South Korea is one of the top places to visit to teach abroad for good reasons. South Korea offers stable job opportunities, special benefits, and salaries that can help to make savings. It's no big surprise why so many of the teachers who instruct English in Korea either stay for multiple contracts or talk affectionately of their experience for years to come.

The special thing about an English teacher’s salary in Korea is that lots of people can save a big amount of savings from what they make. No, you will not be rich, yet the job is loaded with benefits like free housing that makes it simple to save money while living with comfort.

How Much Money Would I be Able to Make Teaching in Korea?

The normal salary for an English teacher in Korea is around 2.1 million won (around 1900 USD).

However, how much money you make is completely reliant upon where you work and there is a variation of school types relying upon your experience and financial goals.

School Type Salary in Won Salary in USD
Private Shcools 1.8-2.3 Million Won 1600-2100 USD
Public Schools 1.5-3.2 Million Won 1350-2900 USD
University 2.2-3.5 Million Won 2000-3100 USD
International Schools 2-3 Million Won 1800-2700 USD

Private Schools: 1.8 – 2.3 million Won (1,600-2,100 USD)

Private schools in Korea, commonly known as Hagwons, are the most well-known type of teaching jobs in South Korea. They by and large fill in as a kindergarten and school for young students during the day and switch over to more elder students in the early evening once primary school is completed.

As the name suggests, these schools are on the whole privately run and subsequently not supervised or regulated by the government organization. This isn't to imply that there is a major issue with this, only that there is undeniably less standardization with regards to paying, hours, and in general working conditions when compared with public or government-run schools. If you take as much time for your research, it's feasible to discover positions in a great location with low working hours.

Hagwon jobs are typically much promoted on Korean job sites as there is an endless hunger for foreign teachers from the USA, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland, and South Africa. Due to that reason, requirements will in general be a bit lower than different schools and it's very simple to find a job at a private school in Korea with no experience and a four-year certification. However, if you have a 4-years bachelors’ degree and experience, you can without any struggle to get a higher salary with Hagwons.

Despite the salary range, the advantages of working at a Hagwon in Korea are comparable to different institutions and commonly comprise of free housing, reimbursed airfare, and an end-of-contract reward.

Public or Government Schools: 1.5 – 3.2 million Won (1,350-2,900 USD)

If you're an English teacher, then South Korea has one of the best public education systems in the world. They are well organized, efficient, and recognized as reputed jobs in Korea. The public school salaries in Korea are consistent as they are dictated by a set scale dependent on experience, demand, and location.

Because of these benefits, English teaching jobs in public schools are highly desired and the school system can afford to be a little choosier with their recruits. Getting a teaching job in a public school can be hard if you do not have a relevant degree and teaching experience.

For those hoping to seek a job at a Korean public school, you have 4 choices:

• EPIK (English Program in Korea)
• SMOE (Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education)
• GEPIK (Gyeonggi English Program in Korea)
• GOE Program
• TaLK (Teach and Learn in Korea)

Universities: 2.2 – 3.5 million Won (2,000-3,100 USD)

Universities are the best of the best with regards to earning a good amount of money and a good teaching environment. However, if you are qualified and meet the requirements, it's very simple to get your desired teaching job that affords the cost of an incredible salary and almost 120 days of holiday each year.

However, South Korean universities anticipate a lot from their teachers and have even been known to fire teachers that fail to meet expectations or simply aren't fit for the position.

International Schools: 2–3 million Won (1,800-2,700 USD)

Global schools are an incredible gig for established teachers looking to show subjects other than English (however English is additionally taught). Teachers can expect to make around equivalent to a private or public school teacher however they typically find the workplace to be considerably more comfortable because of most students being from abroad.

Also, teaching for an international school in Korea is an incredible method to expanding your profession both inside and outside of teaching as there is commonly a dynamic local area of expats with whom you can socialize.