Comparative Analysis

Work Teaching English in Taiwan
1

This is response to a request by Sandman who is obviously too lazy to do his own research.
forumosa.com/3/viewtopic.php?p=61546#61546

I have allowed for a 25 to 30 hour week unless otherwise stated.
All jobs offers were taken from,
eslcafe.com/joblist/

China
E900 Language Center, Qingdao, China
Salary:5000 RMB a month for 104 hours
Average: 48 RMB per hour

Shanghai Overseas Chinese International Education Service
RMB 5,000 to 8,000 per month after taxes
Round trip airfare
New furnished private apartment
All meals at restaurant
Medical and accident insurance
10 public holidays plus 3 weeks winter vacation
Free Mandarin lessons
Airport pickup
Average: (30 hour week) 54RMB per hour

EF English First , Xi’an, China
5,500RMB net salary per month (approx 670USD)
Average: 45 RMB per hour

American Educational Services Inc, China
6,000 RMB
Average:60 Rmb Per hour

I.E.C. China
4,000RMB per month
Average 40 RMB per hour

Shiyou University
5000 RMB/month
50Rmb per hour

IEN English, Fuzhou, China
8000 per month
Average 80RMB per hour

Canada Kingbridge Education Group
5500RMB/month
55RMB per hour

Modern English, China
RMB5500-8000 per month
Average:65 RMB per hour

Horizon Foreign Language Institute,Zhengzhou, China
basic monthly salary of RMB7,000
RMB100 per hour (weekend or evening hours)
RMB60 per hour (weekday hours)

Average Pay for China is 55.7 RMB per hour. (6.75 US$)

Taiwan

All hourly pay averages are for a 35 to 40 hour week unless otherwise stated.

Canadian-American Language Schools, Hsin Chu,
NT $ 67,500 to 73,500 per month
$465 Nt Pe Hour, Plus benefits

U.S.A. Leader Program, Taipei
462nt per hour, plus benefits

Jump Start, Tainan
55,000 per month
343Nt, per hour, Some benefits

Universe Language School, Chaiyi
NT $50,000 per month
312 NT per hour, nominal benefits

JacksonFive English School, Taichung
NT$57,000-62,000 per month
375 per hour

American Language Village, Summer camp
(Average) 500$US per month =17,500NT
109NT per Hour

Todd’s English School, Tainan County, Yung Kang City
600NT per hour

KNS Language Institute, Kaohsiung
NT550/hr some benefits

Sanjohn/Yu Shin Educations Inc, Tainan
$575Nt per hour plus benefits

KOJEN ELS
$54,000per month for 25 hours a week
540 NT per hour, some benefits

Sunflower Language School, Tainan
NT$525 per hour, Some benefits

[u][b]Average pay for Taiwan is
441Nt per Hour

2

Which is NT$235 per hour. Doesn’t sound like a better deal than Taiwan to me. Is average cost of living in China really so low as to make 6 bucks an hour attractive?

3

What? You can get that much from working in China, and the side benefits of picking up a little SARS in your free time. Hold me back mate.

4

EOD, I’m really confuesd. You were saying in the other thread that pay in China is much better than Taiwan, and then you gave us links to show that the pay in China iis actually less than half an average starting rate in Taiwan. just what were you trying to say?

Brian

5

I’m not done yet. Sorry but it takes a lot of time to put all the info together. What I am finding out so far is that, at first glance, it doesn’t look like much. You have to take into account that pay varies greatly from one city to another in China. Shanghai pays considerably better than say Xi An. The numbers were an average from job offers from all over China. If the same holds true in China as it does in little China on Taiwan. Then the job offers on the Internet are bottom of the barrel, salaried positions, intended for the naive.
I should have the Taiwan figures up by this weekend so we can get a better idea but I suspect they will be about the same. I will then try to get some numbers on Shanghai only.
Please be patient, I have become really busy at work.
Sorry I forgot to put Korea in the poll, can anybody help me with it?

6

Thats alright EOD. I already know.

Average starting rate for a teacher in Taiwan: About 500-600 an hour or 50000-60000 a month, but a bit less at some of the big chain schools. Usually for about 25 hours a week, but often more at some chain schools.

Korea about the same, but usually with (shitty) accomodation provided and more control by the employer. Also everyone I know who has worked in Korea hated it.

Japan, again about the same, but with much higher costs of living. Advantages are you could have a lot of cruisy office hours and you ‘own’ your work permit, not the employer.

China about 1/2 the Taiwan rate, but cheaper cost of living in some places. Shanghai, from about 1/2 to the same. Cost of living is cheaper for some things but more expensive for others than Taipei. People complain that after the initial excitement Shanghai is a shithole that is hard to get out of.

I’ve heard there’s good gigs in HK if you get them, but not so many, Thailand might be some people’s lifestyle, but pay is much less. Saudi Arabia is where the real ESL money is if you’re a good qualified teacher who wants to go live there.

Brian

7

I’ve heard from that a lot of the posts for jobs in China are scams. Can anyone confirm this?

8

From what I hear Taiwan has the highest salaries for English teachers when taking into account the cost of living etc.

9

I can only find two offers for Shanghai. Does anyone know where to look for job offers from Shang Hai?