Post your average monthly salary.....

[Andrew108]

I’ve seen a lot of teaching jobs in BKK being advertised for 35K a month. I can’t quite understand who would accept such a low salary. My guess is that 45K a month would be the bare minimum for Bangkok. So, how many of you earn that 45K a month? And for those of you on 35K - how do you survive? * Please don’t post if you work at an international school.

 

[FritsSikkink]

What is your salary?

Show a picture of you girlfriend and your pets, not if you have a cat.

[Andrew108]

I’m not working as a teacher in Thailand at the moment. If anyone feels this question about salaries is inappropriate then just don’t post. My feeling is that many teachers might feel that 35K is the norm. Is it the norm?

[Scott]

I worked for a school which had affiliates that I helped at, so I had responsibility at more than one school.   I earned a monthly base salary of 78,000 baht + 6,000 baht for the other two schools for a total of 90,000 baht per month.   Some times I was seconded to additional schools so there was some additional salary for those, but it wasn't consistent.   I also had all transportation and housing paid for, which varied.  

 

[WonnabeBiker]

I'm one of those bottom feeder, although outside Bangkok.

 

The day job brings < 35 k and in a good month, I might make 50% of Scott's 90 k. Working 7 days a week.

 

A Thai friend is teaching nursing at a university @ 1,200 THB an hour.

 

A superb young teacher, Chula-trained, was making barely 10 k although her TOEIC score would be hundreds of points higher than that man's from Ghana who also got free housing. Apparently, national origin trumps ability. The bestt Thai teachers deserve the right to compete against all foreigners!

 

[Andrew108]

You work 7 days a week and get less than 40K? That must be quite tough. Is it that you don’t have the necessary qualifications? I know of some non-NES teachers earning more than that and would describe their English fluency level as intermediate. 

[SlyAnimal]

My school pays 36k per month (Just 11 months of the year tho), but we're out in the sticks and don't really have to work very hard (max 18 teaching hours per week, go home when you're not teaching etc & is a govt school, so lots of holidays).

[car720]

On 8/25/2018 at 6:48 AM, Scott said:

I worked for a school which had affiliates that I helped at, so I had responsibility at more than one school.   I earned a monthly base salary of 78,000 baht + 6,000 baht for the other two schools for a total of 90,000 baht per month.   Some times I was seconded to additional schools so there was some additional salary for those, but it wasn't consistent.   I also had all transportation and housing paid for, which varied.  

 

Damn.

and I thought the 30,000 that I got was average because that is what everyone else was getting paid.  It hasn't changed much either in the last 30 odd years.

[car720]

On 8/26/2018 at 8:51 PM, Andrew108 said:

You work 7 days a week and get less than 40K? That must be quite tough. Is it that you don’t have the necessary qualifications? I know of some non-NES teachers earning more than that and would describe their English fluency level as intermediate. 

Man, you have been talking to the wrong people.  Not many on much more than 30-35k a month.

[bkkgriz]

I haven't worked in BKK for a few years but my base salary was 55,000 baht and 8 months out of the year the teaching staff taught extra classes and earned on average 15,000 a month extra. No housing or transportation allowance. We were allowed to eat school lunch for free. We passed.

[OmarZaid]

In 2004, for 1 year I taught English Composition and Conversation to professionals at a Private Tuition center in Bangkok, Sukumvit, Soi 2. Salary at 30,000/month

[Stevemercer]

All the teachers I know (Isaan based) at government high schools get 30,000 - 35,000 Baht. 

 

The teaching hours average around 20 hours per week, but are often much more (e.g. to cover absent teachers etc).

 

At most schools it is necessary to clock in in the morning, but can generally leave after the one's last class (most would have one or two free afternoons per week).

 

TEFL qualifications, age limits, 4-yer degree requirements etc can sometimes be gotten around because there is a shortage of teachers. I don;t know of anyone teaching who has TEFL.

[Cereal]

Those wages suck compared to Laos, but Laos is more expensive than Thailand. Still, $1500/month here is rock bottom salary.

[Elfin]

On 8/26/2018 at 6:44 PM, WonnabeBiker said:

A Thai friend is teaching nursing at a university @ 1,200 THB an hour.

Does your Thai friend have a Masters degree from overseas or a PHD?

 

[otherstuff1957]

I work at a private EP/Bilingual school.  65K base + about 2k housing + 5K for being a department head. 

 

15 years ago I started at 30K.  Since then I've had a raise of about 2-4K per year, every year.

[thesetat2013]

i never worked for less than 45000 i. Thailand.. none were international schools either... i guess you are getting offers based on their assessment of your value to the school.. 

[scorecard]

2 hours ago, Elfin said:

Does your Thai friend have a Masters degree from overseas or a PHD?

 

 

I'm guessing that it's a bachelor level program (correct me if that's wrong), plus if following the regulations lecturer would have at least a masters degree.

 

1,200Baht an hour is fairly low.

 

I'm aware of several unis who pay 1,700 - 1,800Baht per hour.

 

Obviously more for masters degree courses.

 

In Vietnam add 20 - 30% more for both bachelor and masters level programs, for most unis.

 

 

 

[ryxyz]

On 8/26/2018 at 5:44 PM, WonnabeBiker said:

I'm one of those bottom feeder, although outside Bangkok.

 

The day job brings < 35 k and in a good month, I might make 50% of Scott's 90 k. Working 7 days a week.

 

A Thai friend is teaching nursing at a university @ 1,200 THB an hour.

 

A superb young teacher, Chula-trained, was making barely 10 k although her TOEIC score would be hundreds of points higher than that man's from Ghana who also got free housing. Apparently, national origin trumps ability. The bestt Thai teachers deserve the right to compete against all foreigners!

 

So let's compare our TOEIC scores!

[DJ54]

Interesting post although not in this Field. If the teacher is good and supplying knowledge to children to prepare for the future they deserve to be paid more. 

[Stese]

i'm paid 30k baht a month teaching 17 hours a week at a government school in Phuket. My first year. Definitely a lot of work for not a lot of cash. If i didn't have a second revenue stream from back home i wouldn't be able to do this.

 

[Andrew108]

1 hour ago, Stese said:

i'm paid 30k baht a month teaching 17 hours a week at a government school in Phuket. My first year. Definitely a lot of work for not a lot of cash. If i didn't have a second revenue stream from back home i wouldn't be able to do this.

 

I guess you mean you have 17 contact hours a week? 30K doesn’t go very far in Phuket. 

[Andrew108]

I’m beginning to understand why China is so attractive to ESL teachers. Salary levels are pretty depressing and of course there is still a lot of bureaucracy to deal with such as degree accreditation and teaching licenses. If you are going to jump through bureaucratic hoops then at least it should be financially worthwhile. 

[brewsterbudgen]

I work for a language school in central Bangkok. The basic salary is 67,000 a month for around 25 hours a week, with overtime paid at 700 an hour. Most months I make around 80,000 plus extra from privates and examining. Not sure I could survive on less!

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[marty147]

Two government high schools in my Isaan town are desperate for teachers.

 

However, their salary cap is 35,000 so they end up with Africans and Filipinos who will accept a much lower salary than this.

 

The very few western teachers that they have managed to recruit are less than 'desirable'.  ?

[Slip]

I started on 26k (+ 3k food and free accommodation) for contact hours only (about 20/80) at the turn of the century.  Thanks to a generous raise system that rose to just over 70k all in, but now we work 40/160 hours with the office hours requirement.  That suggests that the average wage increment for a career teacher in my school has been 20% over those 15 or so years.

[balo]

My Filipino friends work as teachers and they earn 20 to 25k , most of them .

Very unfair, they do a better job than many farang teachers. 

 

[lust]

1 minute ago, balo said:

My Filipino friends work as teachers and they earn 20 to 25k , most of them .

Very unfair, they do a better job than many farang teachers. 

 

Do a better job in what way?

[simoh1490]

They're usually more dedicated and harder working than their farang counterparts, they typically understand the material better also..

[sanemax]

29 minutes ago, simoh1490 said:

They're usually more dedicated and harder working than their farang counterparts, they typically understand the material better also..

20-25 000 Baht is a good salary for them , its a pittance for Westerners .

[balo]

32 minutes ago, sanemax said:

20-25 000 Baht is a good salary for them

Well , compared with where they came from it is. 

 

But they are not spending much of it here , always family comes first and sending most of the money back to the Philippines.  They live in 2000 baht rooms and often in shared rooms so no luxury .  IMO they should be paid more , when westerners at the same school earns 50k for doing less. 

 

As a non native speaker , I struggle more to understand Northern dialects (Manchester etc )  than Filipinos who speak in clear English. Just an observation , don't take it personal.