Which country pays TEFL teachers the most and the least?

Discussion about jobs and employment conditions

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Saturn
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Joined: 19 Jan 2015, 01:45
Status: Teacher

Which country pays TEFL teachers the most and the least?

Unread post by Saturn »

Now that I finished my course I want to go abroad and start teaching. Where can I earn the most and still have decent living conditions. I am not into remote locations. Thanks
Briona
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Joined: 29 Jul 2009, 20:33
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Re: Which country pays TEFL teachers the most and the least?

Unread post by Briona »

Hi there,

The highest payers are some of the Middle Eastern countries. However, for those salaries they demand the highest qualifications - a first degree (ideally related), a Master's in TESOL/Linguistics plus a minimum of three years' post-qualification experience. Note that degrees or TEFL qualifications which have been taken either partially or fully online will not be accepted.

Outside of the Middle East, your best bet is probably South Korea. To teach there, you need to hold a passport from one of the 'big seven' (the UK, Ireland, the US, Canada, Australia, NZ and South Africa), and you also need a degree, which can be in anything. A TEFL qualification isn't required, although I'd recommend getting one.

Regardless of salary, how much you can save depends on the cost of living, any financial commitments you have in your home country and your lifestyle. In any case, it's safe to say that you won't get rich teaching English.

Briona
Experience teaching in Vietnam, Portugal, Poland, Spain, the UK, and Qatar
kizil
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Joined: 18 Apr 2015, 23:09
Status: Teacher

Re: Which country pays TEFL teachers the most and the least?

Unread post by kizil »

The direct answer to your question, as Briona mentioned, is the Arabian Gulf states of KSA, UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar. I incline to disagree about South Korea, however - while Korea was once a Mecca for EFL teachers, working conditions have been declining for quite awhile (working hours have almost doubled, the Won has fared poorly relative to other currencies, free housing has become rare, and salaries have actually declined slightly). In addition, Korea takes a particularly dim view of freelance on-the-side tutoring, a major supplementary income source for many teachers in Asia. Don't forget that salaries for jobs in Korea are usually quoted before tax.

If you have just finished your TEFL training but have no experience, your highest-paying option is China. Working hours are low, housing is usually fully subsidized, demand for private tutoring is high, and salaries (after taxes and hidden changes are accounted for) are often as high or higher than those in Korea or elsewhere in East Asia.
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