colleges. Bonus but no benefits included.


2007 Kansai Private University Salary Scales

30 year old Assistant Professor (senin), with 1 child. 6,964,737

35 year old Associate Professor (jyunkyoju), 1 child. 8,444,799

40 year old Associate Professor (jyunkyoju), 2 children. 9,508,109

45 year old Professor (kyoju), 2 children. 10,764,173

50 year old Professor (kyoju), 2 children 11,797,973

55 year old Professor (kyoju), 1 child. 12,422,839

60 year old Professor (kyoju), no dependent children. 12,686,678

[Miyazaki]

Glenski,

How much do you make at your university?

Also, how did you slip through without a related master's degree?

We all want to know you slipped through!

[Glenski]

How much I make is private.

I didn't exactly "slip through", because the university wanted someone with exactly my type of master's degree -- one in science -- plus almost 8 years of teaching experience in Japan.

I'm not shy about stating that, but I keep it low key because it is quite a rare situation.

[slodziak]

[ironopolis]

[may be going]

glenski and taki thanks for the explanations.

glenski, in reference to my statement regarding dependents, what i meant was that of all the people i know working at unis in kanto, none get more if they have dependents. thus s.one without children starts on exactly the same as s.one with children. the contract does not take children into account.

i have asked numerous people now and all say the same so i'm a little confused about the pay scale provided - as you say it's relevant to foreigners

secondly, the pay scale provided, the 30 assistant professor (senin) is that for s.one with PhD or masters only? i ask because i know many many people in their 30's working full-time at univ in kanto and i don't know a single one who started on 6.9. in fact i don't know that many who are on that now (they are teachers with masters, a few publications, experience in jap. univ - the standard requirements)

so whilst i don't doubt your source i am certainly surprised by the figures provided - if they relate to s.one with a masters

[may be going]

having now done 2.5 years at univ. in both korea and japan, i would have to say japan is better by as big a margin as one could come up with, after taking everything into consideration.

if you look at things individually, like pay, job, airfare, apartment, people etc etc with particular focus on the job situation, one might make an argument for korea. but when you factor in everything, which includes everything outside of work as well, then i personally don't know how anyone could see korea favourably.

again that's just me, but lifestyle is just as important as job if you're going to invest years of your life somewhere.

as s.one once said, korea is great for money, for the job, for the savings and for potential advancement in your career. the only problem is that you have to live there. couldn't have said it better myself.

this is in relation to s.one having a univ. job in both countries. regarding hagwons, eikawa or high schools, i don't know enough about any of them to pass comment regarding job, but i would still say that lifestyle in japan is better than korea.