Korean Job Discussion Forums

[gmlkoreanna]

Hi, I don't if this has been posted or even noticed? But for the past few days, while surfing through some job advertisements, I noticed that alot of the language institutes, kinder, hakwons and reading clubs are now offering teachers 28-30.000 per hour, for the same jobs/position that were paying out 35-40.000 won, just 4 months ago??

I saw much of nothing offering the once basic rate of 40-60.000 won, per hour. Does anyone have any ideas or reasons to why the hourly pay rates have fallen so low? I was thinking it could be due to the falling greenback or rising won?

Perhaps, if there are teachers out there accepting these rates, the whole system will be offering lower hourly pay rates? Sorry for the typos and have a great day

[bellum99]

There are always more whities willing to take less and do more work.

[Ilsanman]

Maybe it's an experiment.

If you (I mean anyone reading this) ever accepts one of those positions, you are doing yourself and many others a real disservice.

[gmlkoreanna]

I totally agree with you Ilsan man. It will be a huge disservice. One of the Institutions called me back after I told them that the pay was not even average (for partime) and offered me a higher rate (still had to decline as it only inched up to one thousand won more. This may be an experiment, as you mentioned, just to see how low they can go in offering pay. It will set a new standard, they get more, teachers will get less. Then the whole system will be screwed and we'll all end up moving to Cambodia to teach. One of the teachers that I'm working with now said, it may be due to the fact that there are alot of "non qualified" people in Korea working and willing to take what they can get?

[Ilsanman]

Yes, but if one is unqualified, why admit it?

[faster]

Just a guess, but the rationale behind this might be related to the relative strength of the Korean won right now.

When I came here, 2.2 million KRW was like $1600 US. Now it's more like $2500.

[Typhoon]

There is a bus drive strike in Daejeon. The local paper said the average salary of the bus drivers was 3.2 mill. This was confirmed by a friend at the gov't office. I am looking for a link, but can't find one. 3.2 to drive a bus!!! I was shocked when I heard it and am more shocked now. How much should you get paid to teach English???

[Southern Drawl]

The exchange rate means nothing to me as I am a long time resident of Korea and I have no plans to go back to the States within the next 20 years. I live in Daejeon and I will never accept anything less than 40,000 won per hour from any hogwon, company, or private student. Also, I negotiate in increments of 5,000 won.

I agree that if others are accepting lower hourly payments then it drives the market down. My wife (Korean) once spoke to an ajuma who said that my fee was too high as there was a foreigner in the Dunsan area of Daejeon accepting 25,000 won per hour. Is there anyone here on this board who would accept such low pay? If you do there is no reason for you to do so. You are being taken advantage of. If you can't find anyone who will accept a fee of 40,000 and up then just wait. You will.

(BTW, I have a F-5 visa and a private teaching license from the Ministry of Education. So please don't anyone reprimand me for private teaching. Thank you.)

[twg]

I think it's more of a case of a downturn forcing them to try and underpay noobs rather than give experienced folks what they want because they can't/ are unwilling to.

[cdninkorea]

[yingwenlaoshi]

[faster]

[wylies99]

[the eye]

Hogwan associations have an effect on wages. If they agree to certain wages, it becomes difficult to find places that offer more.

[Ilsanman]

Speak for yourself. About 40% of what I earn ends up out of the country. I am not alone in this.