Job Discussion Forums

renzobenzo1 · Joined: 22 Oct 2007 Posts: 85

1. Why does Taiwan pay significantly higher than China for teachers?

2. Is it advisable to take a job paying 60,000 NT for your first year there with free accommodation....I read several posts here that say that it is better on an hourly rate and that you will not get a job with accommodation-why is this? Thanks

BigWally · Last edited by BigWally on Sun Nov 18, 2007 10:32 am; edited 1 time in total

MomCat · Joined: 02 Dec 2004 Posts: 297

BJ · Joined: 03 Dec 2003 Posts: 173

Slight corrections.
Main reason for difference in salary is the wage rates in the two as Momcat points out. Mainland CHina actually has a huge demand for teachers, pay there for a teacher is massively above the average wage.
Paid accomodation is actually very rare in Taiwan as opposed to Korea. Very few jobs offer it and most of those are in small towns far from the major cities. Some schools offer tempory accomodation, and a few schools/universities offer tecahers accomodation but normally you must pay for this.

Ki · Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posts: 475

Salaried jobs typically no longer have any real benefits. Make sure you know how many hours a week you will work for your cash. 60,000 a month usually equates to 25 hours a week. If you earn 600 an hour instead you will be one month�s salary richer after one year. But of course if your job offers you one month paid holiday, which they won�t, then it equals out.

The paid apartment is an incentive to lure you to some town in the middle of nowhere with absolutely nothing to do. You can pretend that it is an extra 5,000 a month salary but often the reality is that your school knows your comings and goings and can find you to fill in for a class when you may rather not be found.

Find out where the town is and if you want to live there. If it isn�t one of the bigger cities then you might be better off passing on this one. Also, if you are applying for the job from outside Taiwan then be careful. By all means come check out the town and school for yourself, work for two weeks but don�t feel obliged to spend a year somewhere you don�t want to be. Is the job with a recruiter? Sign the contract with the school ONLY. Never sign a contract with a recruiter.

BJ · Joined: 03 Dec 2003 Posts: 173

To digress, I think Salaried positions used to have (not sure about now as jobs differ) paid national holidays, and the Bonus Pay for chinese new year (divided by number of months worked in a chinese year) which is typicaly 1.5 months salary. on occasion also paid vacation of 2 weeks or more was on offer. You were also guaranteed pay - where hourly does go up and down a lot depending on time of year, classes etc.

In a sense you should be more secure with a know income and some fringe benifits (medical etc) than hourly paid work.

Hourly paid contaracted work is better for pay normally, but you are more at the wim of the company and fluctuations in the number of classes

Ki · Joined: 23 Jul 2004 Posts: 475

Yes, salaried jobs used to be good with all the benefits. Now they don't have any. Typically now you will get one weeks paid holiday and national holidays. My last salaried job gave me a total of 5 days paid time off within a year. Plus I was given a resigning bonus but this was only after my second year of work. I didn't resign.

Medical is given with any legal job, waged or salaried. It was my salaried job which wanted me to pay some of this, about 400 - 800 NT a month, not any of my waged jobs.

Income is always secure for me. But then again, I always want my holidays in Summer and winter.

BJ · Joined: 03 Dec 2003 Posts: 173

Dosn't sound to good. Normally all workers get a Bonus of 1.5 to 2 months at chinese new year, Interesting to hear that salaried in many jobs dont - but get a resigning bonus.
I am lucky at a Uni with salary, bonuses and 4 months paid vaction. I havn't worked in a busiban for over 7 years, so my knowledge of these things is dated to say the least.

Aristotle · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 1388 Location: Taiwan

BJ · Joined: 03 Dec 2003 Posts: 173

Interesting points aristotle, I must say spot on with the mainland china equation. I have been offered more to teach in China, than here as well, but in the main jobs in China are lower paid.

Korea not sure about double pay, but as you say Taiwan is preferable.

To much corrupt politics, and posturing is destroying Taiwan, on that I will agree.

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

Can't comments so much about buxibans but I know universities only pay the full 6 weeks of the Chinese New Year after the employee has worked for 12 months. Anything less then a proportion of the 6 week bonus is paid. That means an employee of 6 months only gets 3 weeks extra.

Interesting though how Chinese salaries are not competing with Taiwan. Given China's economy it's arguable that things will be more on the rise in China and ultimately Taiwan in 10 years or so time will not be the Chinese society of choice for TEFL. Wonder if anyone agrees with my contentious comment.