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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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 Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 3:36 pm Post subject: |
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| Adam Carolla wrote: |
As an aside, since TUM seems bound and determined to highlight the negative aspects of living in Korea whilst not acknowledging that teaching ESL in Korea pretty much equates to living in fantasy land where you pretty much don't have to worry about bills and can save roughly half your salary in a given year, while also having a contract that is backloaded with rewards that can net you upwards of $5-6,000 AFTER you finish your last day of work...
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Nothing of the sort. The OP stated that it seemed that teachers could make upwards of 3K a month here...and I simply pointed out that it was not the the norm here. It's doable for sure...but not very likely
Even 30 K is not the norm here. Sure some people make that and some make more than that. But that's not what people should expect as a rule and certainly not a first timer heading over here.
That is all I am saying.
And as an aside it strikes me as fairly strange that anyone would claim that I am highlighting negative aspects...given my status as a so-called apologist on this board. Simply giving pertinent information so the OP can make a FULLY informed decision. |
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Adam Carolla
Joined: 26 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 3:38 pm Post subject: Re: using my degree |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Regardless of whether or not he pays for housing, it's extremely unlikely that the OP is going to make the money he thinks he can make here ("upwards of 3k a month" ) Even 30K is unlikely for a first timer. |
Regardless of whether he pays for housing? That's easily 5-6 million won in your pocket at the end of the year if you have housing provided. I'd hardly discount that if I were running the numbers. |
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Adam Carolla
Joined: 26 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 3:44 pm Post subject: |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Adam Carolla wrote: |
As an aside, since TUM seems bound and determined to highlight the negative aspects of living in Korea whilst not acknowledging that teaching ESL in Korea pretty much equates to living in fantasy land where you pretty much don't have to worry about bills and can save roughly half your salary in a given year, while also having a contract that is backloaded with rewards that can net you upwards of $5-6,000 AFTER you finish your last day of work...
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Nothing of the sort. The OP stated that it seemed that teachers could make upwards of 3K a month here...and I simply pointed out that it was not the the norm here. It's doable for sure...but not very likely
Even 30 K is not the norm here. Sure some people make that and some make more than that. But that's not what people should expect as a rule and certainly not a first timer heading over here.
That is all I am saying.
And as an aside it strikes me as fairly strange that anyone would claim that I am highlighting negative aspects...given my status as a so-called apologist on this board. Simply giving pertinent information so the OP can make a FULLY informed decision. |
Which is strange because you're discounting the benefit of provided housing while the OP lives in a place where he can easily expect to pay $1000/month out of pocket for a place to live (unless he shares a room with multiple roommates, in which case it's not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison.)
Also, if you really wanted to be accurate, you'd have at least touched on the topic of income taxes which, newsflash, will definitely affect how much money you have at the end of the year.
Finally, if you were truly giving information instead of being argumentative, you could have simply said something like this :
The average ESL teacher on an average salary at an average job can easily save as much as someone making, oh, at a guess, $60k in the U.S. That's useful information. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 4:12 pm Post subject: Re: using my degree |
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| Adam Carolla wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Regardless of whether or not he pays for housing, it's extremely unlikely that the OP is going to make the money he thinks he can make here ("upwards of 3k a month" ) Even 30K is unlikely for a first timer. |
Regardless of whether he pays for housing? That's easily 5-6 million won in your pocket at the end of the year if you have housing provided. I'd hardly discount that if I were running the numbers. |
Well according to the currency converter 30 thousand USD is just under 35 million won (at the current exchange rates). Divide 35 million by 13 (severance included) and that comes to about 2.69 million per month. Let's say 2.6 million a month. Very few teaching jobs pay that and given that he's a first timer...it's even more unlikely. More likely 2-2.2 million and if P.S it's 1.8 million.
If you factor the VALUE of housing in then maybe it's 30 k (before any expenses have been paid). All I am saying...it's not all cash. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 4:19 pm Post subject: |
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| Adam Carolla wrote: |
[
Also, if you really wanted to be accurate, you'd have at least touched on the topic of income taxes which, newsflash, will definitely affect how much money you have at the end of the year. |
Strange but I could have sworn I DID at least touch on it.
| Quote: |
| And if we are going to add pension and severance we should also TAKE OUT taxes and health insurance which comes just under 5 percent or so which cancels out the pension pretty much. |
Last edited by TheUrbanMyth on Wed May 16, 2012 4:20 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Adam Carolla
Joined: 26 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 4:19 pm Post subject: Re: using my degree |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Adam Carolla wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Regardless of whether or not he pays for housing, it's extremely unlikely that the OP is going to make the money he thinks he can make here ("upwards of 3k a month" ) Even 30K is unlikely for a first timer. |
Regardless of whether he pays for housing? That's easily 5-6 million won in your pocket at the end of the year if you have housing provided. I'd hardly discount that if I were running the numbers. |
Well according to the currency converter 30 thousand USD is just under 35 million won (at the current exchange rates). Divide 35 million by 13 (severance included) and that comes to about 2.69 million per month. Let's say 2.6 million a month. Very few teaching jobs pay that and given that he's a first timer...it's even more unlikely. More likely 2-2.2 million and if P.S it's 1.8 million.
If you factor the VALUE of housing in then maybe it's 30 k (before any expenses have been paid). All I am saying...it's not all cash. |
*If* you factor in the "VALUE" of housing? OMG, why wouldn't you? No kidding, we all know it isn't cash, it's part of what, as I believe I said before, was part of a compensation package. I really feel sorry for you if you weren't able to put this together before now.
In other news, you seem really focused on the figure of 3k per month. I submit to you that the OP was just pulling a generalized figure out of the air and wasn't betting his soul he'd make that much. But congratulations on turning what could have been a useful information gathering thread into an argument about whether it was exactly 3k per month or not, and whether housing is worth anything. Well done. |
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Adam Carolla
Joined: 26 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 4:20 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="TheUrbanMyth"]
| Adam Carolla wrote: |
[
Also, if you really wanted to be accurate, you'd have at least touched on the topic of income taxes which, newsflash, will definitely affect how much money you have at the end of the year.
Strange but I could have sworn I DID at least touch on it.
| Quote: |
| And if we are going to add pension and severance we should also TAKE OUT taxes and health insurance which comes just under 5 percent or so which cancels out the pension pretty much. |
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Taxes in the U.S. , which you did NOT touch on. Nice quote formatting, btw. |
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TheUrbanMyth
Joined: 28 Jan 2003
Location: Retired
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 4:23 pm Post subject: Re: using my degree |
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| Adam Carolla wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Adam Carolla wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Regardless of whether or not he pays for housing, it's extremely unlikely that the OP is going to make the money he thinks he can make here ("upwards of 3k a month" ) Even 30K is unlikely for a first timer. |
Regardless of whether he pays for housing? That's easily 5-6 million won in your pocket at the end of the year if you have housing provided. I'd hardly discount that if I were running the numbers. |
Well according to the currency converter 30 thousand USD is just under 35 million won (at the current exchange rates). Divide 35 million by 13 (severance included) and that comes to about 2.69 million per month. Let's say 2.6 million a month. Very few teaching jobs pay that and given that he's a first timer...it's even more unlikely. More likely 2-2.2 million and if P.S it's 1.8 million.
If you factor the VALUE of housing in then maybe it's 30 k (before any expenses have been paid). All I am saying...it's not all cash. |
*If* you factor in the "VALUE" of housing? OMG, why wouldn't you? No kidding, we all know it isn't cash, it's part of what, as I believe I said before, was part of a compensation package. I really feel sorry for you if you weren't able to put this together before now.
In other news, you seem really focused on the figure of 3k per month. I submit to you that the OP was just pulling a generalized figure out of the air and wasn't betting his soul he'd make that much. But congratulations on turning what could have been a useful information gathering thread into an argument about whether it was exactly 3k per month or not, and whether housing is worth anything. Well done. |
There was no argument until Mr. Leon and yourself started jumping down my throat about how much you can make in Korea.
So if anyone turned it into an argument it was you two.
Carry on... I'm out of here.
EDIT: Oh and Mr. Leon the taxes thing according to ttompatz does not apply if you work at a hakwon...so for what it's worth...
http://forums.eslcafe.com/korea/viewtopic.php?t=198581&highlight=tax+exemption
Last edited by TheUrbanMyth on Wed May 16, 2012 4:35 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Adam Carolla
Joined: 26 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 4:29 pm Post subject: Re: using my degree |
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| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Adam Carolla wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Adam Carolla wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
| Regardless of whether or not he pays for housing, it's extremely unlikely that the OP is going to make the money he thinks he can make here ("upwards of 3k a month" ) Even 30K is unlikely for a first timer. |
Regardless of whether he pays for housing? That's easily 5-6 million won in your pocket at the end of the year if you have housing provided. I'd hardly discount that if I were running the numbers. |
Well according to the currency converter 30 thousand USD is just under 35 million won (at the current exchange rates). Divide 35 million by 13 (severance included) and that comes to about 2.69 million per month. Let's say 2.6 million a month. Very few teaching jobs pay that and given that he's a first timer...it's even more unlikely. More likely 2-2.2 million and if P.S it's 1.8 million.
If you factor the VALUE of housing in then maybe it's 30 k (before any expenses have been paid). All I am saying...it's not all cash. |
*If* you factor in the "VALUE" of housing? OMG, why wouldn't you? No kidding, we all know it isn't cash, it's part of what, as I believe I said before, was part of a compensation package. I really feel sorry for you if you weren't able to put this together before now.
In other news, you seem really focused on the figure of 3k per month. I submit to you that the OP was just pulling a generalized figure out of the air and wasn't betting his soul he'd make that much. But congratulations on turning what could have been a useful information gathering thread into an argument about whether it was exactly 3k per month or not, and whether housing is worth anything. Well done. |
There was no argument until Mr. Leon and yourself started jumping down my throat about how much you can make in Korea.
So if anyone turned it into an argument it was you two. |
I honestly feel sorry for you. There is a difference in being argumentative and arguing.
You are being argumentative. Those of us who disagree with you are arguing. You see, we actually have valid points, whereas you are just quibbling over trifles without actually trying to address the real issue, which is whether the OP would make more money in Korea than in ND. I've given useful information. You're focused on the whole "3k per month" figure which I believe was essentially just pulled out of thin air and not the be-all and end-all of what the OP thought he would make in Korea. |
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Ave, L�cifer
Joined: 22 Feb 2010
Location: Busan
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 5:06 pm Post subject: |
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| The poster who is going on about THE VALUE!! of housing is being a bit silly. I am with EPIK and have opted for the housing allowance so yes I get the cold, hard cash deposited into my account every month and what I pay for rent is irrelevant. If I wanted to I could share some tiny room somewhere for 200k and save part of that allowance. Also the majority of people working at universities etc are given a housing allowance, which is basically part of your salary. So every month EPIK gives me 2.7 (400 000 of which is housing allowance) and I think it's fair enough to think of that as my salary. |
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No_hite_pls
Joined: 05 Mar 2007
Location: Don't hate me because I'm right
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 5:21 pm Post subject: |
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You can make much more money waiting tables or delivering pizza's in America than teaching in Korea. It's true!
And as someone that has delivered Pizza's in past it's a less stressful job than teaching in Korea.
Just saying!
And the guy that said working in Korea is like making 60,000usd in the states, Yeah Right!  
Yes, you can save some money in Korea if you don't drive a car and eat only Kimbop. The 4,000usd that Americans/Canadains get when they finish their contract's (Brits do not get 4,000usd they get 2,000) is Social Security money, not some big bonus. You would get this in your own countries too when you retire.
And Oh, Taxes ain't S---t in the USA or Canada if you only make 2,000usd=2.3krw a month. |
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toby99
Joined: 28 Aug 2009
Location: Dong-Incheon-by-the-sea, South Korea
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 6:34 pm Post subject: |
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| No_hite_pls wrote: |
You can make much more money waiting tables or delivering pizza's in America than teaching in Korea. It's true!
And Oh, Taxes ain't S---t in the USA or Canada if you only make 2,000usd=2.3krw a month. |
This is a good point - at 25K a year or whatever most English teachers make, you wouldn't be paying much in taxes in the States anyway. It's when you get in the 50K-100K range when you might see a sizable hit, but that's a different economic class than an ESL teacher. |
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Adam Carolla
Joined: 26 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 7:10 pm Post subject: |
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| No_hite_pls wrote: |
You can make much more money waiting tables or delivering pizza's in America than teaching in Korea. It's true!
And as someone that has delivered Pizza's in past it's a less stressful job than teaching in Korea.
Just saying!
And the guy that said working in Korea is like making 60,000usd in the states, Yeah Right!
Yes, you can save some money in Korea if you don't drive a car and eat only Kimbop. The 4,000usd that Americans/Canadains get when they finish their contract's (Brits do not get 4,000usd they get 2,000) is Social Security money, not some big bonus. You would get this in your own countries too when you retire.
And Oh, Taxes ain't S---t in the USA or Canada if you only make 2,000usd=2.3krw a month. |
Some guy smarter than you wrote:
| Quote: |
| The average ESL teacher on an average salary at an average job can easily save as much as someone making, oh, at a guess, $60k in the U.S. That's useful information. |
Edit: just more proof I'm even more amazingly awesome and better than people who disagree with me.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/06/30/news/economy/personal_savings_decline.fortune/index.htm
Yeah, back in the salad days, the average saving rate was 5-7%. Multiply that by $60k and see what you get Einstein. I bet it's less than $10,000. |
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Adam Carolla
Joined: 26 Feb 2010
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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| In other news, I'm pretty awesome, can support my points with actual facts, so don't argue with me. |
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oppa637
Joined: 05 Dec 2011
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| Posted: Wed May 16, 2012 8:08 pm Post subject: Re: using my degree |
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I do believe it matters where you work. I think it has to do something with teaching to be tax exempt, right?
| Leon wrote: |
| TheUrbanMyth wrote: |
My point is that the housing is a benefit (like the health insurance) not cash which was what the OP wanted to make...see his first post. And I'm not sure that the no taxes thing applies to a hakwon if I remember correctly.
Anyway my point was that it's quite a bit lower than what the OP was thinking it was going to be. 22k is 22k (and it will probably be less than half that once all the expenses of the year have been paid) and he's going back to the U.S eventually. And that's assuming he gets a slightly higher salary than normal in the first place. |
The tax thing applies to any American working any job in South Korea, at least under a certain salary, I'm pretty sure. It's based on a tax treaty between Korea and the United States, so it shouldn't matter where you work. You have to give the school some proof of residence, and they have to give it to the government to prove you don't have to pay. It is possible that many hagwon owners don't know, or don't care. When I worked at a hagwon, no one told me about it, but when I found out about it I brought it up and it was taken care of. If you're American, I suggest looking into taking care of the paper work and giving it to your boss if they don't bring it up. Anyways the housing might as well be a cash bonus, because if he wanted he could probably get a housing allowance instead of the housing itself, and it's money that he would have to pay otherwise. |
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