Teach English in the United States

Details

Summary

There is huge demand for TEFL teachers here, but the market is competitive and it's very difficult to get a visa

Main TEFL regions

All major cities - particularly New York, Washington, San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego and Miami.

Types of teaching

ESL private language institutes: General English, Business English, TOEFL, ECCE
University language programs: General English, TOEFL, English for Specific Purposes
Migrant English programs: General English, TOEFL, English for Specific Purposes

Accommodation

You will usually have to organize your own apartment, which can be very expensive in the big cities. For example, a one-bedroom place in San Francisco will cost around $1000 per month!

Flight reimbursement

Not likely, as there are so many qualified American teachers to choose from.

Salary

$15-40 per hour. Newly qualified teachers shouldn’t accept less than US$18 per hour.

Taxes

Novice teachers will pay about 13% of their wages as tax, at the higher end of the salary range, it’ll be more like 17%.

Cost of living

The cost of living is high, but cheaper than much of Western Europe. A beer in a bar will cost about $5, a cheap fast food meal is about $3, while a loaf of bread is about $1.50.

Potential to save money

You’re unlikely to save any money unless you’re well-qualified and thus well-paid, or you’re able to get free accommodation (e.g. living at your parents’ house if you’re hail from the US)/

How much TEFL training is recommended?

As there is so much competition, you should get as much training as possible. i-to-i’s 100-hour Combined Course will allow you to get jobs at small language institutes and community colleges but to work in a university you’ll need an MA.

Common teaching conditions

A full-time position will involve about 25 contact hours per week. If you’re working for private language institutes, you’ll probably only be able to get part time hours, so you’ll have to work for multiple schools

Be aware…

Despite what you hear on the news, the USA is a safe place to visit. Just take the usual precautions when out late at night or on your own.