Korean Job Discussion Forums

[proustme]

For you F-visa holders (and even long-time E-2s), is your wife or husband comfortable with the reality that jobs here max out kind of low, that as a teacher/instructor you probably won't go very high? I say this with all sincerity, perhaps ignorance.

For public school teachers, it's about 2.5 (GEPIK) to 2.7 (EPIK) -- perhaps 100k-200k higher. For university instructors, it's, what, a good 2.6 to 2.8 and doesn't go much higher (I think)?

My main concern is that wherever you teach, it seems salaries here for English teachers max out sort of low and don't allow for much growth after 2-3 years. Is it just a fact of working in Korea?

[shaunew]

2.5 for one job, but all of the f-2,f-5 guys I know teaching English have 2 or 3 jobs making that at each job or working a per hour rate. The other f-2,f-5 are out of the game and run their own business. Teaching was good, but being the boss is much better.

[bassexpander]

Currently making over 5 at my univ. job. (given that it's winter break, and I'm teaching winter school).

Gotta love the OT on top of the base hours during vacation. Wish every month of the year were like this!

[tatu]

The education industry is what you make of it. I know of some F-2/f-5 guys making very good money with their own businesses.

I know people who are happy earning less and I know some who are happy making a lot. I also know people who are unhappy no matter how much they make.

If your eyes are only on working for a school then you are right that the max is low. If you have a mind for business then the sky is the limit.

[Mr. Pink]

When I quit my high school teaching job in 2006 I was making an average of 3.5mil a month with my housing allowance. I had like a gazillion holidays a year too. Okay, not quite a gazillion, but something in the ball park of 3 months paid holidays. Not too shabby huh? I didn't teach camps during that time either. If I had done camps, I could have made an extra 6mil a year.

Then I came back to work for 6 months in 2007 and I was making about 4.5-5mil a month doing a kindy job a couple mornings a week and an afterschool government program 5hrs a day. I could have fit a lot more into my schedule and made 6-7mil a month easy...I was just a bit lazy I was sort of on a studying break between my 2nd BA and my B.Ed.

Some F2/F5 might settle for less, but the opportunities to make 5mil+ a month are all over the place.

Currently I am probably at about 5mil a month. I'll see what my average is by June as I had a couple months of little to no private work. I am guessing it will be near 6mil a month or so.

[cornholio1]

I personal think the op has no idea what he/she is talking about. I make with just two jobs over seven a month. that's hardly even trying at work and no privates.

[red_devil]

OH god, yet another thread with people bragging about how much they make...

[pkang0202]

Just wondering for those of you that are married to Koreans:

Does your wife work?

A big thing with Korean girls is that when they get married, they want to stop working and have their husband bring home the bacon. As a longtime ESL teacher, can you support a family on just your income alone?

[nobbyken]

Wife and daughter don't work, spend about 1.5M a monthly on regular stuff.

[Captain Corea]

[itaewonguy]

depends how hard you want to work..

but anyone who tells you they make over 6 million a month.. are working pretty hard.. thats fulltime and long days..

anyone making over 8 million a month is up before 7am and teaching until 9pm..

I doubt very much anyone makes 10 million a month teaching for someone else..

owning your own school,. then the possibilites are endless..

50an hour at 8hours day 5 days aweek is 8 million..
8 hours of teaching!! not inclucing commute times..
thats a 12 hour day easy! goodluck getting the hours...

you would have to work full time morning classes, and kindergarten!
and then afternoon elementaries, and then companies in the evenings again!
goodluck doing that for more than 1 year fulltime... classes cancel all the time...
you would need all your classes to remain stable and be in a close distance..
8 million is possible if you can get the hours to stick..
there wouldnt be many guys out there making 8 million teaching classes for other people..

now.. 5-6 million a month.. yes this is very common.. most F2's I know work this.. don't over work, have a good amount of free time, and take it easy , dont burn themselves out...
5-6 a month is about 30 hours aweek at 50k
some months they make 4, other months 6, evens out..

most f2's have more expenses than others, house, car, books etc..
end of the day an F2 will not save that much more than a single E2 working at a hakwon and doing a few privates on the side,..

F2= married! married with children in most cases...= more expenses..!
they need to earn more and workless..

[Faunaki]

My salary is OK. I max out this year but the fact that my hubby makes much more than me and we both have job security makes moving back home a little scary - I'd make more back home but would he??? I'm a chick though so it's OK that I make less than my spouse^^

[Captain Corea]

[Juregen]

[Juregen]