International schools - lowest salary

[Mickey Cohen]

Whats the lowest salary I can expect from a modest international school in bkk for 26 periods a week?

Cheers

[angsta]

26 periods a week at an international school? Seems very high.

[cgphuket]

Can range between 40-150k a month. The word "international" is pretty lose. It depends how cheap they can pay and get away with.

[Mickey Cohen]

26 periods a week at an international school? Seems very high.

Yes its a lot

[zeichen]

cgphuket is right. If you are a certified teacher in your home country with a degree in education and experience, you can earn 80-150k. There are some International programs by name only that are just mills where you would earn around the same as an EFL teacher.

For international school jobs go to the job fairs or join search associates or the like.

good luck. Also local hires tend to earn less than if you were hired from abroad.

[Mickey Cohen]

Im not a certified teacher but they re still ready to take me in. Its not a well known school but has the name international. Salary is low work load is high but it should be a good step in my career?!

[coulson]

Im not a certified teacher but they re still ready to take me in. Its not a well known school but has the name international. Salary is low work load is high but it should be a good step in my career?!

What is the salary?

Few years ago the lowest I knew anyone on for full time would have been 30,000 baht, that was not in Bangkok however & I don't know about now.

Workload seems high, 26 contact hours would mean at least 40 hours in the school/ office (canteen)

The word International means nothing. I got a TEFL from an 'International' institute in Phuket and turned out it wasn't even certified to issue the certs.......

[zeichen]

If you are not a certified teacher it is not a real International school. If the salary is 40k or less it is not a real international school. With that workload you will be exhausted. You could work for an EP school at get the same salary for less hours. Don't be fooled by the word international. It won't build your career if they are a crap school without proper resources.

[Mickey Cohen]

If you are not a certified teacher it is not a real International school. If the salary is 40k or less it is not a real international school. With that workload you will be exhausted. You could work for an EP school at get the same salary for less hours. Don't be fooled by the word international. It won't build your career if they are a crap school without proper resources.

Its cambridge certified and the do Igcse tests in the school. That makes it international enough? Plus they're on the international school lists everywherr

[Mickey Cohen]

Im not a certified teacher but they re still ready to take me in. Its not a well known school but has the name international. Salary is low work load is high but it should be a good step in my career?!

What is the salary?

Few years ago the lowest I knew anyone on for full time would have been 30,000 baht, that was not in Bangkok however & I don't know about now.

Workload seems high, 26 contact hours would mean at least 40 hours in the school/ office (canteen)

The word International means nothing. I got a TEFL from an 'International' institute in Phuket and turned out it wasn't even certified to issue the certs.......

roughly 50k net

[Mickey Cohen]

So what makes a school international?

[coulson]

So what makes a school international?

Who knows. ...but 50 is pretty good, under the apparent circumstances...shoot now ask questions later.....

[Scott]

Generally, a true-blue international school will have accreditation or some type of certification from their home country and will meet or exceed the standards for a school in the home country.

[Mickey Cohen]

Generally, a true-blue international school will have accreditation or some type of certification from their home country and will meet or exceed the standards for a school in the home country.

And CIE isnt one?

[backstairs]

CIE issues external exams. It does not examine the school. It does require teachers of their exams to be certified, in some way.

I hear there is increasing tightening up of exam boards to remove any hint of unprofessionalism. I would say any salary below 80K is

suspicious with such high working hours. A good international school will offer: a competitive salary, medical insurance, housing allowance and a contract. And just as important - published salary structure explaining where you may start, what you get for promotion and how high is the top grade. If the school hesitates to reveal a published salary scale do not enter its hallways.

[Johnnie99]

Lots of nonsense here.

Certified and qualified teachers will get up to 150k.

26 periods is a professional workload. Lazy teachers who manipulate themselves into doing less should both be ashamed that they get highly paid and look at their definition of 'professional'.

If you think 26 periods a week is 'heavy', choose a different type of work.

[csmith]

I'd recommend checking out

https://www.tes.co.uk/

and

https://community.tes.co.uk/tes_teaching_overseas/default.aspx

also on my own edu website ... salaries area at

http://www.shambles.net/pages/staff/salary/

[charliebadenhop]

Hi folks,

Am I not somehow misunderstanding what is being said??

150K a month is close to US$5,000.

Some folks teaching in International schools are making $60,000 a year here?!

WOW, IF that is the case!

[zeichen]

Certified and qualified teachers will get up to 150k.

26 periods is a professional workload. Lazy teachers who manipulate themselves into doing less should both be ashamed that they get highly paid and look at their definition of 'professional'.

If you think 26 periods a week is 'heavy', choose a different type of work."

26 periods of teaching for 50k is tough even for unqualified teachers

Very few schools pay 150k+ and those that do don't have a lot of openings.

80-120k is typically the standard for International schools unless you have a specialized subject. Science and math teachers often get more especially those with masters or above. Local hires tend to get less.

26 periods is a heavy work load for a teacher in any country. Typical is 18-22 classes. The average teacher in the US is in the classroom 19 hours a week, but that translates to about 50-60 hours of work with grading, lesson planning and other duties.

26 periods is a lot if you are doing proper lesson plans, proper assessment and feedback.

The only nonsense so far is everything that you wrote.

[LucidLucifer]

Lots of nonsense here.

Certified and qualified teachers will get up to 150k.

26 periods is a professional workload. Lazy teachers who manipulate themselves into doing less should both be ashamed that they get highly paid and look at their definition of 'professional'.

If you think 26 periods a week is 'heavy', choose a different type of work.

Johnnie is completely right...... with the exception of the 'highly paid' statement......

26 periods is about the norm. In the UK you would be allowed 10% non-contact time for PPA (planning, preparation and assessment). Despite what many people think, a 55+ hour working week is fairly normal - 60+ is the case if you are a dedicated professional that cares. What happens in the classroom is just the front end of what goes on behind the scenes - admin responsibilities aside, planning and preparation is a bottomless pit - there is always something more you can do, but there needs to be a cut off point otherwise your teaching suffers - it's a balance.

OP, PM me on the school you have just been offered a contract with - my school were interviewing EAL teachers this week and I may be able to advise you.

[Fullstop]

Im not a certified teacher but they re still ready to take me in. Its not a well known school but has the name international. Salary is low work load is high but it should be a good step in my career?!

If it's that infamous one on Sukhumvit Rd Pattaya ... stay well clear of it. Really! After 1 week I could hardly wait till the end of the month to collect my pay and RUN! Two other teachers left at the same time.

Edited May 29, 2015 by Fullstop

[zeichen]

Ok, I will retract my statement if the 26 classes are 45 minute periods. Most of the schools that I have worked for are 50-55 minute periods. I have never seen a contract or signed one that had more than 24 periods a week. My current contract states no more than 24, but I have never had more than 21 contact hours.

[mango66]

Im not a certified teacher but they re still ready to take me in. Its not a well known school but has the name international. Salary is low work load is high but it should be a good step in my career?!

sure its not a well known school,

and propably not a good one which employs volunteers as teachers !

So you are student in philisohics or what ??

and want teach our childrens :-((((((

3rd world

[mango66]

Hi folks,

Am I not somehow misunderstanding what is being said??

150K a month is close to US$5,000.

Some folks teaching in International schools are making $60,000 a year here?!

WOW, IF that is the case!

its the case !

It's a 3rd world country, no law !

everything is possible;

[carter1882]

I worked in two top international schools in Bangkok for a total of 20 years. Periods were forty minutes at both though i eemember there were moves to make one have hour periods. At forty minutes i would say most teachers had around thirty contact periods or around twenty hours in the class. The starting salary for such work would be 80k plus. Most would earn 120-150k but heads of department would be more like 170 -200k. Typically departmental heads had about six periods remission over less senior teachers. I would be guessing for senior managers who typically have very low or no teaching commitment salaries are in the region of 350-450k. For most teachers in international school it would be very likely to be in school at least fifty hours a week and that is not considering weekend work. Then there is the marking, preparation , developmental work and reporting at top schools that adds many many hours to a top school workload, or any school workload for that matter. Holidays are long it is true but most teachers need them after the intensity of term time. The salaries are thus very good but extra benefits come to those who have children who get huge discounts for their education. Both my kids went through school with very little actual tuition fees though the add ons of trips, exam charges and other extras amounted to perhaps 150-200k for two kids a year. Remember tuition fees for kids at top international schools in Bangkok are in the region of 600-800k a year before add ons. But the education is good....my daughter is doing her masters at a small place called Oxford. I quit 18 months ago because i wanted more time to do other things but life at a good international school is certainly rewarding and the students are invariably superb. Of course there are many schools that call themselves international but are of a poor standard. With a bit of experience it is not difficult for even the lay person to judge which is good and which is worth avoiding. However, for the OP gaining experience at any school is a good thing. Experience and capability combined with availability can help many teachers in Bangkok to circumvent the teaching fairs and gain a foothold in the top international school if Bangkok. It is not easy but then the reward of 35,000 to 70,000 US dollars a year (net) is not to be sniffed at in the City of Angels!

[Mickey Cohen]

But I teach a foreign language which is not english.

I come from language school doing around 35 periods a week. Thats where u start when you re not certified. Making between 50 and 80k but payed by the H. No paid holiday no real stability

Edited May 29, 2015 by Mickey Cohen

[Mickey Cohen]

I worked in two top international schools in Bangkok for a total of 20 years. Periods were forty minutes at both though i eemember there were moves to make one have hour periods. At forty minutes i would say most teachers had around thirty contact periods or around twenty hours in the class. The starting salary for such work would be 80k plus. Most would earn 120-150k but heads of department would be more like 170 -200k. Typically departmental heads had about six periods remission over less senior teachers. I would be guessing for senior managers who typically have very low or no teaching commitment salaries are in the region of 350-450k. For most teachers in international school it would be very likely to be in school at least fifty hours a week and that is not considering weekend work. Then there is the marking, preparation , developmental work and reporting at top schools that adds many many hours to a top school workload, or any school workload for that matter. Holidays are long it is true but most teachers need them after the intensity of term time. The salaries are thus very good but extra benefits come to those who have children who get huge discounts for their education. Both my kids went through school with very little actual tuition fees though the add ons of trips, exam charges and other extras amounted to perhaps 150-200k for two kids a year. Remember tuition fees for kids at top international schools in Bangkok are in the region of 600-800k a year before add ons. But the education is good....my daughter is doing her masters at a small place called Oxford. I quit 18 months ago because i wanted more time to do other things but life at a good international school is certainly rewarding and the students are invariably superb. Of course there are many schools that call themselves international but are of a poor standard. With a bit of experience it is not difficult for even the lay person to judge which is good and which is worth avoiding. However, for the OP gaining experience at any school is a good thing. Experience and capability combined with availability can help many teachers in Bangkok to circumvent the teaching fairs and gain a foothold in the top international school if Bangkok. It is not easy but then the reward of 35,000 to 70,000 US dollars a year (net) is not to be sniffed at in the City of Angels!

thanks carter

[SlyAnimal]

A post criticising spelling/grammar has been removed (along with a quoted reply), as these types of posts constitute trolling and are off topic.

[LawrenceN]

cgphuket is right. If you are a certified teacher in your home country with a degree in education and experience, you can earn 80-150k. There are some International programs by name only that are just mills where you would earn around the same as an EFL teacher.

For international school jobs go to the job fairs or join search associates or the like.

good luck. Also local hires tend to earn less than if you were hired from abroad.

My wife has taught at ISB as an international hire, and at Bangkok Prep as a local hire. We agree this is accurate information, including the salary range mentioned above. The caveat about the schools that are "international" in name only is also correct.

[mike324]

Salaries for an elementary associate teacher at "elite" schools such as ISB can start from 70k, with 2 year experience and being a certified teacher (info straight from a friend who taught)

Even substitute teachers can pull in more than 30k / month if you are well liked and get calls often.

Edited May 30, 2015 by mike324