Job Discussion Forums

stim · Joined: 03 Sep 2009 Posts: 5

Hello everyone. My name is Tim, currently I teach in Ukraine and before that was in Russia, and am ready for something fresh and new. China is an option. Can someone tell me please, about how much an experienced CELTA certified native speaker of English gets for teaching in a big Chinese city, and how much is left over after rent and food and transport and all that?

ttorriel · Joined: 13 Oct 2008 Posts: 193

johntpartee · Joined: 02 Mar 2010 Posts: 3258

Your questions cannot be answered, there are just too many variables. I can't even think of a place to begin. Neither could ttoriel.

LanGuTou · Joined: 23 Mar 2009 Posts: 621 Location: Shandong

How about this option?

Do a search of the job boards on the internet (there's quite a few to go at including the one on this site), find a job (preferably a few options) that takes your fancy and then come back to this forum asking others to give their thoughts and opinions.

This way, you will get an idea of the salary levels on offer and locations. Other people can add comments as to how far your life can stretch on that salary and also the potential for "unofficial" earnings.

You may find the answers a bit more worthwhile.

Just a suggestion!

oldboy · Joined: 03 Jan 2010 Posts: 38

killian · Posted: Fri Mar 12, 2010 1:57 am Post subject:

the bigger the city, the more expensive the costs. often in the cities housing won't be provided.

CELTA is wonderful but doesn't really benefit much in china. so, simply grabbing a number out of the air...you can get 10,000 rmb/month in shanghai but maybe 2,000 in housing rent and that'll leave you with about 1,000 US$ after taxes.

stack that against a 40 hr work week back home and that 250 US$ per week comes in at about $6 per hour. which is below legal minimum wage inmost states.

senorfay · Joined: 08 Mar 2007 Posts: 214

In Harbin I got a friend who works at a primary school making around 11,000 before taxes teaching 28 40 minute classes per week. He has Saturday, Sunday, and half of Wednesday off.

He then teaches private classes he set up during a lot of his free time.

In the end, he says he averages around 20K per month.

He loves teaching and he loves saving money so for him it's a double win.

I, on the other hand, crank out 25 hours in the classroom per week for a mere 9,000 per month.

My rent is 550/month I split 1100 with my gf. His rent is around 1200... maybe more.

For some it's profitable. For others it isn't. I spend around 4000 every month.

Von Dut · Joined: 21 May 2009 Posts: 108 Location: Limbo

I'm cheap. Or maybe it's because I am in a small village with nothing to do. No western things of any kind. Not even a chinese bar to go to. I get free meals at my school so I only have to make food for myself on the weekends. Which I don't do, I eat out, costs me about 6rmb per meal when I splurge. I only drink when I am taken out with other teachers so I don't pay for anything there either. I am a smoker and that is pretty much the only thing I spend money on. So over all I spend maybe 500rmb a month (and that's the top end).

I'll be in a bigger city next year so I'm sure I'll spend much more than that.

chengdu4me · Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 11:46 am Post subject:

Chengdu...

13 classes a week, 40 minutes each (all crammed into two days)

7800 RMB monthly plus benefits

Family of three (Myself, wife, 14 y/o son)

We have our own home not provided by school

3000 a month goes into savings

The Great Wall of Whiner · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 4946 Location: Blabbing

I'm not so sure that I agree with the "big cities are more expensive" line.

Groceries cost more? KFC and McDonald's cost more? What about a simple bowl of noodles, cigarettes, bottle of beer, a kilogram of pork, etc.?

Where I live (small city) meat is in fact now more than in Canada. Especially beef!

What exactly are we talking about? Housing? Absolutely housing is much more in Beijing and Shanghai, but housing--according to the LAW regarding hiring foreigners--must be provided. This is the law for any school legally hiring a foreigner from overseas. Salary, safe housing, visa, and airfare.

Us foreigners should not be paying for our own housing, unless we agree to it. Even then....

South Korea pays for housing completely, with a higher salary and prices comparable to Shanghai or Beijing.

gene · Joined: 03 Mar 2010 Posts: 187

General Franco · Joined: 29 Dec 2009 Posts: 22

killian · Posted: Sat Mar 20, 2010 2:52 am Post subject:

16,000 per month (14k after taxes) + 1 month "end of contract" bonus. teach middle school, high school and a factory. 5 weeks vacation.

when i live in the small town i save much more money as there are fewer choices.

i am able to bank at least 1,000 US per month at the very minimum.

NorthofAmerica · Joined: 17 Jul 2006 Posts: 187 Location: Recovering Expat

Killian brother, Long time no see!

No wonder you always seem to be in a good mood, you've got quite a nice set up.

I am on the broke end of the scale, I work at a uni and have free housing... that is at the edge of acceptability for a young~ish bachelor. That aside I make an astounding 4700 a month plus with some privates on the side I make another 1600, all in all 6300. I do have the option of picking up more work but would rather not run myself ragged.

I have Fridays off and enjoyed a 7 week holiday over Jan-Feb Smile

Still, would work more for more money any day of the week

mdovell · Joined: 02 Nov 2009 Posts: 131

The question can take different directions. For example are you talking about getting money and simply going home? Or are you talking about the outright living within China?

I know someone that banked I think 10K in south korea but I'm not sure as to how much he worked in order to get that.

The way I look at teaching for the most part is that china is cheap by western standards to live in. Some students are going down this route as a way to bank some money so when they come back they can pay for at least some of a loan off. Banking 1K a month in china might be easier than that of domestically in the USA

I don't think that anyone could ever make the claim that china is a get rich quick situation but obviously if someone manages their expenses and saves up they should be able to do so easier than at home