Making the decision to work abroad has many moving parts and factors that you need to consider. One of the most important, of course, being the salary. Usually, the big question on everyone’s lips is “What will I earn working in China?” So let’s talk money!
Earning money in China will not always be the same as earning back home. China is one of the places where the cost of living is relatively low, so your teaching salary could go a long way. As an average, the typical salary of both private and public institutions is between 13 000 RMB to 17 000 RMB, and depending on your skills and experience you can earn a bit more money, as well as where you will be living in China, salaries might differ a little bit.
At i2 Education, not only do we offer a competitive salary much higher than that at other ESL institutions in China, but also we always appreciate our staff’s efforts through various bonuses and rewards! We make sure that every teacher at i2 Education receives both company recognition and financial stability to feel content with their life in China.
What is the current salary range for i2 Education teachers?
25,000 – 30,000 RMB ($3,874 – $4,629)/month depending on the qualifications.
What other monetary bonuses are offered at i2 Education?
Bonuses CNY/month USD/month Housing Allowance ¥2,000 – ¥4,000 $300 – $620 Monthly Performance Bonus up to ¥1,000 $150 Contract Renewal Bonus ¥12,000 $1,800
What is the average salary?
With added bonuses and averaging out your signing bonus, you have the potential to be earning anywhere from 28,000 RMB ($4,300) to 35,000 RMB ($5,400)/month. The average i2 Education teacher earns about 30,000 RMB ($4,629)/month including their bonuses.
What determines my salary?
Several factors might influence how much your salary offer might be including your professional experience, your work performance, and the city living cost. As with any job, the amount of relevant experience you have will influence how much your offer will be. That being said, our basic salary is still very competitive for teachers with no experience who are willing to learn and show potential to develop their teaching skills.
Another factor that might cause variation in salaries is living cost. The amount you get for housing allowance is largely influenced by living cost in the city you will be working in. For example, the average 1 bedroom apartment in Nanning will cost around 2,000 RMB as opposed to Guangzhou which is around 4,000 RMB. Our foreign affairs department keeps a close eye on average housing costs and adjusts housing allowance accordingly.
How much money can I save?
This really depends on your lifestyle. Tier 1 cities like Guangzhou and Shenzhen for example, have a higher average living cost. If you are coming to China from the United States, Canada, the UK, Australia or most countries where the currency is stronger, living in China will undoubtedly feel very inexpensive. You can find a meal at a small restaurant for 10 RMB ($1.50), get a taxi starting at 10 RMB, and buy vegetables for dinner for just 10 RMB too.
If you are frugal, like to save your money, cook at home, and limit how much you spend on leisure the number is huge! After tax, paying rent, buying food, and transportation some teachers save up to 20,000 RMB/month!
What kind of lifestyle can I afford in China on an i2 teacher’s salary?
While some of our teachers are highly motivated by saving money, others choose to take advantage of the cheap cost to travel in and outside of China. On the average teacher’s salary, you can afford to take weekend trips to Shanghai Disneyland, nearby cities, or take a quick beach vacation to Hainan Island.
The average return flight to a domestic destination is around 1,500 RMB ($230) and you can stay in hostels/hotels for as little as $10. This makes it very possible to have monthly, biweekly, or even weekly trips which many of our teachers take advantage of.
Our teachers also get 10 annual leave days every year which are fully paid vacation days. This is a great opportunity to explore cities you’ve never been to or take an extended vacation at a luxurious beach resort and do absolutely nothing!
If public transportation is not for you, you can afford to spend 1,200 RMB on transportation/month too. This is enough to cover the cost for most people to get to work and back in a taxi or DiDi (ride-sharing app).
In Conclusion
We hope to give our teachers the most comfortable lifestyle we can. Working at i2 Education you will have enough resources to travel to the places you’ve always wanted to explore, to buy goods from your wish lists without second thoughts, and to save enough to have a great foundation for your future. We know that happy teachers create happy classrooms. Ensuring that our teachers feel financially secure and are enjoying their time living abroad is a motivating factor for us and of utmost importance. If you’d like to find out more about what our teachers get up to here in China, check out our Instagram or send us an email at [email protected].
By Christian Lopez
