How much money do expat teachers earn in China?

Hi China Girl, This is really depends on what kind of teacher you are, which city are you working in. 1. Ordinarily teacher vs professor, will have variety difference. Different subject also have different salary. 2.Developed city vs developing city, will have variety salary - developed city like shanghai, beijing, guangzhou, shenzhen etc. and the developing city like small city or unwell known cities. Just for your reference: if you teach english in guangzhou at the university, you might only have RMB 10,000-15,000 salary, it was told by my chinese professor. Would you like to know more about it, pls let me know. regards, ghgw

Hi China Girl

How much you earn as a teacher depends on a variety of factors including experience, education, the region you'd be teaching in, and the employer itself. 

You also have to be very aware of the pitfalls. Unfortunately, underpaid teachers, unscrupulous employers and agency scams are realities that have to be guarded against. This is something that's going to take a lot more research and digging.

While we wait for an answer from other expats, have a look at our Education and Schools in China page, as well as Working in China to get a feel for the education system and the labour market.

Good luck,

Xavier

I am a 'professor' with Phd in a Chinese university. In China 'professor' tends to be an honorific for those who do not have PhD - it does not denote a professor as in the west. The rates for Chinese and foreigners, are very different. I have heard of no foreigner earning as much as 15,000 RMB in English subjects in a university. I get 10,000 a month but it is for ten months only and includes 8,000 towards my fare home (nowhere near enough) and an accommodation allowance of 1,500, while the cheapest accommodation is 2,000 min. - unless you are prepared to live in real Chinese style far from the campus. My actual salary is 7,500 for ten months and I have publications plus many years of appropriate experience from universities round the world (all EFL). The Chinese 'professors' have little idea of our actual salaries and imagine we are on a really good deal, not realising that we are only paid for ten months with no bonuses or other 'perks' such as research allowance or financial support to give papers at conferences - they get a lot of bonuses and perks as well as thirteen months pay, as well as pension and other rights. Also, the better universities typically pay far less than minor ones! I was earning 2,000 a month more at a minor university in a dead little city with only about five other expats (total) and no life outside the four walls of my flat. On the other hand, I was very well treated by my employers, who made every effort to make me as comfortable as they could, including free accom. with all bills paid (electricity works out expensive unless you like to freeze in winter). There is, by the way, no heating at work or in restaurants etc outside of the North of China, by law. So when you go to work you freeze to death all day. This means that when you get ill, which you will, because there is little hand-wash hygiene or covering of mouths to cough or sneeze, you will have to do your classes wrapped in gloves, double trousers, coats etc and you will, believe me, be very cold and miserable. Your coughs, colds and flu will linger forever unless you take time off to get well. At my university there is, in fact, no sick pay. If you go through a lot of paperwork, in the correct manner, you will get your pay, BUT, you will have to replace all the classes you missed. This will probably be at weekends and evenings, and even that is difficult to arrange because the poor students have so many classes per week, with little or no free time. In my minor university, when I became seriously ill because of the cold and icy conditions in which I worked, I not only received my full pay, but I did not have to replace the classes I missed. I did, however, send work for my students. The high paying jobs are in International Schools who want properly qualified and experienced individuals, typically of US origin. China favours the American accent. My university, unofficially, tries only to recruit North Americans. Language schools may pay 10,000 or more but that is for many hours at a low hourly rate. To get a job in one of the better paying language schools you need real qualifications and the work may not be full time. From my observation, the highest pay in the teaching sector is for kindergarten, (yes, really). They frequently offer minimum 10,000 plus perks but, again, the hours are longer than for university. My hours are 12 but I have content courses and prepare as I would for a western university. Typical hours, for teaching writing and speaking, would be 16 but, if you only want to travel and check out another culture, the bonus is that most such individuals do little or no preparation. Books will be provided and you can simply work through if you wish, so long as you don't mind the many errors and infelicities of English usage. Many take tutoring outside of class and this can take you up to twenty thousand a month, if you want to work all hours. Some people live solely on tutoring but the authorities have tightened up on visa laws so you should check into this carefully. Many people earn more than me simply by taking on a lot of tutoring but they are not typically doing writing, research and presenting of papers, as I do. I would say that, with a package of 7,500 a month you can live and go out so long as you only go to cheap places. However, most of us have to take extra work because we need to save for time back the US, or Europe or whatever, where the cost of living is approximately five times higher. It is a struggle to have money to live during the two months unpaid. And remember, if you're going back, you will still have to pay your rent for those unpaid months. Those of us who are in the English profession are typically not respected since so many have been working without the professional qualifications usually required. This can be very disheartening for career academics. However, if you teach Business or Economics, for example, the situation is entirely different and you can expect a much better salary as well as a more professional working environment and respectful treatment from administration and peers. Lots of young people have a great time, and I would say that most find the experience of China a positive one, as do older men looking for a wife or girlfriend. If you have pension back home, but want to carry on working, experience a new culture, and can afford to spend all you earn, you will likely be highly satisfied if you are male. There are relatively few older single women working in China. Hope this helps.