Negotiating for a decent salary is always an option. Maybe it seldom works, but that shouldn't stop one from trying; moreover, some people are better at it than others. A friend of mine is only teaching 8 sessions a week and pulling down 4,500 with all the bennies. He's a great negotiator.

When I first came to China more than five years ago I was pulling down 16,000RMB a month. After six months I left that job with no regrets simply because I wasn't happy where I was teaching even though the job itself was pretty cool. Since then I've had salaries ranging from 6,500 to 10,000. Currently I'm making 8,400 for 18 teaching hours and 2 office hours. However, that also includes coordinator pay and flight allowance.

Generally, a university will offer you a starting salary that ranges from 4 to 6 thousand, depending on your qualifications and experience. Raises are generally around 500 a year with a limit on the number of raises.

I've worked at a few private schools that during the application process have asked what my salary expectations are. After telling them, I've been disappointed that I didn't ask for more because they've accepted my first offer without hesitation.. Oddly, after beginning to work for them, I discovered I was making more than teachers that had been there for quite awhile. Even still, I don't consider myself much of a negotiator compared to the Chinese who seem to be masters at the game.

Given the availability of jobs in China it's worth giving it your best shot. However, there is the situation where a job pops up in an area where one has a strong desire to hang out. In that case it may become necessary to find that fine line between humbleness and assertiveness.

Generally, though, it helps to take a look at the whole package; that is, what benefits are being offered and what kind of reputation the school has. Personally, I never sign a contract until I've seen the apartment I'm being offered and what goes along with the apartment, such as a computer. If the computer is ancient, forget it - not interested. I also must have the opportunity to speak with current or past employees. In addition, I'm not interested in paying for utilities. Basically, if I feel the employer is a cheapskate, I'm not interested. I also want to see the school and the environment in which I will be teaching. A well maintained teaching environment is a plus in my book. Last, but not least, is the flight pay. It better actually cover the round trip fare - not approximate it. And I don't want it paid out at the end of the contract. I want it paid in monthly installments. Furthermore, I want that clearly stated in the contract.

I will never accept a job that makes inordinate demands on my time. I won't do English Corners for example. Been there, done that - not interested. My free time is too valuable; however, I will give some of my time to helping out with student activities if I feel it will truly benefit them and if I consider it interesting enough. For example, I don't mind being a judge at competitions - that can be kinda fun actually. I've also been asked to do lectures now and then, and I won't always turn that down. (I've actually been flown half way across China at no cost to me and put up in a four star hotel, given a tour around the city and had all my meals paid for. All that just to give an hour long lecture!) But normally I feel that anything over 18 teaching sessions and two office hours must be paid as overtime - at least time and a half.

Finally, you must recognize that your skills are in high demand. Selling yourself short should not be considered an option. The longer I've hung out here the more I've realized that. I used to operate under a simple creed: One lie, goodbye. However, with the new rules that make it easy to get blacklisted, that's not much of an option anymore; therefore, I'm extremely careful before signing on the dotted line.

So, in answer to your question, yes, some folks are pulling down what others would consider fairly high salaries. But not only that; they're also being very specific about the extras. Give it a try, you might be surprised. By the way, next week I'm going to start doing some under the table work. Two hours a night, as many nights as I want, at 350 kwai each night for teaching a handful of students preparing to study abroad. And, oh yeah, they're going to pay my taxi fare from my university and back. Lots of options here once you've been around long enough to learn the ropes.