Korean Job Discussion Forums

[SeoulMan99]

I know in IL the average teacher's salary is around 56,000, with some of the nicer districts having average salaries of $80,000 - $100,000. There really is a large gap in pay depending on where you teach.

[Jeonmunka]

[thegadfly]

A district with an average salary for a teacher of $100,000? I am sorry, but without something to back that up, I am going to have to call you on that. No way -- I don't believe it. Show me a link to that district's home page -- heck, show me a link that shows the maximum step increase for the district being anywhere near or over $100,000 for a teacher, not an administrator.

Here are some places with very high average salaries:

http://www.employmentspot.com/employment-articles/top-cities-for-teacher-salaries/

A few approach the $80,000 mark, but these high salaries are connected to the local cost of living, and the difficulty of securing a position. A high salary (coupled with a low starting salary) usually indicates a top-heavy field -- that is, people in those positions do not leave those positions, and because of that, no new people can get in. If the average salary is $80K, you can bet the "average" teacher has an MA + 15 years or more experience...hardly an average teacher, wouldn't you agree?

[Netz]

[thegadfly]

Sorry, netz... I'll resort to name-calling and hyperbole next time, if that would make you feel better

[Mr. Pink]

[thegadfly]

300 to 1 where I am from....

[Dude Ranch]

Too many English/Social Sciences/Humanities majors want to be teachers in Canada. They have a shortage actually of Math/Science majors going into teaching.

[eschoonard]

As a Math teacher with one years experience, maybe I should look at moving to the foreign country of Canada instead of Korea! Too bad there wasn't a big need of English math teachers in Seoul!

[VanIslander]

in the ESL industry, South Korea is one of the highest paying countries in the world!!!

wake up to the global reality

[sketcha]

if you're making the same as you did 8-9 years ago, maybe the problem is not just the industry ...

[proustme]

On that note, where's user Real Reality when we this conversation could make use of the statistics and links he has at his finger tips?

(Puts out the bat signal...He'll come...just wait)

[air76]

[Mr. Pink]

I made 1.1mil a month back in 96.

When I left Korea in 2006, I was making 3.2mil or 3.3mil.

Jobs didn't start paying more. You have to know how to get above the basics.

[cubanlord]

While the focus of this thread is on making money, I'd like to remind everyone that hard currency isn't the only thing we work for that is valued. Making "money", I am presuming, is being measured (in this thread) as the ability for someone to make "X" amount of WON in a month. However, I don't feel it is adequate to only measure the salary per month.

Here's a hypothetical.

Person A
Salary = 3,000,000 a month
Hours worked = 11 hours per week
Vacation = 3 months paid
Free apartment = 400,000 a month
Won per hours worked = 68,181 per hour (based on a 4 week month)

Person B
Salary = 3,000,000 a month
Hours worked = 20 hours per week
Vacation = 3 months paid
Free apartment = 400,000 a month
Won per hours worked = 37,500 per hour (based on a 4 week month)

As you can see, Person A is making out far better than Person B. Of course, I didn't include extraneous variables such as utility bills, food, extra money opportunities, etc., but you get the point.

Moreover, either person can save minimally 1,000,000 a month on that salary. Thus, salaries, in a sense, have gone up if you reduce the amount of hours worked.

I don't know, but this is how I view things and I am surprised that so many people on here focus on the WON per month rather than the whole package. Essentially, OP, wages have gone up if you look at the WON per hour ratio as well as the ability for someone to save money now compared to the past.