Who ever told you teachers earn 3,ooo yuan a month is just pulling your leg. I was told this same story by teachers only to see them drive on campus the next day in new cars. Granted novice teachers might earn this, but older ones like myself do not. Chinese teachers get a pension, testing bonuses, teachers day money, and some even get a housing stipend. Many also teach students at home for 100 yuan each per class.

My ex-gf, a former middle school teacher, made 30,000 yuan every summer teaching at home. When you do the math, adding in benefits, teachers with my level of experience- 7 years- earn as much or more than I do (5,800 per month) on average. From 8 out of 10 teachers I speak to at my current school, they all admit to me that we earn exactly the same. Ten years ago a foreigner earned twice as much as a Chinese teacher, but not anymore.

Once I spoke to the head teacher trainer of a small town. When I told him that I earned 5,000 a month, this was three years ago, he told me that my salary was in the middle.