Korean Job Discussion Forums

Weigookin74 · Joined: 26 Oct 2009

Interesting comparison of median incomes when you factor in local costs of living (PPP). Guess you can fare better in SK than many places. Of course, it's helpful when and if wages start rising again for us. As for Japan, I had no idea many there are so poor. You always hear and see money thrown around in Tokyo, but certaintly not for the majority, I guess.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median_household_income

Weigookin74 · Joined: 26 Oct 2009

If Canada's eastern part had it's own ranking, it would be lower than the lower incomes on this graph, no doubt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Median_household_income#mediaviewer/File:US_real_median_household_income_1967_-_2011.PNG

Weigookin74 · Joined: 26 Oct 2009

It jsut shows how rich Americans really are and how all incomes rose during the "boom" years.

basic69isokay · Joined: 28 Sep 2014 Location: korea

What you get for the cost is what really sets America apart.
A giant two story house with a yard for 200k (excluding sf,la,nyc,etc). A huge gallon jug of milk for 3$. 3.8l of gas for 4$. I mean, to most of the world, these are obscene quantities. In most parts of America, you get A LOT for your money. A Korean guy recently told me he couldn't believe how cheap beef was, so his family ate galbi jjim for every meal. Same goes for jewelry, clothes, shoes, almost everything. If You're "making it" in america, there's no better place.

misher · Joined: 14 Oct 2008

Well, Japan is really what you should be looking at if you want to see where Korean median wages are going. All I see is rising costs and stagnating wages, ESPECIALLY for foreign educators that are teaching English or any other academic subject hoping to get tenure. If you're a 45-55 year old that has already been in Korea for decades, it is a bit of a different story as you implanted yourself in better times. For the 30 year old debating whether to stay or leave, I'd say unless you're marrying into Korean culture, you're f*cking nuts.

PRagic · Joined: 24 Feb 2006

That all depends. I know a few tenure track international faculty here who are living the life of Riley. They do their semesters, then go back 'home' for a couple of months in the summer or winter, or travel over one of the breaks. Same for DINK couples if they're both non-Korean.

For those with families, their children's education and cost of housing trump the actual concerns over income per say. Our salaries are at or above a big state university in the US or some of the big universities in Canada. Can't speak to university salaries in Europe. UBC, for example, has had to address housing issues because the super high cost of living there has seen them losing potential hires to other more modestly priced areas.

But housing, for example a decent size 3 bedroom in Seoul, is so high (outside of perhaps Itaewon) that it presents as an immediate 30% cut in pay should you have to pay monthly rent. A state school in the US south or mid-east, while paying a bit less at the assistant and associate levels, might wind up putting an equal amount in your pocket given the lower cost of living across the board.

Over the longer term, wages actually equal out at the upper end of the spectrum, but, again, that lower cost of living plus access to better schooling options make a lot of scholars think twice about long term stays in Korea. Unfortunately, not enough universities are addressing these concerns fast enough.

KimchiNinja · Joined: 01 May 2012 Location: Gangnam

No_hite_pls · Posted: Sun Oct 05, 2014 7:30 pm Post subject:

Health care costs in the states are by far the most expensive in the world. Also my cable, phone, car insurance, eating out expenses were far cheaper in Korea.

Food bought at a grocery store, gas, household products, and value for construction quality are better in the states.

SHGator428 · Joined: 05 Sep 2014

KimchiNinja · Joined: 01 May 2012 Location: Gangnam

SHGator428 · Joined: 05 Sep 2014

KimchiNinja · Joined: 01 May 2012 Location: Gangnam

SHGator428 · Joined: 05 Sep 2014

KimchiNinja · Joined: 01 May 2012 Location: Gangnam

Brooks · Joined: 08 Apr 2003

Yup, Japan is getting worse.
It is expensive and 36% of the population is on contract or temporary work, commonly called dispatch.
No more deflation just inflation now. The sales tax is 8% and could be raised to 10% by April.

Wages for teachers were more in the past. You could do eikaiwa for 180,000-220,000 yen a month these days.
It used to be 250,000 a month for inexperienced teachers.

The gap between the rich and the rest has widened. In the 1990s you might hear that 90% of the Japanese are middle class. That is clearly not true anymore.

Korea is not bad at all, since you get a free place to live and it is cheaper to live there, but Korea is more expensive than it used to be.