The type of teaching job
Traditionally, the best-paid teaching jobs in China are in kindergartens and international schools. Whilst public schools and universities tend to offer the lowest pay.
Your salary in international kindergartens and international schools can be buoyed considerably by benefits. Throw in housing assistance and flight allowance, and the package can look mouth-watering.
The school
Prominent and reputable schools entice the best ESL teachers with high salaries and a list of perks. Usually, these schools demand the highest qualifications but if you can dazzle them in your application, you can look forward to earning big.
The best international schools in the most prominent locations pay the highest salaries of all – it’s here that you can expect to earn between 3,000 and 4,000 USD per month.
The city
The most popular teaching destinations (like Beijing and Shanghai) are home to the best schools, resulting in the highest teaching salaries in all of China.
In these Tier 1 cities, as they’re known, you can expect to take home between 2,500 and 4,000 USD at a high-level teaching job in a very good school. In Tier 2 and 3 cities, however, that salary comes in between 2,000 and 2,500 USD.
Your experience & qualifications
When it comes to teaching experience and qualifications, the more the merrier!
The best salaries are paid to teachers who have up-to-date qualifications and amassed years of teaching experience. This is the best ammo you can have to negotiate higher pay.