How Much Will I Get Paid Teaching English in Japan?

Good to read and compare to this entry about living costs.

Japan is reportedly the second highest paying country for English teachers (just behind Brunei).

And in reality, if you can find a job at all at the moment, you can expect to get Japan's standard (and pretty good) starting wages. However, that's a full time position - one which is becoming rarer by the minute.

A future blog will address the requirements for teaching in Japan (usually only a degree in any subject), and another already published one gives further tips on finding a job, but for now let's take a look at what the current ALT employment situation is in regards to MONEY.

• Standard wage is around 250,000yen per month (1900GBP/3100USD at the time of writing, but you will need to check it for a realistic figure).You will get this amount, or just above, if you are employed on a full time contract with a company such as Interac, Westgate, AEON, Berlitz or any of the other big-hitters or private schools. Many conversation schools, for example Gaba, will also offer overtime/experience incentives in their pay packets.
  
• The JET program is run in partnership with the Japanese government and will pay a little extra - up around 300,000. This applies to all the positions they offer - SEA, CIR etc.
  
• Employment with a local government is very desireable and will pay about the same or a little more than the JET program. These jobs are hard to come by, however, and you will probably face some tough competition. Expect to only find these jobs if already in Japan and/or with good Japanese.
  
• Many schools advertise online for English teachers. But remember that a lot of the part-time or pay-by-hour options may lack security or may not earn a liveable wage if you're going solo. Here are some links to investigate by yourself:
• findjobsinjapan.com
• jobs.gaijinpot.com
• jobs.japantimes.com
• careercross.com
• jobsinjapan.com
• daijob.com

All of these sites also have listings for other types of jobs, so if you have any other skill you may want to consult those listings for posts with your level of Japanese (there are several that require no Japanese, such as some IT work).

So there you have it - use the links in this post to find yourself a wonderful job and then come back to this site and make a generous donatation!

If you have any hints on finding jobs then let us know in the comments below.