Job Discussion Forums

Moto · Joined: 20 Oct 2011 Posts: 25

Hello , Can anyone who is currently teaching in the Czech Republic give me an idea of the average TEFL teachers earnings ? , If I am going to teach there I need to have an idea of how much I can earn . Thanks .

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Most teachers earn enough to live on OK, but not to save up much or to travel much outside the country. This isn't a place to come if you need to pay off debts back home or want to save up for major investments like car or house.

The biggest kicker is rents. If you are content to flat-share, this can help considerably in terms of your monthly bottom line, but saving much still would be difficult.

You can expect to be able to enjoy lots of cultural events, eating and drinking out (usually avoiding the tourist places), and to travel around the country.

If you've got aspirations to more, you probably won't find it anywhere in Europe. The job market here bears very little resemblance to Asia, where teachers are more in demand and pay is therefore relatively higher. Most teachers in their first and second years in any single location here work to build up local contacts, reputation, and language skills, and then are able to find the few 'better' jobs around, but this takes time and commitment to a region, along with qualifications (and some luck).

Don't forget up-front costs. It's very rare for reputable schools to hire anyone from abroad (just too many teachers around for them to need to take a chance on someone sight-unseen). You'll need to plan to get over here, pay for your rent and upkeep for a couple of months, all before landing that first paycheck (most employers pay monthly at the end of the month worked).

Numbers? I think salaries hover (still) around 22,000 - 28,000 kc/monthly - confirmation, anyone? My latest direct info is from 2010.

But keep in mind it's not just about how much you earn - it's about cost of living and how much of your wage will be eaten up by basic cost of living.

Moto · Joined: 20 Oct 2011 Posts: 25

Thank you for your reply , enough to live on is what I wanted to hear .
It looks like I will do OK .

zbduk · Joined: 06 Jun 2008 Posts: 6 Location: Vietnam

I'm in the Czech Republic at the mo and have been here since August. Spiral78 is right in that flat-sharing is the way to go if you want to do anything other than work and stay in the same town at the weekends.

For 25 hours a week, you should get about 25k/mth which is fine to get by on outside of the cities.

I'm here with my husband and he works online doing something web-related so the only 'real' money we get is my wage and we're doing ok. We share a decent sized flat with another teacher from the same school.
We're in a small town but the railway links are pretty good and compared with the UK, train travel is cheap.

Hope this helps.

Moto · Joined: 20 Oct 2011 Posts: 25

Thanks for that , it is good to hear from someone who is there right now and has bang up to date information Smile

Thanks ... Very Happy

thesuitthatdidnt · Joined: 30 Apr 2011 Posts: 25

read between the lines when teachers say 'they get by'.

Getting by infers subsistence living...better to visit the Republic than to go hungry in it.

Mercury Morris · Joined: 28 Jun 2009 Posts: 27 Location: Prague

Spiral78 says-

Moto · Joined: 20 Oct 2011 Posts: 25

Thanks for all the replies .
I lived in Prague for four months in 2010 and fell in love with the place , I know it well , my interest in teaching there is simply to make enough to live on and enjoy all that Prague and the Czech republic has to offer from a lifestyle and cultural point of view . I am under no illusions that teaching is a money maker , I know full well that it is not Smile

As long as I can cover my basic living costs and live there legally , that is all I need as I am in the very fortunate position of having a reasonable secondary income from a small web based business which I can run from my Laptop anywhere that has an internet connection , I always used the free wi-fi upstairs at Starbucks on Wenceslas square when I was living there as well as many other places around Prague that offer free wi-fi .
Once again , thanks for all your input , Na Shledanou for now . Cool

teflworldwideprague · Joined: 13 May 2009 Posts: 4 Location: Prague

Hi Moto. I've been in the TEFL industry in Prague for 13 years now. TEFL salaries for a newbie here in Prague are 17,000 - 19,000kc net. Pick up some private students on the side or get a part-time job at another school and you can be netting over 20,000kc. The new teachers that I know are renting rooms for between 7,000 to 8000kc/month and have money to travel around Europe. I know dozens of teachers who are having a good time here. They are not saving money or paying bills back home but they are traveling. Teaching here is there passport to travel Europe. So budget wisely and you can have a good time.

Moto · Joined: 20 Oct 2011 Posts: 25

Augustus · Joined: 16 Oct 2012 Posts: 105

Hello

I've had a look of a contract for a job I'm interested in, in the Czeck Republic and the figures quoted are 250 CZK (gross) for each hour taught, 24 hours of teaching were mentioned (but not in the contract).

Is this standard? Will it be enough to live on?

Thanks

Augustus

Kofola · Joined: 20 Feb 2009 Posts: 159 Location: Slovakia

There are major differences in the cost of living in Prague compared to smaller towns, so it's hard to say without knowing what size of town it is. I presume these are teaching hours rather than 60 minute hours?

Does the contract give a guaranteed minimum number of hours? If you are a newbie and don't know the culture/area I would go for a contract that gives you a minimum number of hours. Otherwise you could find yourself in financial difficulties. It takes a while to build up contacts.

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

It is a bit unusual for schools in the region to hire from abroad, unless it's for a specialist position (which a new CELTA grad won't have) or if it's somewhere quite rural. Could you give us a bit more info?

Also, when does the contract start? Assuming September? If earlier, that's a bit dodgy. But assuming this is the contract you are speaking of on the Newbie forum, it looks pretty standard overall for the region.

You do need to find out about housing. I once interviewed for a job in Karlovy Vary that required its teachers to live in the high school dorm! It was a private room with bath and tiny refrigerator, but the teacher was expected to take all meals with the students in the cafeteria and to leave the key to his/her room with the porter anytime he/she went out of the building.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

"Subsistence" is the word I would use rather than "earnings" ! The litmus teats is "Could I support a family on this money ?"

Augustus · Joined: 16 Oct 2012 Posts: 105

Its not Prague more a small town having researched it online.

A flat was mentioned or otherwise they would find me somewhere through contacts.

I have no idea of the costs involved in living:

i.e rent, local taxes (Council Tax in the UK),
travel costs
bills - gas (extortionate at the moment in the UK),
electricity (much planning expected for the first 12 months, so possibly more)

What do you think of the figure I've mentioned?

6000 CZK before taxes? Is it doable