Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Real Reality]

[Real Reality]

[mindmetoo]

So we make 2.5 to 2.7 million won (including free apartment) for our part time education jobs? We largely walk in, talk, and leave with little other teacher responsibilities like contacting parents, preparing report cards, preparing lesson plans (there are certainly some hagwon jobs that have some of those duties but it's as easy to get one that doesn't, no?). We get this without any teaching qualifications. We got a pretty good deal, I'd say.

[The_Conservative]

[quote="Real Reality"]

[ajgeddes]

So, the average of the top 10% of Koreans is 52 million a year.

Looking at my base salary at my public school and my rent, I am not that far away from the top 10% of Korean society.

BOOYEAH! That doesn't even include my overtime. With my overtime, I am just under that average and I don't work a single hour outside of my 9-4 working hours. Actually, I only teach my contractual 25 hours of class a week.

[mindmetoo]

[Real Reality]

Did you remember to include the late or no payment problem encountered by foreign teachers?
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=18732

How well are foreign teachers compensated for teaching experience?

Do foreign teachers have a lot of job security? Do they receive tenure until retirement age?

"Teachers in Korea have guaranteed tenure until they reach the mandatory retirement age."
Attracting, Developing and Retaining Effective Teachers
Country Note: Korea
John Coolahan, Paulo Santiago, Rowena Phair and Akira Ninomiya
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, Directorate for Education, Education and Training Policy Division
http://www.oecd.org/dataoecd/26/49/31690991.pdf

[Unposter]

I for one appreciate RR's posts. He provides some solid information. How would you know you are doing so well without his informative posts?

Still, I bet the vast majority of ESLers don't earn the median wage unless they work illegally or a second job.

And, remember that if you earn more, you probably have a university or an educational management job or have significant experience so your salary would be on par at a different wage than the average educational worker's average.

[Homer]

ok..one

28.88 million won a year works out to about 2.4 per month.


You cannot compare a teachers wage to that of say an excecutive even if RR would love to do so.

So whats the point here? We make roughly the same as the average annual salary?

Wow...well as mindmetoo said, considering what is often required for teachers here....this is not half bad.

the article also says Wages rise, working hours decrease ...well the relative wage of teachers has also gone up recently and hours are now lower than they used to be. For example, working saturday was a requirement a few years ago now not so much. Public School positions are more and more available and offer better conditions.

So..RR..once again what is the point you are tying to make?

I see you re-hashes the old point of tenure and job security...

1- Do you have what is required to qualify for tenure here in a University for example?

2- Job security can be defined in many ways and this is not limited to tenure at all...supply and demand can very well insure long term job security.

3- Compensation for experience: varies and depends what type of experience and how you go about looking for work...it will not just be handed out to you with giftwrapped with a bow. You want to earn more based on your experience: make sure your experienced is referenced and not just quantity...it is much more about quality...so 3 years at XYZ hakwon where a teacher decided the boss was stupid and so played bingo with his students will not be worth very much on the market...and it shouldn't....

[mindmetoo]

[Cheonmunka]

[wylies99]

[mindmetoo]

[Unposter]

I believe the 28.88 million per year figure was for all workers in Korea regradless of profession. According to the subject line, educational workers average 2.92 million per month which is about 35 million per year. I would estimate this would be around 2.5 million per month + housing + airfare. Maybe 2.3 or 2.4 in Seoul as rent prices are higher. This also assumes single residency, not a shared apartment as some in the ESL industry have.

As the average salary of an ESLer is between 2.0 and 2.5 with the balance being around 2.1 or 2.2, people in the ESL industry in Korea earn slightly less than the average wage compared to their Korean counterparts.

Now, some or many work less hard than their Korean counterparts but for an average of 300,000 won per month less.

But those working in public schools also recieve considerably less benefits than the average Korean public school teacher.

Now, many don't mind the difference. They don't feel they deserve the same as Korean teachers as they are not "qualified" teachers. So goes a field which boasts a number of people with self-esteem problems (not saying anyone in paticular just generally seems to be a problem -- i.e. you (we) are nothing better than fast food workers back home mentality.)

Yet, there also many on this board who feel that despite their different education and their Korean language skills actually offer far more than their Korean counterparts. I think few would argue that the quality of KT vary greatly. Yet, FT rarely recieve salary parity.

I don't know what to do about it. I love my job even though I work harder for less pay than my Korean co-workers. I give it 110% everyday and the students appreciate me (at least I get very high evaluations) but at best it only gets me re-contracted. I guess I am happy but not satisfied.

At my university, if you have an MA, you get 100,000 won per month more than someone with a BA. I still think I deserve 100,000 won per month less than the tenured Korean faculty. It is only logical.

It seems to me that the system is skewed. The only way a FT can reap his or her own value is to work some on the side. (Now, I don't do that.) But it seems like the only way to recoup your efforts is to make such efforts. Despite an occasional sacrifice to the gods of law and order, it mostly goes unnoticed. It is if they almost expect us to do it. I mean how many people working at schools don't get offered privates through a co-worker? We are like servers at a restaurant. We are paid less and we are expected to make it up in tips (privates).

It is a strange game here.

[Pyongshin Sangja]

Really new guy said: