Teach English in Hong Kong

Details

Summary

Since being handed back to China in 1997, Hong Kong’s Chinese-speaking state school system has adopted the Native English Teacher (NET) scheme, which recruits many overseas teachers. However, competition is high.

Main TEFL regions

Hong Kong

Types of teaching

Private language schools: General English, Business English
In-company: General English, Business English
English-medium schools: General English, English for Younger Learners
'English clubs': General English, Conversation English State secondary schools: General English

Accommodation

You will usually have to arrange accommodation yourself. Apartments in the center of Hong Kong are notoriously expensive (US$650 per month for a room), and your employer will give little to no help with your search.

You can rent an entire house in the suburbs for around US$800, but commuting could take an hour each way.

Flight reimbursement

Many schools will offer reimbursement for flights or a cash bonus when you finish a long contract.

Salary

Salaries are high compared to other Asian countries:

• Private Sector: US$2,500-6,500 per month
• State Sector: US$2,000-6,000 per month (plus an annual US$1,700 “special allowance”, mainly for housing expenses)
• Freelance Teachers: US$25-76 per hour

Pay is commensurate with a teacher's qualifications and experience.

Taxes

Taxes are moderate in Hong Kong. If you’re in a low-paid teaching job, you’ll pay about 5% tax; for a higher-paid job it’ll be about 14%.

Cost of living

This is high, but not as high as other developed Asian countries such as Japan. Accommodation will take up by far the biggest chunk of your income.

Potential to save money

Given the high wages, it is possible to save money each month if you spend prudently.

How much TEFL training is recommended?

To get a well-paid teaching job, you should get a TEFL qualification at the very least. More than most other Asian countries, the better-qualified you are, the more money you’ll make.

Common teaching conditions

You should expect around 25-30 contact hours per week, but this will be higher in some unscrupulous private language schools.

Be aware…

The schedules at private language schools can be tortuous, so get a job at an International or a state school if possible.