Teaching in China – the financial benefits
Spending some time teaching abroad has a multitude of benefits –enhancing future career prospects, immersing yourself in another culture, and travelling the world to name just a few. But did you know that many teachers in China are able to embark on the adventure of a lifetime, while saving money? Here’s how…
Newbie Teachers
Inexperienced younger teachers with a bachelor’s degree and TEFL certificate are typically able to secure a starting monthly salary of between RMB10000 in a smaller city (£1100/ $1700) to RMB16000 in a tier one city. Accommodation is provided by a school– which is of course a major expense when at home – and utilities bills are very cheap indeed, totalling less than RMB400 per month in a shared apartment. Many schools provide lunch on campus, and tasty dinners can be enjoyed for RMB20- 30 in local restaurants – so cheaply in fact that many teachers opt to never cook at home!
Cost of living
Even factoring in other living expenses such as travel (single bus ticket RMB10), a cellphone sim (RMB150 a month), clothes, nights out and the odd weekend trip…if living outside of Beijing/ Shanghai it’s more than viable to enjoy a very high standard of living, while saving over half of your salary each month.
Saving money
If you stash away RMB4500 every month for the year, as a recent graduate you could end your first contract with a tidy RMB54,000 (£5400/ $8400) – some use this extra cash to continue their travels, while others put to good use when they return to their home country.
Experienced teachers
Of course, more experienced teachers earn upwards of RMB14,000 a month, and some private international schools offer salaries of RMB25000+ plus some great perks to highly experienced teaching professionals.
What’s not to like! Check out our current teaching in China opportunities today.
