Korean Job Discussion Forums

[HanlSky]

That's the question. I ask because I think I think it's cool working less for more money per hour even if the total earned is less than working more for less money per hour.

[Died By Bear]

With an ivy league degree=75,000 won per hour.

No-name uni degree = 10,000 won per hour.





http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=195502&highlight=

[HanlSky]

I once did a calculation and it turned out to be something i don't remember that seemed too good to be true. So here I am asking.

[Chris.Quigley]

Depends on the school and the number of hours they expect from you in exchange for your salary.

Public school job...(2.1mil salary/40hour work week)

I've worked it out to about 11.55US$/hour ... If you include the apartment
that increases to 13.75US$/hour. I was generous with the exchange rate.

The assumption is a 40 hour work week. This is required in the contract (22 teaching hours but 8:30-4:30 Monday-Friday). Desk warming...

English teachers are not rich. You have bought into the myth propagated by most Koreans that English teachers make lots and lots of money.

I read your thread about near-ivy schools in the USA. From what I know, Koreans who studied at American near-ivy schools make as much as 150000W/hour in some cases. You should come back to Korea and not settle for any job that doesn't offer you at least 100,000W/hour and a 1,000,000W housing allowance. Executive class return flights and premium healthcare service are also included usually. Also, do not accept pension of less than 9% of your salary, with 100% of the payments covered by your employer. Usually there is a 250,000W Bonus for each student that returns an additional month to your class. You are Korean, and you are near-ivy so it would be insulting if they offered you less.

Usually they provide you with a house servant as well. I have one Korean friend who graduated from So-cal that actually received a trained Japanese Macaque (type of monkey), that washed his bed linens for him and cooked him dengdengjigyae.

I hope that helps.

[HanlSky]

Chris I'm guessing you are joking about the Korean near-ivy people getting that much money and the monkey, if not, please provide some company names that would give that much.

[Koreadays]

15.000won an hour
thats right folks, the great korean money experience is only worth 13 bucks a n hour. but you do take it all home, no real taxes, so lets say its around 20bucks an hour.. can you make that back home?

[brento1138]

[blackjack]

I'm on about 40 an hour but I only work 17 hours a week

[thegadfly]

Basic Annual Income: 28.6 million won (2.2 x 13, which include severance)
Airfare: 1 million won or so
Housing: 6 million won or so (500,000 won a month -- with key money and monthly rent, this is probably on the cheap side)

Total: 35.6 million won ($31,292)

Weekly rate: 712,000 won (35.6/50 -- 10 days of holidays are standard, so 50 work weeks, maximum. Most places it is 48 or fewer).

Hourly Net rate: 17,800 won (712,000/40 hour week)

Federal tax bracket: about 15% (just shy of 25%)
State tax bracket: varies from nothing to substantial

Korean tax bracket: 1.5%-ish (or 3.3% if your school is not doing it right)

Difference in taxes (US) ~ 13% (up to 30%)

Equivalent "gross" pay rate for the US : 20,114 won (17,800 won +13% (13% less taxes means 13% more net pay).

...so, long answer is AT LEAST 20,000 won an hour ($17.60), for all your time, including desk warming and prep.

[edwardcatflap]

Depends whether you mean contact hours or work hours. A good place to work for gives you low contact hours but at the same time assumes you spend more time preparing. Lower down the scale they give you a ton of hours and disregard the fact that you might have to prepare. I only have six contact hours a week at the moment, which works out at around 190,000 a contact hour but I probably put in more hours than most public school teachers because I've got a lot of other responsibilities and I enjoy what I do.

[[email protected]]

[Chris.Quigley]

Should airfare be included in income?

I see it as either a reduction in income (if you pay it yourself)
or I see it as having no effect.

I guess it depends on how you see your trip to Korea. Airfare could be considered a "benefit" if you always wanted to go to Korea. For people who were only taking the financial benefits of living in Korea into consideration, airfare would be seen as I have put above.

I have revised my calculations:

2,600,000/month (including apartment allowance as per GEPIK contract)
2,100,000 End of Contract Bonus
1,130,000 Reimbursed Pension Contribution (Schools Share)
= 29954.10 US$ (rate used 0.00087)

Divided by 52 weeks and then by 40 hours (as per contract)

=14.40US$/hour

I include the vacation time because (in Canada) this is a benefit. We must give up this benefit to work in Korea. Therefore they cancel each other out. If such a benefit doesn't exist in your country, then recalculate using 48-50 weeks depending on your circumstances.

Not included are camps, unpaid after school activities, sleep over at GEPIK orientation, weekend get aways with Korean teachers(unpaid), criminal record check, visa process, and an allowance for mistakes made by recruiter/school. (Cost me 200$ extra)

Also not included: Low cost of living, low tax rate (0% or 4% Canadians and Irish), after school classes (paid at higher rate), illegal privates, honorandums and gifts.

[Chris.Quigley]

I forgot the 300,000 won settling allowance in the GEPIK contract.

It's an additional $0.12/hour.

[Chris.Quigley]

[madoka]