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| Are you making "way too much money?" |
| Yes |
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28% |
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| NO |
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71% |
[ 15 ] |
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| Total Votes : 21 |
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regicide
Joined: 01 Sep 2006
Location: United States
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 Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 5:34 am Post subject: W40,000 times eight hours |
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I was in a Jim Gil Bang in Daejeon recently and a K guy starting talking to me in fairly good English. I was surprised because it was the first time in three months anyone had spoken to me in that place in English. Anyway, the first thing he said was he was surprised to see me here. He went on to say most foreigners would go to the Yusong hot springs area. I said "I live near here,that is why I am here" Then he said " you arent an English teacher are you? " Even though I am I responded no. He went on to say how he hated English teachers because they earned too much money. I said "oh really, how much do they earn?" Expecting to hear a couple of million a month or so he said "W40,000 an hour." And said , " at 8 hours a day they are making 320,000 a day, much more than back home". I agreed with him and was hoping to talk more and take a couple of shots at him and also see where he was coming from , but we both dashed out of the hot sauna and I didn't see him again.
Anyone else ever get the "inside scoop" about what they are thinking? |
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ajuma
Joined: 18 Feb 2003
Location: Anywere but Seoul!!
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 6:43 am Post subject: |
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Ok...let's say that you work in a hagwon and make 2.1 mil a month. You teach 30 hours a week for 4 weeks (I'm rounding here) that's 17,500 an hour. Nowhere NEAR 40,000! Of course you have 5-40 students in your class. Now, if you are teaching 1-1, it only follows that you should be paid more for the individual attention that you give to 1 student.
If you run into that guy again, tell him how you can't even get a repair guy in the States to come to your house to LOOK at your problem for less than 50,000!!! |
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waltjocketty
Joined: 09 Oct 2006
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 10:16 am Post subject: |
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| I make 27k/hr, and I thought that was pretty good, |
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Ya-ta Boy
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Location: Established in 1994
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 1:03 pm Post subject: |
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| Clearly, the guy in question is talking about private lesson fees, not salary, although he may not know it. |
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antoniothegreat
Joined: 28 Aug 2005
Location: Yangpyeong
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 1:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Ya-ta Boy wrote: |
| Clearly, the guy in question is talking about private lesson fees, not salary, although he may not know it. |
could this be from some biased media report bashing foreign teachers? Nooo.... that NEVER happens here. |
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IlIlNine
Joined: 15 Jun 2005
Location: Gunpo, Gyonggi, SoKo
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 3:58 pm Post subject: |
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... that's not the point.
Do you hate people for making 'too much money'?
You should have told that guy about this interesting economic system where everyone is equal... and then suggested he emigrate to the north. |
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mishlert
Joined: 13 Mar 2003
Location: On the 3rd rock from the sun
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 4:07 pm Post subject: |
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When doing your taxes here (U.S.) you not only have to put in your gross pay, but also your housing; that counts as what part of your pay as you would have to have paid it had the school not given you housing.
So, when calculating pay here, remember to add in housing. |
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regicide
Joined: 01 Sep 2006
Location: United States
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 4:17 pm Post subject: |
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| IlIlNine wrote: |
... that's not the point.
[qoute]Do you hate people for making 'too much money'? [/qoute]
You should have told that guy about this interesting economic system where everyone is equal... and then suggested he emigrate to the north. |
I really wish I would have had more time with him. This kind of jealousy is what keeps a society down. But in this case it is directed at "outsiders". English Teachers here top out at what , 5 million a month, if someone works day and night , seven days a week? Is that "way too much money?" Lot's of small business owners here make 10 million or more. But back to the jealousy factor; lets just say you could get that many private hours in a day? I recall getting 8 hours a day at NT 800 an hour in 1996 when the NT was 25 to 1. And I was working on a 60 day tourist visa and flying with my student all over Asia, including Hawaii That was $32 an hour in 1996! But what have I got to show for that? Contributions into a 401K, management opportunities? Who flew me to Taiwan? Not that guy. |
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ChuckECheese
Joined: 20 Jul 2006
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 5:11 pm Post subject: |
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| mishlert wrote: |
When doing your taxes here (U.S.) you not only have to put in your gross pay, but also your housing; that counts as what part of your pay as you would have to have paid it had the school not given you housing.
So, when calculating pay here, remember to add in housing. |
I disagree.
Yes, if you're paid "housing allowance" then it can be considered part of your normal salary.
But No, if your employer offered the housing for free. If your employer leased the apartment for you, it becomes employer's business expense. You are obligated to report only the gross pay that Korean tax had been deducted. |
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regicide
Joined: 01 Sep 2006
Location: United States
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 5:20 pm Post subject: |
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| ChuckECheese wrote: |
| mishlert wrote: |
When doing your taxes here (U.S.) you not only have to put in your gross pay, but also your housing; that counts as what part of your pay as you would have to have paid it had the school not given you housing.
So, when calculating pay here, remember to add in housing. |
I disagree.
Yes, if you're paid "housing allowance" then it can be considered part of your normal salary.
But No, if your employer offered the housing for free. If your employer leased the apartment for you, it becomes employer's business expense. You are obligated to report only the gross pay that Korean tax had been deducted. |
You are also able to deduct all your expenses related to working here. ( if your contract is one year or less) You will need to use a schedule "C" to do this and you will not need to give up your residency status. ( as you do if you take the foreign exemption, which was designed for highly paid executives) You could deduct housing if it were not supplied, as well as phone, relocation expenses, internet, meals ( subject to a 50% exclusion) computer and cell phone expense ( on a section 179) and books or periodicals purchased, wire transfer fees, and many others , all against your pay received. |
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Juregen
Joined: 30 May 2006
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 7:04 pm Post subject: |
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Why did he not assume we can work 12 hours per day?
12 * 40.000 = 480.000 per day
that would be a far more fair assumption .......
aynway if you are doing privates and get up to 8 hours a day (how many days a week?), then yes what you earn is sweet. Ofcourse you still need +12 hours in total to prepare for these 8 hours of classes .....
8*40.000= 320 000 - 360.000/12 = 26.667 won
so even if they pay you 40.000 for one hour of teaching they forget to calculate the pre work that goes into these privates.
For me a good day would be 6 hours and a normal day 3 hours.
Which is sufficient for me. Especially cause i am doing some extra studying myself .... |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:22 pm Post subject: |
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| ChuckECheese wrote: |
| mishlert wrote: |
When doing your taxes here (U.S.) you not only have to put in your gross pay, but also your housing; that counts as what part of your pay as you would have to have paid it had the school not given you housing.
So, when calculating pay here, remember to add in housing. |
I disagree.
Yes, if you're paid "housing allowance" then it can be considered part of your normal salary. |
I'm pretty sure it would be considered taxable though. I remember my father opinining about taxes long ago, telling me that if a friend decides to loan you his beach house for the weekend, you are expected to calculate the average cost it would have been to rent it, and then report that in your taxes. I can't remember what kind of tax it should be considered, though..
Anyhoo, I would not report it. Not like they're gonna know. |
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Qinella
Joined: 25 Feb 2005
Location: the crib
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 8:25 pm Post subject: Re: W40,000 times eight hours |
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| regicide wrote: |
I was in a Jim Gil Bang in Daejeon recently and a K guy starting talking to me in fairly good English. I was surprised because it was the first time in three months anyone had spoken to me in that place in English. Anyway, the first thing he said was he was surprised to see me here. He went on to say most foreigners would go to the Yusong hot springs area. I said "I live near here,that is why I am here" Then he said " you arent an English teacher are you? " Even though I am I responded no. He went on to say how he hated English teachers because they earned too much money. I said "oh really, how much do they earn?" Expecting to hear a couple of million a month or so he said "W40,000 an hour." And said , " at 8 hours a day they are making 320,000 a day, much more than back home". I agreed with him and was hoping to talk more and take a couple of shots at him and also see where he was coming from , but we both dashed out of the hot sauna and I didn't see him again.
Anyone else ever get the "inside scoop" about what they are thinking? |
It's just a typical misconception about how much foreign English teachers make. I once had a taxi driver stop his car in the middle of the road and argue angrily with me because I refused to 'admit' that I make 5 million a month. And he was not talking about privates, either. (story here) |
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Young FRANKenstein
Joined: 02 Oct 2006
Location: Castle Frankenstein (that's FRONKensteen)
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 9:41 pm Post subject: Re: W40,000 times eight hours |
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| Qinella wrote: |
| It's just a typical misconception about how much foreign English teachers make. I once had a taxi driver stop his car in the middle of the road and argue angrily with me because I refused to 'admit' that I make 5 million a month. And he was not talking about privates, either. |
I haven't had the angry fight yet, but I have had to enlighten some on their misconceptions. Taxi drivers and others, when they find out I teach at uni, comment first off how I must be rich. Conversation goes something along the lines of:
YF: "How much do you think I make"
them: "4 million"
YF:  "No, not even close"
them: "English teacher rich job"
YF: "Only if you are a professor"
them:  but hogwon teachers bery bery rich
YF: "No. they only make 2 million a month... not rich at all"
them: TWO million? Not rich.
YF: No, not rich  |
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some waygug-in
Joined: 25 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Sat Dec 02, 2006 10:35 pm Post subject: |
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I once had an adult student tell me how much she envied my job/life in Korea, because I made so much money and had so much free time.
I questioned her a bit and pointed out that I didn't have a lot of free time, she actually had much more than I and that I wasn't making a lot of money either. Actually got screwed over royally by that place and never got a dime of it afterwards. The place went t.i.t.s up and I couldn't even take them to the labor board. 
I suppose this attitude is a hold over from the pre- IMF days, when there was a lot of money to be made....for everyone, not just the few with the right connections.
I've also had adjumas at the market sneer when I asked for a discount, because they were sure that I was "loaded".  |
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