This article covers all aspects of compensation for ESL teachers, including salary plus all other benefits involved.
To start with, a teacher is paid once a month in Korean Won. Those who are not comfortable with the currency should familiarize themselves through a currency converter, as nearly all job offers on job boards quote their salaries in Won.
Salary
The monthly salary range for language institutes (hagwons) usually ranges from 1.8 million to 2.2 million Won. This roughly works out to:
- USD: $1750-$2150/month
- CAD: $2050-$2500/month
- EU: €1400-€1700/month
- NZD: $2480-$3000/month
- AUD: $2300-$2800/month
- ZAR: 11,000-13,500/month
One may find that universities and public schools sometimes pay a little less, in proportion with fewer teaching hours, but they tend to vary.
Teachers are paid once a month, on the date specified in the contract with the school. The school will set the teacher up with a Korean bank account and bank card to use for withdrawing. See our Banking article for more info on this and how to send money back home.
Generally, deductions will only be tax, health insurance deductions, and pension. If there is anything more than that, be sure that it is clearly written in the contract. Those who are unsure about the deduction should ask us for advice as this is a very important point to clear up before signing a contract.
See Also:How much can I save?
Paid accommodation
The majority of contracts offer free, furnished accommodation, although one may notice some will offer a housing allowance instead. Housing is usually single, but may be shared; it can range from a small studio to a full three-bedroom apartment.
Paid Airfare
Schools will offer round-trip airfare, either in the form of prepayment or a reimbursement to the teacher after arrival. For those in Korea when hired, schools typically pay the airfare (but not other expenses) for the visa run. Some schools may want to deduct a housing deposit from initial paychecks. This money should be returned at the end of your contract, less any bills or assessment for damage. (The legality of these deductions is a frequent point of dispute; they appear to be legal if written into the contract.)
Severance bonus
As required by law, at the end of a completed contract, the school will pay a severance bonus equal to one month's pay. This will be in addition to the final paycheck and airplane ticket home. Although frequently referred to as a 'bonus' - severance is pay, and not in any way a bonus.
Paid vacation
In addition to the 20+ national holidays a year, a teacher will be offered paid vacation in the contract. Regarding the national holidays, it's important to note that 2007 has 14 national holidays that do not fall on a weekend. If Xmas day falls on a Saturday you will not normally get a day off in lieu, as is often the case in Western employment practices. Private schools usually offer 10-14 days paid vacation, whereas public schools and universities can be known to grant anywhere from 2 weeks to as much as 3 months of vacation. With exception to the fixed vacation times for public school and university teachers, the vacation for private school teachers is not often able to be taken in a complete block. Some hagwons allow teachers to choose to take the vacation in a complete block or at a time of their choosing, particularly if they have a large foreign teaching staff that they can rely on to fill in your shifts. However, if you are working at a smaller school with only a few foreign teachers, you'll find that the vacation times might not be very flexible and will have to be factored into the school's schedule concerns. It would be good practice to clarify the specifics surrounding your vacation days and possibly ask to include a caveat to the contract that further states anything agreed upon.
Medical Insurance
This will be provided from the National Health Insurance Corporation of Korea. The employer will pay 50% of the cost; the teacher will be responsible for any co-payments or additional expenses.
Visa sponsorship
The company will sponsor the employee for a 1 year teaching visa.
Pension
Teachers pay a monthly amount into the pension system with the employer matching your contribution. At the end of the contract, depending on citizenship, one can receive the whole sum after a trip to the pension office and the filling out of a declaration showing intent to leave the country. This does not forbid a teacher from returning later on to find employment however, and those who are intending to come back within five years and/or stay for a long time may wish to leave the pension intact as it is as it can be picked up from where it was left off. Foreigner registration numbers do not change, and a teacher who comes back with a new contract and new ARC will have the same number as before. The pension office in Gangnam has a window with English-speaking staff, and other offices likely do as well.
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