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How does our pay compare with what Koreans get

 
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Austin Powers



Joined: 09 Mar 2003
Location: Incheon

PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2003 3:52 pm    Post subject: How does our pay compare with what Koreans get Reply with quote

The 2.0 M Won that most of us get, how does that compare to what the Korean teachers earn, do they earn more/less what, anyone out there know?
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Zyzyfer



Joined: 29 Jan 2003
Location: who, what, where, when, why, how?

PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2003 4:43 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

They earn less for more work.
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some waygug-in



Joined: 25 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2003 5:02 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

That depends on who they are and where they work. My Korean girlfriend earns 3.0 a month for less work than I do, and I only get 1.8.
Yes, she is perhaps an exception but not all Korean teachers are the low wage slaves you might think.

Incidently, what do you think would happen if suddenly we were all expected to work for say 1.2 million a month, no overtime just extra work.

We'd probably all be gone. I know I would. But just remember, those Korean teachers who get those low wages don't have to deal with all the issues that we do. I mean, they don't have to go to Japan and get a work visa, they don't have to risk deportation if they have a private student or 2, they didn't have to leave family and friends behind and move to a country where they can't understand the language, they can actually communicate with their students in their own language (what an awsome plus that must be), they have quite an easy time changing jobs, not so for us. On and on, there are a lot of reasons why we get paid more. It's not just about teaching.
Cheers
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jaderedux



Joined: 10 Jan 2003
Location: Lurking outside Seoul

PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2003 5:37 pm    Post subject: HMMM? Reply with quote

Well, I work in a Middle School. I don't know any teachers that make as little as 1.2 million. Most make fairly close to what I make and have around 16 -18 classes a week whereas I have 25 plus 2 "club" classes a week. They also only have to come in 1 or 2 days during the vacation but I teach 2 weeks in the summer and 3 in the winter.

Also, they get a chusok bonus and new year bonus that often equals anywhere from 30 to 50% of their salary. I dont' get the same bonus.

Now I don't have as much in the way in of admin duties as they do but some of the male teacher don't do much except teach their classes and smoke... Rolling Eyes.

They also get decent pension. I interviewed new candidates recently and was told that being a teacher is a very popular job because of the vacation, pay and pension. If both a husband and wife are teachers they can make nice living and have really good pension!

All in all I think it is about even. Yes they are required to be here one hour longer than I am but.....I have seen just as much internet surfing and sleeping and doing personal business as in any western office I have been in.

I don't feel abused and I love my job but I don't think I am exactly pampered either. I do alot of work and get a fair wage as do they. Each group has positive and negative points. In the end monetarily I think it evens out once I factor in the fact that I am not allowed to make any extra money doing privates. (many korean english teachers do teach some private students) I can't have any other income other than teaching income.

Some things are intangible so it is hard to say.

I think I might be a little better off since I don't have to pay for my apt. but most of the married teachers own their apt. They got it when the got married and the single ones still live at home. Like I said I am not treated badly but I am not the pampered princess either.

Jade
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Anda



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: South Korea

PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2003 5:50 pm    Post subject: Um Reply with quote

Currently Korean Public school teachers start on about 1,300,000 won a month plus a bonus. Old teachers who are up towards the top of the pay scale are on about 37,000,000 won a year.
Most hogwan teachers are on about 1,000,000 won a month. Better paying positions pay 1,200,000 to 1,500,000. There are also some that earn very big money who teach for TOFFEL, GATT, TOEIC etc. These are few in number.
A waittress here earns about 30,000 won for a twelve hour shift.
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Austin Powers



Joined: 09 Mar 2003
Location: Incheon

PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2003 7:55 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

ok so the pay seems to be about even, what about tax, the 5% that we pay is that preferential?, do they pay more tax or is it about the same.
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kimcheeking
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PostPosted: Thu Mar 13, 2003 8:01 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

some waygug-in wrote:
I mean, they don't have to go to Japan and get a work visa, they don't have to risk deportation if they have a private student or 2, they didn't have to leave family and friends behind and move to a country where they can't understand the language, they can actually communicate with their students in their own language (what an awsome plus that must be)


I agree with everything except the private teaching. You don't have to risk deportation. Just don't do privates, it's against Korean law.


At my school the Korean teachers have the same contract, yes contract, that the foreign teachers have. The only benefit that they don't get is housing or a housing allowance.

At a hogwan that I worked at in the past the Korean teachers got a percentage of the students tuition. one teacher was making upwards of 4 million a month.
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gang ah jee



Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: city of paper

PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2003 3:14 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Quote:
Old teachers who are up towards the top of the pay scale are on about 37,000,000 won a year.


WhoA! I get a bit over 34,000,000 a year before overtime and I'm just a hakwon-sekki

Sometimes, on my way to the bank, I feel a bit guilty.
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Austin Powers



Joined: 09 Mar 2003
Location: Incheon

PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2003 1:32 pm    Post subject: 34.0M Reply with quote

WhoA! I get a bit over 34,000,000 a year before overtime and I'm just a hakwon-sekki uote/quote]

Wow, envious!!!!!!! wanna fill us in on how you do it, I mean did you have to sleep/kill anyone
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gang ah jee



Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: city of paper

PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2003 2:03 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

I interviewed in country. Gave teaching demonstrations. It's not even very good though. I pay for my own house, which is nice for self respect, and in the best location but... even with overtime it's only 3.1 for me.

A friend of mine gets 3.6 mil for 100 hrs. Legally.

You can get paid TONS here.. just gotta make sure your boss knows he'll never see a better teacher than you.

me, I've been a sucker. I'd be making twice as much if i didn't care about that E-2 visa ting.

Edit: 34,000,000 isn't THAT much... are you mocking me?
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stalinsdad



Joined: 25 Jan 2003
Location: Jeonju

PostPosted: Fri Mar 14, 2003 6:04 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Your only worth as much as you think your worth! Koreans don't put up with abuse, insanitary conditions, back stabbing and the culture shock experienced by Westerners. I wonder whether a Korean would travel to the other side of the world for a relatively low wage.
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gang ah jee



Joined: 14 Jan 2003
Location: city of paper

PostPosted: Sat Mar 15, 2003 11:52 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

A Korean friend of mine with some kind of computing degree moved to libya for 2 years for 1.2 million a month...

did a midnight run though

libya's not worth it
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Derrek



Joined: 15 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Tue Mar 18, 2003 7:13 pm    Post subject: My Reply with quote

My Korean ex-gf made about 1.6 a month with no housing provided. Another full-time teacher was making a shocking 900,000 a month! She was taking college classes in the morning, so they refused to pay her more! She eventually passed a test for something and quit.

I know my ex was planning to go part-time, but I think they upped her pay to keep her.

The korean teachers work a lot more. They have a lot of tests to grade at night.
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fastfreddie



Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Seoul Area

PostPosted: Tue Mar 18, 2003 10:56 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

One of my best friends (Korean) is an instructor at a National University. She is not a professor. As she explains it, her pay is largely determined by the # of students in her classes, as she teaches both credit and non-credit classes. Right now she is teaching 28 hours a week for 2.5 million. She does receive bonuses twice a year, but gets no free housing, obviously....
She used to work in a hogwan teaching Toeic and TOEFL...with over 100 students in a class. teaching 30 hours a week, she was making over 4.5, but as she says, killing herself for it.....

freddie
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some waygug-in



Joined: 25 Jan 2003

PostPosted: Fri Mar 21, 2003 3:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

"I agree with everything except the private teaching. You don't have to risk deportation. Just don't do privates, it's against Korean law." Quote


I didn't say I was teaching any privates. My point was that Koreans can LEGALLY teach privates, we can't.

And I can still be deported for any number of reasons. All my hagwan boss has to do is "claim" that I am teaching privates. If enrollment is down, they can have me deported and bring in new meat quite easily, and save themselves the cost of return airfare and the final bonus.
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