Re: Teaching salaries in China

Who was killed? I like your post, but wow that's crazy. I know foreigners have died in China, people die everywhere. I want to know what school and when did the Chinese teachers kill this very unfortunate FT.

Teaching salaries in China

I see very little regarding advice to teachers surfing the net for info on salaries in China so I'll try to put a little perspective on it. No flaming or bashing please I'm sure I'm not the guru of salaries in China just an avid researcher AND a teacher in China.

First if you see a salary below 10,000 RMB per month take it as a red flag: These types of recruiters or schools are looking for nubes and rubes who they can schmooze and con. Sure they might pay for your apartment but your living expenses will not allow you to save much or give you pocket money to travel around and see the sites. Food can be cheap but if you cook your own and shop at the market ingredients are a little high. You may have to buy water and some cities don't have water filtration kiosks; you'll have to buy bottled water. If you're not sure boil your water and look at the surface of the water and what's left when finished. I've seen chemical slicks at the top of the water and weird residues after boiling. And boiling doesn't guarantee the water is safe to drink.

Second, google, google, google, the recruiter, school, the recruiters name, the city. Some cities are a hot bed for scammers; Xiamen and Zhengzhou are good examples. If there's one complaint about salaries or contracts it's a solid red flag. If there's more than one sirens and rockets. Always ask to speak to one of the foreign teachers currently in their employ either by phone on skype or on skype. If they refuse or make some excuse WALK AWAY. First job teaching, second year, blah, blah, blah. Doesn't matter you can find yourself teaching 50 kids per class and have an apartment with no heat, stench, no washing machine, and other problems. DO NOT BE AFRAID to change your contract before you sign it but get an approval. Once you sign it GET A COPY RIGHT THEN AND THERE. Take a picture with your phone if necessary but get a copy. If you have a problem with your pay go the PSB and file a complaint. They probably won't do anything about it but you'll have a complaint on file which will red flag them to the Beijing government. ALWAYS make sure this is in your contract this is part of foreign teacher labor law in China:

If the teacher does not receive his or her expected pay on the regular payday or within 24 hours, the teacher at his discretion my cancel the contract WITHOUT PENALTY or threat against their person.

ANY threats AUTOMATICALLY cancels the contract.

Third, be careful of the venue you contract for: training centers are hotbeds for scams and notorious for making up excuses for short pay or cut pay. Always try to get aligned with a school. Again google is your friend.

Fourth, check for stories on the internet regarding attacks on foreign persons in the city where you will be teaching. I've personally known teachers who were attacked suddenly without provocation. People screaming "We don't want your kind here get the f--k out of our country!!!". Most required hospitalization and some have been killed. Some have been killed by THE CHINESE SCHOOL TEACHERS they were working with because they feel the foreigner complained too much. This happens very rarely but it has happened.

Fifth, the American consulate in Beijing is absolutely worthless if you need help. They will not intervene or investigate ANY American teacher issues in China. They CAN give you the names of local lawyers if you decide to go that route.

Never, ever, sign a contract that gives performance bonuses or contract completion bonuses. Example: Salary of 10,000 with performance bonus of 2,000 per month paid per semester, OR, contract completion bonus of blah, blah, usually with a disclaimer of "as long as the teacher doesn't change schools". You will never, ever, see the bonuses. There will ALWAYS be some form of excuse for not paying it. And the bigger question is why don't they just pay the salary straight?

Ask for a salary above 12,000 RMB and work back. Don't try to work up. You will more then likely see "travel reimbursement" or similar. If there is no dollar figure ask how much is the allowance and make sure it's in your contract. The minimum should be 8,000 RMB. Don't believe me research airfare from China to wherever you're from. Ask are you given the allowance or does the company arrange the travel. Either way you should receive the unused balance for travel expenses.

Even if you have a contract the owner or CEO may or may not break it or any of it's parts at their leisure. I had CEOs go on vacation and then come back and cheat the teacher's to cover the expenses of the trip. Another bought property and then cheated the teachers and fired some of his Chinese staff to cover part of the expenses.

Do your due diligence and you should come out ok. Peace.