So, I’ve seen a great deal of contradictory information about this strewn between various topics and websites, but I’d just like to establish a few basic facts about salary/cost of living/ average work week for an English teacher. A bit about my background, which I would guess is fairly average: white, recently graduated with a B.A. from a good Canadian university, also have a 2 year TESL certificate from same uni with some teaching experience acquired during an internship. English is my native language, also speak a couple of Romance languages fluently and have been studying Chinese for about a year - I’d say I’m conversant and can function well in everyday exchanges, but am still crawling towards complete literacy and find most media intended for natives difficult to follow.
It sounds like there is some kind of ceiling on how many hours a foreign English teacher can work – decidedly fewer than the average workweek for a local Taiwanese.
Most positions I see online offer something in the range of 20-25 hours per week, hinting that “more are available”. Are they really?
Assuming that I can expect to make at least $600/h and work for 25 hours a week, is it really possible to live - albeit frugally - in Taiwan without illegally taking on a second job (which I would never consider) ?
It sounds like there is some kind of ceiling on how many hours a foreign English teacher can work – decidedly fewer than the average workweek for a local Taiwanese.
Most positions I see online offer something in the range of 20-25 hours per week, hinting that “more are available”. Are they really?
Assuming that I can expect to make at least $600/h and work for 25 hours a week, is it really possible to live - albeit frugally - in Taiwan without illegally taking on a second job (which I would never consider) ?[/quote]
That’s 美國時間. Local Taiwanese work fifty hours per week and are paid for thirty-five, so it’s not a fair comparison. I think that there is a work hour ceiling for the ARC, but I don’t know how high it is (forty hours, I’d imagine).
Most positions that advertise twenty or more offers don’t even offer twenty hours. It’s just a gimmick. You won’t know your workload until you see a contract, and even then you won’t know what it is. Expect twelve per location.
Living costs in Taiwan are low. I work under twenty hours per week (contracted and privates), save a good bit of money every month, and don’t live like a pauper. If I worked full-time, my lifestyle wouldn’t change much. Maybe I’d eat more expensive meals on weekdays, but that would be about it. From what I’ve observed, the thing that kills savings for most expats is alchoholism (and drinking at regular bars instead of 喝到飽 spots).
Taipei nightlife savings protip:
Expats make really shitty decisions when it comes to effective weekend spending. None of the expat bars are very good, and all of them are more expensive than night clubs which offer more fun at lower prices. Many expats don’t speak Mandarin at any appreciable level, and they simply follow their foreign coworkers like Lemmings to Roxy, Luxy, Revolver, Carnegie’s, Brass Monkey, that other Irish bar around 忠孝復興, and Bobawandaeywses. Treat them like last-ditch options.
Once you learn enough Mandarin, your options for cheaper bars and clubs that aren’t expecting foreigners with loose pockets opens. You can do some research and find clubs and bars that (a) most expats won’t visit (good for finding women who are more appealing than the average Roxy/Carnegie leftovers) and (b) have cheaper drink specials (all-you-can drink [喝到飽], or cheaper mixers). You’ll actually be a novelty, especially if you speak Mandarin.
I don’t work in the private English teaching sector, but from my understanding of it, it would be difficult to get more than 20-25 hours anyway simply because of scheduling conflicts. Basically, if you’re not going to go the illegal route (i.e. kindergarten), it pretty much leaves you with buxiban. Those teaching hours are really only going to fall between 4pm and 9pm, so that’s five hours per day, or twenty-five per week. There’s also possibly Saturday. However, the problem is going to be that few employers would be able to offer you all of those hours, so then you’d need to work for several, and that’s where the scheduling conflict comes in (without even considering fitting in travelling times and unpaid hours for planning and marking). For example, Business A offers you Monday and Thursday, 5pm-7pm. Business B offers you Tuesday and Thursday, 6pm-8pm. Theoretically, that’s eight hours you’ve been offered, except there’s a clash, so it’s only four. Actually, it’s worse than that because if you take A’s offer, you can’t work from 4pm-5pm two days per week (and it’s unlikely you’ll get 7pm-9pm either), so you’ve effectively lost two hours out of your twenty-five and you can’t change that. On the other hand, if you take B’s offer, you can’t work from 8pm-9pm (and possibly not 4pm-6pm), which is the same problem. Getting a block of four or more hours twice (or more frequently) per week is what you need to aim for. Some people also make up the shortfall with tutoring.
As for cost of living, it’s possible to do well enough, especially if you live outside Taipei.
It sounds like there is some kind of ceiling on how many hours a foreign English teacher can work – decidedly fewer than the average workweek for a local Taiwanese.
Most positions I see online offer something in the range of 20-25 hours per week, hinting that “more are available”. Are they really?
Assuming that I can expect to make at least $600/h and work for 25 hours a week, is it really possible to live - albeit frugally - in Taiwan without illegally taking on a second job (which I would never consider) ?[/quote]
1 - The Ministry of Education sets a limit of 32 teaching hours per week.
2 - Depends on the school. I’ve never had trouble getting as many hours as I want.
3 - Yes.
Also, you are allowed to add up to 3 schools on your ARC (assuming you don’t have open work rights).
[quote=“Benjameno”]1. It sounds like there is some kind of ceiling on how many hours a foreign English teacher can work – decidedly fewer than the average workweek for a local Taiwanese.
I had no idea there was a ceiling; during the summer session most of us at my school approach 40 hours/week. It’s crazy hectic but the paychecks for those 8 weeks are nice.
[quote=“Benjameno”]2. Most positions I see online offer something in the range of 20-25 hours per week, hinting that “more are available”. Are they really?
That’s been my experience also (I guess I’m lucky?). For the first month my school eased me into the schedule. By the second month I averaged 20-24 hours/week. After proving myself for a few months I was told I could have as many hours as I could handle. We work Mon~Sat., so I relish my time off and don’t take on more than about 28 hours/week now.
[quote=“Benjameno”]3. Assuming that I can expect to make at least $600/h and work for 25 hours a week, is it really possible to live - albeit frugally - in Taiwan without illegally taking on a second job (which I would never consider) ?
Gotta agree with the above…totally doable.
My first year, my school (in Taoyuan) helped me find an apartment. I ended up in one of those luxury buildings with a lobby that looked like Versailles. It was more expensive than I needed but it was within walking distance to work and I didn’t know any better. After my first year, armed with a scooter and some Chinese under my belt, I found an apartment myself that I love, for half the cost. I don’t go to bars, and prefer hiking and outdoor activities, so my entertainment doesn’t cost much. I am able to travel around Taiwan frequently (day trips or on rare 2/3 day holidays) and always travel during Chinese New Year, either back to the US or to somewhere in Asia.
From what I’ve observed, your first year will tend to be more expensive—at least until you get used to life here, find out what’s available, and live more like a local.
You will be lucky to find 14 hours a week. You will have to work 2-3 jobs to reach 20-25 hours and run around to different schools. Unless you work at an elementary school but those jobs in my opinion are much worse than working at a cram school. You are there all day and make pretty much the same. You’re never going to get rich here or even have a decent pay check ever. Most people think the pay is ok because it is their first job out of collage. Really you are making 20,000us a year most likely lower.
I came here in 2008 and didn’t have a problem finding a job with enough hours. I wonder if the above pertains mostly to Taipei (I’m in Taoyuan), or if things have changed drastically since four years ago, or if I just ended up getting lucky?
Skaterbum don’t you think you’re being a wee bit pessimistic? I know things are tougher than they were 5 years ago. Since 2011, when I started, I’ve had a full schedule of over 20 hours at one place. Like Steve, I also live in Taoyuan.
(By the way, hi Steve nice to see you on here.)
I did notice Taipei was uber competitive for jobs. It is less so in Taoyuan county, although there are fewer jobs available. If skaterbum is referring to Taipei, he may very well be right.
So could the takeaway be that newbies shouldn’t start off in Taipei these days?
Also, if you like you can check out my blog. I’m not afraid to share and go into detail about my work life, income and budget here in Taiwan. I hope its useful to the OP.
Both sides are correct. Hours are not guaranteed above 14/wk and schools might say there are X hrs available but situations change. Maybe they outright lie and maybe they lose a few students and a class has to be cancelled. You won’t really know until you start working. My previous roommate started at a job with 25ish hrs/wk and on her first day an entire class quit because they were unhappy with the teacher. A few months later they were forced to cancel the afternoon class (1st and 2nd graders) due to low enrollment. At the end of the day things happen and you can’t count on hours other than hoping that things work out.
GiT is almost correct regarding teaching hours. Most schools offer classes from 5-9 since students finish school at around 4. However 1st and 2nd graders in most parts of the country (definitely Kaohsiung) only have half day school 4 days/wk so a lot of schools offer a 2-4 class 4 days/wk. If a school can fill every time slot (not easy) there are about 28 hrs/wk available. I’ve been very lucky since I’ve worked 27-28 hrs/wk for the last 1.5 yrs although I think i’ll be down to 23 hrs/wk soon.
You’ll survive in Taiwan with around 14-16 hrs/wk but you won’t have a lot of extra spending money. You can live very well if you work 25 hrs/wk and you don’t blow all of your money at bars. If I quit buying camera equipment I would be saving even more than I am right now. And I’m able to afford almost anything that I want (within reason).
Name 10. With addresses. I’m sure people would like to know. Since you mentioned places in downtown Taipei, I’d expect these wonderful places to be also in the downtown area. I call bullshit. Unless you’re talking about sippin’ from a 7-11 can on a street corner. And precisely WHAT kind of fun? If you’re going to trash talk, you better have the backup unless you’re content to be sniggered at. “HEY! DUUUUUDE! I’m ona my ASIAN SOJOURN! MAN! I’m DOWN with these peeps!” Clown.
Abacus: When I worked for Hess, we had a class around that time three times per week, but part of their time was also taken up with anqinban, so I only taught that class three hours per week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Still, getting four or six block hours at a lot of places will not be that easy and timetable clashes are probably inevitable. Also, grade one and two classes are tiny now in terms of numbers of students. Birth rates have fallen off a cliff. I know I live in the countryside and it’s even worse around here, but last year, one of the schools around here had a grade one class with only three students! There are definitely possibilities for work, and some do very well, but from what I hear around the traps, many people struggle to get hours.
They just opened an elementary/junior high school at the bottom of my community. Its the size of a frigging VILLAGE! They must be getting kids from SOMEWHERE.
Isn’t there like a high school too at the top of the hill? Or is that a hospital? Anyways, it is a big building, and the communities out there are sparse in kids, I’m afraid… Wait, that is an advantage.
Anyways, as to the OPs question, the limit is not the problem, but rather what you do with the money. With just the minimum hours, you can have a great time here, sample the island’s beaches and mountains, have time for hobbies and friends, instead of being slaved over a computer like the rest of us. As long as you do not drink it away, your salary will be more than enough. Food and lodging can be very affordable, unless you eat at “foreign” establishments everyday with happy hour included, and live right next to Taipei 101 so you are close to the fancy bars where the local celebrities go. You can find clean, nice apartments not necessarily in Daan Section -fancy and pricey- and even within Daan, you may find reasonable prices. Just stay away from “foreign” catering websites, or rather, expat priced lodgings. You can go to bars, just don’t go everyday.
Heck, when I was a student on a very limited scholarship -15k for food and lodging- we still went dancing Friday nights, and KTV and movies and such. You do not have to be a monk, just don’t be Paris Hilton.
Most English teachers I know save enough to pay credit card/tuition loans bills back home. Some save a nice lump sum for future use. Some take teh money and travel, buy fancy computers and cameras, or other hobbie stuff. The only ones you see struggling are teh ones whose vices get the best of them, being wine, women and “song” themost popular ones.
[quote=“Steve4nLanguage”][quote=“Benjameno”]1. It sounds like there is some kind of ceiling on how many hours a foreign English teacher can work – decidedly fewer than the average workweek for a local Taiwanese.
I had no idea there was a ceiling; during the summer session most of us at my school approach 40 hours/week. It’s crazy hectic but the paychecks for those 8 weeks are nice.
[/quote]
I think you’re also not allowed to work more than 4 1/2 hours in a block without an hour break. All part of an MOE drive to raise teaching standards.
Taiwan’s plummeting birth rate does seems to be area specific at the moment. Where I live there still appears to be a fair amount of breeding going on. Down in GIT’s neck of the woods most of the adults are probably too old and/or drunk to reproduce. It is going to eventually hit all of us who work in the edutainment biz, though. There definitely won’t be 165 unis in Taiwan in the not too distant future.
There are definitely possibilities for work, and some do very well, but from what I hear around the traps, many people struggle to get hours.