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JerkyBoy
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 485
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 Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 12:34 pm Post subject: Cost of living in Beijing |
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I am line for a job in Beijing paying 10,000 Chinese wotsits a month - is it worth it?
I calculated it into pounds and it was just shy of �1000, which is not a lot. Would it be possible to save anything?
The job is 25 contact hrs a week. |
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Shroob
Joined: 02 Aug 2010
Posts: 1339
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 1:04 pm Post subject: Re: Cost of living in Beijing |
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| JerkyBoy wrote: |
I am line for a job in Beijing paying 10,000 Chinese wotsits a month - is it worth it?
I calculated it into pounds and it was just shy of �1000, which is not a lot. Would it be possible to save anything?
The job is 25 contact hrs a week. |
We're going to need more details than that. Is housing included? Utilities? |
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twilothunder
Joined: 09 Dec 2011
Posts: 442
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 2:02 pm Post subject: |
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After tax and paying for housing and utilities that is very little.
It depends on your lifestyle - noodles and soup? Yeah, no problem. Steak and potatoes cooked at home? Proper orange juice and imported milk? Yeah, probably. Eating out at fairly good restaurants regularly? Probably not.
You can live and save in Beijing on that but don't expect to be going out very much. Except for happy hours. |
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twilothunder
Joined: 09 Dec 2011
Posts: 442
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 2:03 pm Post subject: |
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25 contact HOURS a week? Or 25 classes (which may be 40-50 minutes)?
Either way, not pleasant for the salary. |
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JerkyBoy
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 485
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:03 pm Post subject: |
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| There is a housing allowance on top, though I haven't asked how much it is yet. |
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JerkyBoy
Joined: 12 Jan 2012
Posts: 485
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| Posted: Tue Sep 25, 2012 5:04 pm Post subject: |
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| 25 hrs, some of which are tutorials. |
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chinatimes
Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 478
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| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 9:23 am Post subject: |
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| JerkyBoy wrote: |
| 25 hrs, some of which are tutorials. |
A 10,000-12,000 RMB job will probably ask for 40 hours. 25 are classes and 15 are office hours.
In central Beijing, you will have kindergarten and business English classes. If you go to the outer districts like Changping, Shunyi, and Pinggu then the salaries drop to about 6-8,000 but the hours are a lot less, you get flexibility and could probably pick up some overtime or work part-time legally with privates at another school, and the work environment is a lot less stressful.
You can also save money in the outer parts because you won't need to spend as much (the stores are simply not there), and the prices of things are seriously almost half the price as you will find in central Beijing.
I would avoid doing any apartment deals on your own unless you have worked in China for a few years or can get a short term lease (6 months or less). It's better to have them to get you housing. Then they will treat you better. If there is a lease in your name, then they can fire you and you are still stuck paying the rent.
Chaoyang is both cheap and expensive depending on where you live. The further out the better if you don't mind the transportation. If you have to be in the center, then decide on who you want to teach and who you want to work with. Go from there and don't accept other offers.
Since Beijing is a big city, I don't think it matters where you live. The computer area (Zhongguancun) is in the northwest, clothing places in the south (Xidan in the west and Yonganli in the east), and the airport is in the northeast but further out. Other than that, you will still need to use the subway. I would avoid the Wangjing area, it is overly crowded and terribly constructed there.
If you are going to use the train, then the northwest is better for west departures, and the southeast is better for northeast (and probably southeast) departures. |
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Kysorb
Joined: 30 Jul 2010
Posts: 253
Location: Beijing
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| Posted: Wed Sep 26, 2012 6:22 pm Post subject: |
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9-10000 + 2000-3000 housing is pretty normal for a job at a Beijing language school, and 20-25 hours is normal also.
You will probably be able to save 3000-5000 a month depending on how you live. I know western teachers on this payment plan who are saving close to 7000 but their apartments tend to be very modest.
If you don't come with any money, real savings wont begin until your second year honestly because you will be paying back rental agency fees, damage deposit, 3 months rent right off the bat.
Schools will usually help you with this initial setup but you will pay them back. |
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yoga2012
Joined: 21 Mar 2012
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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I just got an offer for a job in China. It's 10,000/month not including housing...(She said that I'll pay about 2000/month for a room) Tax free and near central Beijing.
Should I take it or not? I'm not sure what's a reasonable offer. I didn't apply for a lot of jobs in China yet. I won't take it if I can't save at least 3000-4000/month.
The hours are not more than 25 teaching per week, 40 hours full time with weekends off. |
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yoga2012
Joined: 21 Mar 2012
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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| Kysorb wrote: |
9-10000 + 2000-3000 housing is pretty normal for a job at a Beijing language school, and 20-25 hours is normal also.
You will probably be able to save 3000-5000 a month depending on how you live. I know western teachers on this payment plan who are saving close to 7000 but their apartments tend to be very modest.
If you don't come with any money, real savings wont begin until your second year honestly because you will be paying back rental agency fees, damage deposit, 3 months rent right off the bat.
Schools will usually help you with this initial setup but you will pay them back. |
So, usually housing is included and the teacher doesn't pay? If that's the case, maybe I should insist housing be included or not take the job?? If too many of us just accept any old crap offer, than there's a chance salaries will plummet eventually. Already I see tons of low offers of 4000-8000 a month....  |
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chinatimes
Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 478
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| Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2012 8:17 pm Post subject: |
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| yoga2012 wrote: |
| Kysorb wrote: |
9-10000 + 2000-3000 housing is pretty normal for a job at a Beijing language school, and 20-25 hours is normal also.
You will probably be able to save 3000-5000 a month depending on how you live. I know western teachers on this payment plan who are saving close to 7000 but their apartments tend to be very modest.
If you don't come with any money, real savings wont begin until your second year honestly because you will be paying back rental agency fees, damage deposit, 3 months rent right off the bat.
Schools will usually help you with this initial setup but you will pay them back. |
So, usually housing is included and the teacher doesn't pay? If that's the case, maybe I should insist housing be included or not take the job?? If too many of us just accept any old crap offer, than there's a chance salaries will plummet eventually. Already I see tons of low offers of 4000-8000 a month.... |
You guys are only looking at one variable (the salary) and then wondering if you should label it a crap offer.
1. How is the school?
2. Who would you teach relative to who you want to teach?
3. Consider things like class size, resources/books, and find out what you have access to (computers, other books, audio files).
4. Where in Beijing is the school exactly? Beijing is a big city. The salaries can be 6,000 with housing and still be good.
As for spending, it is up to you to decide. If you make 12,000 and spend 4,000 then you have 8,000 left.
If you make 10,000 and spend 2,000 then you also have 8,000 left.
Crazy how that stuff works, but just because the salary is not the highest doesn't mean it has cracks and dents automatically. Look at other factors, subjective and objective to get a more realistic decision.
Location within Beijing again is going to be a big factor. Where will you want to live in Beijing specifically? Anyone who is considering Beijing or Shanghai ought to visit either city first. Just go to People's Square in Shanghai or Xidan in Beijing. Walk around. Get a feel for which parts you like.
Even with these 2 locations, there are other parts of these cities which could be better for you depending on your interests. I know one guy who rents a room at his place for 2,300/month. Another offer next door might be 4,000-5,000.
Too much variance. To me a crap job actually has nothing to do with the salary, but it is more to do with the housing conditions, the working environment, and the kind of actual schedule you will have. |
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choudoufu
Joined: 25 May 2010
Posts: 3325
Location: Mao-berry, PRC
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| Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 2:32 am Post subject: |
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| yoga2012 wrote: |
| ....Already I see tons of low offers of 4000-8000 a month.... |
those likely are university positions. 4-8K/month including accommodations
on campus, 12-16 hours per week, and 1-3 months paid vacation. |
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chinatimes
Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 478
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| Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 5:19 am Post subject: |
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| choudoufu wrote: |
| yoga2012 wrote: |
| ....Already I see tons of low offers of 4000-8000 a month.... |
those likely are university positions. 4-8K/month including accommodations
on campus, 12-16 hours per week, and 1-3 months paid vacation. |
And it's true. Right now, I am doing 20 and it will drop to 12 in November. They let me stay on campus during the summer so I didn't have to rent another place. I will be using January and February to travel and go back home (these will be paid months).
4 months is not bad at all. Compare that with my previous jobs in China, the schools wanted me to stay in the city on standby. Even though I had a lot of time off, they still had me teach a few classes in January and February. I couldn't make use of the time off. At a university you can. |
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yoga2012
Joined: 21 Mar 2012
Posts: 12
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| Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 10:37 am Post subject: |
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Well, thanks for the input. I must say, after going over the contract, that I'm not inclined to accept not just for the money.....but I think I don't even get any sick leave. At least I got 11 days/contract year at my last job. Plus, I got paid during any winter or summer holidays. Is it pretty standard in China to not get paid during the summer or winter holidays??
Not to mention, if I don't give at least a day's notice, they'll actually penalize me a fine for each day I'm sick....so not pay me or give me a fine.... great..... |
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chinatimes
Joined: 27 May 2012
Posts: 478
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| Posted: Sat Oct 06, 2012 10:54 am Post subject: |
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| yoga2012 wrote: |
Well, thanks for the input. I must say, after going over the contract, that I'm not inclined to accept not just for the money.....but I think I don't even get any sick leave. At least I got 11 days/contract year at my last job. Plus, I got paid during any winter or summer holidays. Is it pretty standard in China to not get paid during the summer or winter holidays??
Not to mention, if I don't give at least a day's notice, they'll actually penalize me a fine for each day I'm sick....so not pay me or give me a fine.... great..... |
Good, we don't need sick people. |
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