I have heard that some English teachers in Taiwan can command as much as NT$1,500/hour in private tutor positions. Is this the case or is it something of the past?
$1,500 is probably the top end but many private tutors ask for $1000 nowadays. It’s still a lot of money for some individuals but easier for small groups to pay.
Aren’t you teachers supposed to be motivated by the 'Joy" of teaching?
The mother of one of the kids I used to teach was a Taiwanese woman who had studied in the US. Her English was pretty good. She earned 6000NT an hour teaching “business English seminars”.
Bri
Just to put this kind of hourly rate into perspective, you have to consider that many teachers charge the top rate for private classes that may require an hour or more of preparation time, and perhaps making a trip to the students home that may take another hour out of the day as well. All told, the per hour rate would come out to perhaps
300+ per hour. (Not to mention that for kids and teenagers, a 15-20 minute discussion with the parents about their child is de rigeur.) There is no tax, but on the other hand, no bonuses, benefits, or vacation pay either.
For low-intermediate conversation classes requiring little preparation, teachers often charge less.
Of course, there are those elements out there in any profession that have a short-sighted, take as much as you can get, then move on mentality.
Taiwanese University students can earn $400 per hour tutoring maths to junior high kids, they can ask about $500 per hour if they tutor high school kids.
$1500 for English tuition by a FT is way too much (I think).
Somewhere in the middle is ok, about $600 per hour if the student comes to you, a bit more if you have to go to a student. A bit more still for a small group ( more work, and they split the costs as well).
Don’t sell yourself short, but don’t go over the top either.
$300 being the average of total hours put into the job,(for the most time intensive jobs), not the hourly rate you ask the ss. to pay
Duh, I did not read you post properly:-( I see what you are getting at now. If you are gonna charge a high rate then that should balance out with the preparation etc.
$1500 an hour is only shocking if you have no experience or qualifications. If I remember rightly, I once got that “teaching” (talking to) a head of a Japanese corporation to whom $1500 was a pittance.
People here (N. Ireland) were paying well in excess of GBP20 an hour to tutors of their kids for preparaion for the 11+ (Grammar school entry exams). The tutors would be, sometime, undergraduates.
I attended a Microsoft class of 10 last year, each of whom had paid GBP1500 for a week’s training. That’s 15 grand per week per class for Parity training. Taught by a guy with no degree, just plenty of IT experience. Shudder to think how much a one on one would have been.
Don’t be shy about your fees. Take a look around, unqualified paralegals (as I once was) are charging out at over HKD1000 an hour. If the market will take it, fine.
I consider that a good teacher of something as important as English should be able to make a comfortable living - and that there should be a differential between the short of crappy grabbit and run English teacher I used to be, and serious sandal wearing types who eat sleep and drink ELT. I know which I’d rather have teaching my kids.
In the early 90s there was no incentive to be professional. At the age of 19 I was getting NT750+ for privates with no degree and an awful thirst. I would expect that people are no longer willing to pay that kind of money for a drunken Irishman with eyes like two pissholes in the snow to fall asleep in front of them. Would that it were so.
That is not to say that proper teachers should not be getting good money.
Ramble, ramble…
TB
Usually the more papers you can show, the more money you can command. Things like:
–Ph.D, MA, MBA or other advanced degree
–TESOL certificate
–Teaching certificate from an English speaking country
–Membership in professional organizations related to teaching/language
Also, there is fluency in Chinese. If you can explain grammar in Chinese you will naturally command more money.
If you are teaching a “specialized” type of language, you can actually command more than $1500 per hour, with good credentials, good marketing and good luck.
I do feel that one has a very heavy responsibility, however, if one commands that kind of money. Actually, I think it’s all relative. If a person paying $300 per hour is really digging down deep into the pocket to come up with that money, it’s just as serious. Naturally in theory we should give the same teaching preparation and performance for all students regardless of payment, but…this IS the real world.
When I was doing my interpreter training in Taiwan, we would all get rather annoyed with the lecturers who came in with zero preparation, didn’t have any idea how to teach, but were paid $3000 per hour to do the class. Of course we couldn’t say anything. I actually later stopped teaching this kind of class because I felt guilty that I couldn’t really do much to improve the students’ level or skills given the conditions. I suppose that if I fell on economic hard times once again, I would probably re-evaluate and try to find some small amount of benefit to the students, and begin teaching these classes again!
Terry
I don’t know how it is in Taipei, but when I was hired to tutor one-on-one, a secondary student, I was TOLD by them that the average private tutor charged 7-800/hour. I asked for less but was offered significantly more.
I’m still teaching them and I enjoy it. Parent input has helped, as well. Thankfully we do not spend an hour discussing the student afterwards, though.
For the record, one to one tuition at the university in the UK where I did my TEFL course works out at
You also have to consider that the more you charge, the less likely it is that the student will be long term. Someone might be willing to pay NT$1000 for a while but then he/she may have a rethink and quit after a month or 2. If you charged NT$700 you could milk them for longer and make more money.
‘Don’t kill the geese that lay golden $NTs’ and all that 
.
I think an average of around 800NT$ per hour is about right.
I had two one to one’s at 1,000NT$ and neither lasted a month. But my bank group class has kept going at $900 (two hours a week) and also given me two more privates at $800 (the manager and her husband).
I haven’t had an 800NT$ back out yet.
Does anyone take payment in advance and have a system for cancellations ?
I recommend having a printer make you a punch card type arrangement (just like a business card) with perhaps 10 punchable spots around the edge. Student buys the card at the beginning of the month, for example, based on the price of 10 classes; teacher writes in an expiration date (avoiding students who re-schedule until everyone is old and gray), and each time the student has a lesson, a space is punched out.
You could make your cancellation policy very clear on the card: for example, no notification within 24 hours before cancellation means that a punch will be made for that class even though it was not given.
It’s not really much different from the “ticket” system that MonoClub used to use for teaching in-line skating – they would issue books of tickets each month that students could buy. People liked this because they could then come to whatever class they liked, on any day, as long as it was the appropriate level for them. English teaching probably isn’t so simple but I can’t see why the concept wouldn’t work. Who knows you might even see people advertising your partially-used cards for sale somewhere as they do with the memberships for some of the big buxibans. 
Could somebody please advise us what is the average hourly rate for private teachings in Panchiao (namely 1-on-1, 2-on-1 session for either adults/children ) ?
Our Taiwanese friends told us they are usually charged NT$1000 per hour (for both 1-on-1 and 2-on-1) in Taipei city. In Taipei county (like Tamsui) however they will be charged NT1500 for an 1.5 hour session.
We’re moving to Panchiao and hubby is anxious about private teachings in that area…Anybody who knows, please advise.
We welcome & appreciate all replies!
That sounds about right for an experienced, reliable teacher. You could pay less for a newbie, I’d imagine.
Some of those companies in Taipei charge about 800 fort privates. I’d say sort of bottom range is 800 in Taipei and 1000 in county.
Brian
I know the going rate in this small city (central taiwan) is around $600NT/hour for one-on-one private teaching at the kids house. I’ve just been offered another private job but it looks like 3 or 4 families are pooling their kids together so I will be teaching at least 7 kids at the house. What is a reasonable fee per hour for this many children?
I guess it would help to know what private schools like Giraffe charge per kid.
Thanks.