Job Discussion Forums

[Sweaty Ted]

Please allow me to introduce myself. I am 38, married (wife is staying in the States), childless, received a B.A. in English literature in 1996, my M.Ed. in TESOL at the adult level in 2001, a second B.A. in Spanish and French in 2004 and my M.A. in Spanish this year. No courses were done by distance learning.

Since getting my M.Ed. in TESOL in December of 2001, I have taught English in Paris for a private language school (started in October of 2000, but the university is counting my experience after the M.Ed. was granted) from 12/01 to June of 2003, taught ESL for one semester at a community college in Chicago in the autumn of 2003, taught reading and Spanish at a high school for one semester in the spring of 2007, taught Spanish at a high school full time from 2007 to 2008, taught Spanish at a large public university from 2008 to 2012 and I have currently been teaching ESL and English at a community college since August of 2011.

This is what King Khalid University is offering me:
Rank: Language instructor
Monthly salary: 4080 Saudi Riyal (US$1,088) per month
Monthly transport allowance: 500 Riyal (US$133) per month
Housing allowance: 17,000 Riyal (US$4,533); my rent for a one-bedroom apartment will be US$373 per month.
Once-off furniture allowance: 8,500 Riyal (US$2,266)

There is a monthly allowance of 350 Riyal x 10 for every years relevant experience up to a maximum of five years. I have five years of experience.

What do you think of this offer?

[GoldnSilver]

I am editing this post because I misunderstood something, from what nomad said I think it's a good offer. I have a friend who has worked in Saudi Arabia for sometime now and she agrees with nomad.

[nomad soul]

[Sweaty Ted]

Thank you. I am calculating the basic monthly salary of US$1,088 with the 350 x 10 Riyal for up to five years of relevant experience. If I am correct 350 x 10 = 3,500 Riyal; 3,500 Riyal x 5 (years of experience) = $4,666

I know I am taking a risk. I have a contact there who says that the figures are legitimate. He's a westerner with whom I have been in correspondence. I have heard of people taking in US$7,000 per month total.

I appreciate your input.

[johnslat]

Dear Sweaty Ted,

Just using your monthly salary + years of experience + monthly transportation allowance, your monthly salary would be 6330SR( 4080SR + 1750SR + 500SR) which, at an exchange rate of 3.75 R to $1, would come out to a little under $1,700 per month.

You lost me on this: " . . . with the 350 x 10 Riyal for up to five years of relevant experience. If I am correct 350 x 10 = 3,500 Riyal; 3,500 Riyal x 5 (years of experience) = $4,666"

Usually, one gets an increase of 350 SR a month for each year of experience. So, where did the " X 10 Riyals" come from?

Regards,
John

P.S. Full disclosure: math was never my strong point.

[Sweaty Ted]

I have struggled with mathematics as well. This is what my contract reads:

"In addition, there is a monthly allowance of 350 x 10 Riyal for every years relevant experience up to a maximum of 5 years. Please provide proof of experience by Date, Month and Year."

[johnslat]

Dear Sweaty Ted,

Well, I think, were I you, I'd get that clarified because to the best of my knowledge (19 years in the Kingdom), the normal monthly allowance for each year of experience is 350SR (4,200SR a year).

Regards,
John

[nomad soul]

[Sweaty Ted]

I got a letter from the administration at my university stating explicitly that I was a language instructor from August of 2008 to May of 2012. It is signed by one of the dept. chairs.

I am contacting the community college where I teach English and ESL for a letter stating that I have taught there since August of 2011.

The high school district sent me a letter stating my position and the fact that I taught at that particular high school from July of 2007 to May of 2008.

I have my old references from my EFL job in Paris, along with my old paystubs.

I still have to contact the college in Chicago to write the letter about me teaching ESL for one semester in 2003.

[powerpuffgirl]

Johnslat and nomad soul : could you please help me out here? All I want is the correct salary for my quals and experience, I am not asking for more than i am entitled to. At a government uni, what do you think I should be getting?

BA and MA ( non related subject ), CELTA , currently studying MA TESOL.

Exp: ESOL tutor one term UK, worked in summer schools in UK as an instructor then as an assist course director, four years teaching experience at unis in Saudi on both prep year and post prep year courses.

Thanks so much!

[veiledsentiments]

How long ago did you work the prep years in Saudi?

The MA is worth nothing as far as your salary until it is officially completed and you can provide the documentation to the employer.

VS

[johnslat]

Dear powderpuffgirl,

" . . . four years teaching experience at unis in Saudi on both prep year and post prep year courses."

On that occasion, were you given credit for having a Masters - I'd be surprised if so since it's in a "non-related field".

And once you get your MA TESOL, any experience (such as mentioned above) will almost certainly be irrelevant since Saudi employers (in my experience, anyway) don't credit any "pre-Masters" work experience.

The CELTA, of course, is a good asset.

So, my best guesstimate for what you might expect for salary (once you finish your MA TESOL) is roughly about 11,500 to 12,000 SR a month - which would not include such things as transportation allowance (if included in the contract, it's usually about 500 SR a month) or any housing allowance.

This is only a guesstimate since it depends a lot of which government university hires you. It could range anywhere between 10,500 SR to (maybe) as high as 14,000 SR a month.

Unfortunately, there's no "set standard - one applies to all" in Saudi.

Regards,
John

[powerpuffgirl]

johnslat- thank you for your help, really useful to know. I had wrongly thought there was one rule for calculating salaries for all government universities in KSA.

Veiled sentiments - thanks for replying so quickly too: my experience in saudi is recent, the last 4 years.

[johnslat]

Dear powderpuffgirl,

If you're hired as a "newly-minted" MA, I'd say your chances of getting into the upper ranges of what I mentioned are virtually nil.

Regards,
John

[veiledsentiments]