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Q: Falling Salaries of Expat Teachers?
Every couple months or so I usually browse the internet and speak to different people about teaching jobs (including subject teaching) in China, just as a way of keeping tabs on which direction the overall market is going in.
After looking around, it seems as if salaries are either beginning to fall or remain stagnant, with job offers merely being repackaged as opposed to actually being upgraded. Nonetheless, this may only be the case for teaching jobs at international schools as this is the area where I conduct most of my search.
What are you guys' take on this?
8 years 35 weeks ago in Business & Jobs - China
cant tell about teaching jobs but:
1. salaries of the entry jobs paying peanuts now, as there are a lot of young foreigners trying to grab a job
2. salaries on high positions (local contract) are rising
3. opposed expat positions get cut of to local contracts often so that would still mean the salaries got lower
I am in number two and never was in number three. cant complain expat that i am in china
There's a lot of stagnation with salaries. I hear of people being on the same salary for years on end - with only minor variation.
I have noticed that reimbursements are dropping - and getting stricter (need to present the boarding pass for the flights now), and the accommodation allowance now requires a fapiao from the landlord, as well as only being paid on the actual rent - and not just a flat rate (anything over the value of the fapiao isn't paid - or is 'taxed - ie, stolen by the finance person).
I have noticed, OTOH, some really high-end jobs are paying more. But they have pretty big requirements.
But... the big universities are still paying shit money for FTs. BeiDa, SHJT, ZheDa, NEU, etc still pay crap (about 5000), expecting the teachers there to just feel the honour and privilege to be allowed to work there! An amount which is the same as basically any other university in the country (even the lowest tier universities scrapes together about 3500 for its FTs). And qualifications make about NO difference! (the exception is if you get into the International Faculty of the university, where the kids are paying significantly more - and have significantly less desire to be there).
RandomGuy:
This is the right answer. As some already know on this board I am a recruiter among other things, the salaries offered by our partner schools have been stagnating which wouldn't be a problem if there wasn't a running inflation in China.
Less funding is being put into learning English now that brother Xi is in power. Odd considering both he and his daughter studied in the USA. Lower funding means that the schools can't afford to increase salaries. Training Centres don't have this problem though just public schools.
kasuka91:
Yes, I also heard that knowledge of the English language is now playing less of an important role in how degrees are awarded too. So that would certainly have an impact aswell.
Shining_brow:
The value of English in the GaoKao (university entrance exams) has been reduced. Also, pass requirements for English in order to graduate from university have changed - it's no longer only the CET-4 that is required. There are other options. Hopefully soon, it won't be a requirement at all!!
I agree with this policy - 100 million incompetent - but passed - English non-speakers is in no-one's benefit. (well, except the English training schools!) As a recommended subject - sure! But not as mandatory.
But.. the Chinese education system hasn't every been acknowledged as incredibly smart....
cant tell about teaching jobs but:
1. salaries of the entry jobs paying peanuts now, as there are a lot of young foreigners trying to grab a job
2. salaries on high positions (local contract) are rising
3. opposed expat positions get cut of to local contracts often so that would still mean the salaries got lower
I am in number two and never was in number three. cant complain expat that i am in china
Stagnation in salaries has been going on in Thailand going on around 30 years now...yes, you heard me...30 years ! I expect the same more or less throughout China as well...
http://www.ajarn.com/ajarn-street/postbox/age-discrimination-and-stagnan...
Error, not 30 years...20 years. sorry
I agree the salaries have been flat, but the cost of living and inflation mean that 5000 a month is 2008 was a lot better than 5000 a month in 2015.
IMO, international school salaries are competitive. It's the university and public school gigs that are stagnant. Other than working at an int'l school, the way to make money here is to take the job with the least amount of hours(just for the visa) and do your own thing on the side. It may take a year or two to build the clientele but you'll be better off in the end.
kasuka91:
International schools are competitive but that doesn't mean that the salaries being paid at these places aren't stagnant. If wages everywhere are hardly moving upward then the word "competitive" somewhat changes in its meaning and intention.
wagon:
I mean competitive in terms of teaching in one's home country. Obviously omitting the many benefits a public employee receives back home. Further, the title says 'falling salaries,' not stagnant. I guess if inflation is added then they've fallen marginally. Finally, how do you figure competitive changes meaning? It's relative to what it's being compared with. If teacher salaries at home were increasing 4-5% per annum, you'd have a case. I don't think they are, though.
kasuka91:
What I mean to say is that the salaries at international schools are competitive but they're not changing much. Maybe they're not falling, but it seems as if pay at these schools are beginning to stagnate.
tgv
Hotwater:
I hope you're not a teacher........what with your poor writing ability here and your abusive PM's which also didn't make any sense.
