English teaching in Hong Kong

[Alturia]

Hello guys. I've been quite eager to go to Hong Kong for work, so I'm trying to gather some information. I'll be a fresh graduate of American Literature in June, and I'll get a TESOL certificate by Canadian government. English is not my native language, but I have confidence in my accent and fluency. I can also pass as a westerner physically, if that is a factor.

My question: I don't have much knowledge about the cost of living in Hong Kong. What'd be the average monthly expense including house rent, utilities, food? and what'd be the average salary for an English teacher who holds TESOL certificate and is a graduate of American Literature, though not a native?

I can settle for a modest pay. I really wanna go to Hong Kong because of my personal interest in the country and East Asia in general.

Thanks for the help in advance.

[jmbf]

A lot will depend on your English level. If it's at a native level, or very close to native, then I'd say the 'average' salary for a new teacher starting out at a language centre is approximately HKD 20K / month. You could get a few thousand more or less dependent on several factors (job role and responsibilities, how well you interview, how desperately the employer needs to fill the position, luck etc etc).

Monthly expenses vary a lot dependent on your required lifestyle. At a very rough guess, I'd say that many new teachers on 20K / month would spend between 12-16K on expenses. Naturally some will spend more , some less.

[workagain]

Probably around ~20K month if you teach in a learning center. Housing is quite experience in HK. Around 10K for 300-400 sq feet apartment. Apartment is usually less expensive for larger one (per sq feet). So if you have a frd in HK, then share a 2 bedroom apartment is a better choice (probably ~14K for same area).

Food and transportation is quite cheap in HK if you not to choice expensive one. Even though, you will at least reserve 6-8K for your monthly expense.

You can get some extra income by being private tutorial. As native English speaker, it is easy to get private tutorial.

[lighthse003]

He or she cannot have other jobs full time or part time if the work visa issued only allows working for a specific employer.

[Golem]

He or she cannot have other jobs full time or part time if the work visa issued only allows working for a specific employer.

They should not according to the terms of the visa but many if not most do it

[jmbf]

You can get some extra income by being private tutorial. As native English speaker, it is easy to get private tutorial.

As others have mentioned, taking on private tutorial work on a standard working visa is illegal. Many do so regardless, but at least you should be aware of this.

As for it being 'easy' to get private tutorials, that very much depends. A lot is dependent on your location, reputation, asking rate etc etc. Sure, you could easily fill up your schedule with $200 / hr students, but decent students paying $500+ / hr are usually harder to come by.

[workagain]

As others have mentioned, taking on private tutorial work on a standard working visa is illegal. Many do so regardless, but at least you should be aware of this.

As for it being 'easy' to get private tutorials, that very much depends. A lot is dependent on your location, reputation, asking rate etc etc. Sure, you could easily fill up your schedule with $200 / hr students, but decent students paying $500+ / hr are usually harder to come by.

True. But as full-time job only get $20K monthly, hourly rate is around $100. So even charge with $200 rate, he/she can earn double the full-time rate. Of course, will need to get students location near yr living place to reduce traffic time.

[jmbf]

True. But as full-time job only get $20K monthly, hourly rate is around $100. So even charge with $200 rate, he/she can earn double the full-time rate. Of course, will need to get students location near yr living place to reduce traffic time.

20K at a full-time language centre post based on 40 working hours a week = $125 / hr. From that you can deduct a bit for travelling to and from the centre and some travel expenses so let's say $110 / hr.

As a new tutor, his students would most likely be spread out so he would have to spend quite a bit of time travelling for each lesson hour taught. You need to allow for not just traveling time, but also getting there 5 minutes early, 5 minutes after the lesson to talk with parents etc etc. I'd estimate at least an extra 60 minutes spent for each lesson hour taught (at least to begin with). So to earn $200 you would need to spend at least 2 hours which would effectively be less than $100 / hr. And that's before deducting travelling expenses. In that case and at that rate, the OP would be better off asking for more work at his centre than taking on private students.

[pinkishbuyer]

I remember when I first came to Hong Kong to teach and I was making HK$20,000. My situation was much like yours. I'd just graduated and then I moved here shortly afterwards.

A while back, I looked at if HK$20,000 could work in today's economy, and while it is a bit of a struggle, it is very doable if you are willing to be frugal and budget accordingly. In my experience, if you can get your rent down as much as possible, you will have an easier time saving money, thus, allowing your money to go a lot further. Rent will be your biggest expense. Currently, rent takes up about 25% of my salary and I am fortunate that my rent is very low. If you want a more in-depth look at how far HK$20,000 will get you in this day and age, I've enclosed a link to the article I wrote. Let me know if it's helpful!

https://www.navigatehk.com/home/2018...t-in-hong-kong

[Cornmeal]

Where is your passport issued? This could make a big difference. If issued in a majority English language country your accent won't matter so much. Thankfully appearance is less of a factor than it once was in the ESL industry, but unfortunately it may still be in some places.

If you're keen on East Asia why not Korea, Taiwan, or Japan? Although less monthly salary most jobs provide housing on top and in Korea taxes, insurance, and contributions are still less than HK tax. You can still save a lot. When you factor in rent, HK is one of the lowest paying places to teach ESL...

Check out ESL CAFE for posts all over the world for comparison:

Dave's ESL Cafe International Job Board - International Job Board