The Highest Paying Countries for Teaching English

An important part of all jobs, is of course, money. When teaching English as a foreign language, the financial benefits can be quite lucrative if you get the right position. The following data is collected from multiple websites and although there are many differing opinions, I have made estimates for how much TEFL teachers get paid in different countries, based upon online research. It is also important to consider how much it costs to live in a place, whether or not airfare and accommodation are included, and whether or not there is a bonus at the end of the year. This list details some of that information, but is ordered upon pay alone. You can also visit my page, how much you can save when teaching English around the world for more information regarding each country. In ascending order, the highest paying countries to teach English are as follows.

5. South Korea

South-Korea

£1,200-1,900 ($2,000-3,000) per month.

Consider: Airfare / housing / bonus included; low tax.

Qualification / Experience: Not essential.

Potential to save: High

Read more about teaching English in South Korea.

4. United Arab Emirates

UAE

£1,300-1,900 ($2,100-$3,100) per month

Consider: Airfare / housing included; high cost of living.

Qualifications / Experience: Normally required.

Potential to save : Moderate.

3. Japan

Japan

£1,500-2,200 ($2,500-3,500) per month

Consider: Housing / flights expensive; high cost of living.

Qualifications / Experience: Normally required.

Potential to save : Moderate (if careful).

2. Qatar

Qatar

£2,300+ ($3,700+) per month

Consider: Airfare / housing included; no tax; huge cultural differences.

Qualification / Experience: Essential

Potential to save: Very high

1. Saudi Arabia

SaudiArabia

£2,000-3,000 ($3,200-4,800) per month

Consider: Airfare / housing included; no tax; huge cultural differences.

Qualification / Experience: Essential

Potential to save: Very high

Saudi Arabia tops the list as the country with the highest pay for English teachers. Other countries that were close to getting onto this list included Oman, Taiwan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Hong Kong, and Singapore. Of the five countries on this list, only South Korea is really open to first time teachers, although if you’re lucky, you may also be able to find a job in Japan.

You may also want to learn how much you will get paid and how much you can save by teaching English in different countries around the world.

Data given above is based upon research from the internet and should only be used as a guide. Salaries are only intended to be rough estimates of teaching salaries and it is entirely possible to find teaching contracts with salaries that either far surpass or fall well short of the salaries indicated.

By | 2018-02-25T10:02:54+00:00 December 11th, 2012|Advice|3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Jon @ jonistravelling.com 25/02/2014 at 09:24 - Reply

    You missed Singapore! I’ve nearly finished a 2 year contract and have been saving $2400 USD a month, and the kids already speak English. It’s a great option if you are thinking of teaching in Asia.

  2. Derek Harkness 09/08/2013 at 13:05 - Reply

    How would these earnings compare when cost of living is factored in. Clearly the cost of living in the UAE is quite different from that in Japan. Could you convert the figures to Purchasing Power Parity Dollars.

    • Jamie 11/08/2013 at 08:29 - Reply

      From what I’ve found, South Korea (middle east aside) is one of the best places to save money as a new teacher. It would be interesting to compare earnings with expenditure for each country, however, that is beyond my scope. I lived in Korea and visited Japan, but know little of the other countries.

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