Korean Job Discussion Forums

[curiousaboutkorea]

I just figured I'd try this out. I think lots of us relative newbies have questions regarding what we should earn when taking a new job. So, maybe the more experienced teachers can help us out.

I'll start:

I will have taught kindergarten/elementary hagwon for 1 year. I am not certified and I do not have a degree in a field related to English or education. I am a North American male. I hope to teach kindergarten again next year, starting in March. I prefer to be in Seoul.

What kind of salary do you think is reasonable for me, given the current employment situation? Would it be unreasonable to shoot for 2.3? I think it might be, but I'm not sure. Thanks.

[Big Mac]

At this time, I think it is reasonable to shoot for 2.3 if you are a second year teacher. You might be able to get 2.4 if you negotiate.

I also have similar qualifications to you.

My first year I made 2.0. That was in 2004-2005. I think that since then the first year salaries have gone up to be in the range of 2.1 to 2.3.

Second year (2006) at a kindergarten-focused school in Seoul I went up to 2.1, which I wasn't happy with but it was a much more reputable school than my last one, so money wasn't my main concern. Third year I made 2.32 with the same school and midway through got a raise to 2.4.

Fourth year 2.6 is my base salary, but I usually clear over 3 million with all the after school classes. I don't know if that helps give you an idea of what the progression might be like. I'm sure others have been more successful in the pay department than I have.

Sometimes I think people are being a little unrealistic in their expectations. For example, I was told by many people that for my fourth year I could find a hogwan job for 2.8. They were out there, but the hours were ridiculous and some of the high paying schools were a little sketchy about a number of things. The best I could find at that time (summer 2008) for a reputable hogwan with reasonable hours was 2.5 million. I ended up going with a rural public school that offered 2.6 with the rural allowances included and lots of opportunities for overtime. Going that route I consistently make well over 2.8 for a lot fewer hours than the hogwans that were paying big bucks. So you have to take a lot of things into consideration.

[GTG09]

I just signed a contract to teach Kindergarten and elementary kids for 2.2 million. I am a 22 yo male from the US with no certification or engish concentration. When I first started looking for a position somewhere it was around 1.9-2 and that was what I was starting to expect until my recruiter found me this position outside of Busan.

I'm not sure if I got lucky or not, ended up getting the location I wanted and higher pay than expected.