Do you want to work abroad? Do you know that there are many countries that are hiring teachers from overseas? Although there’s a pandemic right now, there’s still hope in finding jobs outside of your country. Whether you’re native or non-native English speaker, you’ll never run out of options.
These are countries to consider if you have a talent in teaching English.
Vietnam
English/EFL/ESL teachers or whatever you want to call it are paid from 800 USD up to 2,500 USD. There’s no surprise of this huge gap coz the rate of every teacher varies on race. Yes you read it right! Race! So if you’re white, brown, black, purple or whatever color of skin you have —you can either get a higher salary or end up scratching your head. I’m not even kidding! I know you know what I mean so I’m not going to elaborate that. Don’t worry coz your experience and credentials are also something that they will take into consideration when deciding your salary.
That is why it is important to have as many options as you can that way you won’t end up regretting the job once you get there. There are tons of schools looking to hire foreign teachers but the salary and benefits don’t seem enticing for some non-natives so choose wisely. In my opinion, if the offer is below 1,200 USD —I won’t accept it. However, if the airfare going there, accommodation, training, health insurance are all covered by the school or company ,that perhaps is worth considering.
Vietnam is a great choice for someone who wishes to earn and save money while traveling and exploring a new culture. It’s a tropical place known for their low cost of living. Who doesn’t like that? No doubt why many westerners choose this country to teach English and travel at the same time.
Spain
If you want to practice your Spanish speaking skills or get used to saying ola ,well, this country may be perfect for you. While the language is what many of us are interested about —there’s so much more to experience in Spain, and coming there to work while simultaneously enjoying the culture and food is not a bad idea at all.
EFL teachers are paid 12-16 euros per hour on average. Although the rate varies greatly but the least amount that you’ll probably get especially if you’re inexperienced teacher is 10 euros. So depending on your experience, credentials, type of lesson to teach, and luck —it’s possible to bring home 25 euros or more per hour.
Japan
Teaching ESL in Japan can be lucrative especially to those who are single, just recently graduated from University or from a country with a low paying teaching job. You can expect to earn anywhere between 1,700 – 5,000 USD per month. Not only that coz in Japan you can easily find a private tutoring part-time jobs where you can decide your own rate. Japanese are willing to pay from 15 – 28 USD per hour.
There is a plethora of opportunities for you to choose from if you’re thinking of teaching in Japan, and for as long as you have a Bachelor’s degree in any field —you can pretty much start sending your application.
When applying for a teaching job in Japan, one of the most important things that will make the application stand out is showing that you have a genuine interest in Japan. Not only a genuine interest in Japan but an interest in working with students. So my advice is to mention something about why you choose Japan to work. Give them a reason to believe that you are interested in their culture. I highly recommend learning Nihongo as well coz the more you speak the language —the more likely you get a high paying jobs.
There are many reasons why you should consider teaching in Japan. Aside from the compensation and benefits —let’s not forget that it’s one of the safest countries in the planet and there’s a reason why they’re home to more than a dozen UNESCO World Heritage sites. Most importantly, one thing that makes them stand out is that they give equal pay to native and non-native English teachers. Not to mention, most of Japanese (if not all) are way more respectful than other nationalities so classroom management wouldn’t be a pain in your ass.
China
China is probably the country that hires English teachers the most. With 1.3 billion population —the ESL industry is never slowing down. Try searching online about ESL jobs in China, and you’ll be amazed how difficult it would be to choose one out of a thousand schools.
The salary depends on where you’re teaching. So if you’re in a private school, the pay usually ranges from 1,000 – 1,900 USD whereas in a public school, you can get paid for up to 2,300 USD. But then again, there are certain factors to consider when applying for teaching jobs coz many institutions tend to favor white westerners than black Americans and Asians.
South Korea
Are you a fan of KPop or Kdrama? Well, I’m not. But —I like the idea of teaching English in Korea.
Just like any other countries, South Korea is also in need of ESL teachers. You can find job ads everywhere on the internet, and though I can’t guarantee that you’ll land a job tomorrow, but it’s definitely worth a try. If you’re a native English speaker from the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom —this country is certainly for you. Don’t get me wrong but —they love whites.
Although they accept applicants regardless of color or race but it is not surprising that they highly prefer someone that look like Brad and Angie. You know what I mean.
The minimum pay teaching ESL in Korea is 21,000 – 22,000 USD per year or around 1,800 USD per month. Not bad but how about the living cost? Well, I’ve asked my friend about it and he said that if you’re living in Seoul, the average monthly spending would be 900 USD. Even though it’s enough to cover your basic needs like food, rent, clothes, and other living expenses —but that isn’t enough to live a happy life. Uhm… what does that even mean? Arguably, it sounds to me that having a comfortable life in Korea is reliant on paycheck.
By the way, that 1,800 USD is an average pay for native English speakers from countries like the USA, UK, Canada, NZ and Australia.
Thailand
Thailand is somehow similar to Vietnam when it comes to teaching English because it is an inexpensive country to live and the demand for teachers skyrocket every year. However, ESL teachers’ salary in Thailand are lower than that of Vietnam. The usual TEFL wage ranges from 900 USD to 1,500. Some schools even pay as low as 700 USD to teachers from the Philippines.
Personally, this is one of the reasons why teaching English in Thailand doesn’t interest me. They don’t seem to fairly compensate teachers from Asian countries.
Indonesia
Do you know that Indonesia is the fourth largest population in Asia and has the largest economy in the Southeast Asia? Uhm ..who cares, right? If teaching in Jakarta or Bali ever crossed your mind —I bet it’s important to mention that. The average salary for teaching in Indonesia is from 650 USD 1,500 USD.
U.A.E. (United Arab Emirates)
Here we go! The U.A.E. ! The country that pays the highest salary for teaching abroad. Imagine getting a paycheck of 3,500 – 5,500 USD every month. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, it’s no joke.
It is a popular place for foreign teachers so the application process is highly competitive. Unlike other countries where they have available positions all the time—UAE is different. You may visit the TeachAway website to find the UAE teaching job of your dream.
Saudi Arabia
TEFL teachers in Saudi Arabia often make anywhere between 2,000 to 4,000 USD per month. Those who work in Universities tend to get paid higher than 4,000 USD.
I don’t see many advertisements about teaching jobs in Saudi Arabia but knowing their salary rate makes me ponder. How about you?
I hope that this topic helped you in some way.
If you like the idea of working from home, you might want to apply from these companies. Good luck! 🙂