Fair salary in Korea for a student with a MA degree and extensive teaching experience

[jaiminyoon56]

Hi everyone,

I hope that you won't find the post to be boastful, but I would really like some honest input as to what would be a fair salary for people with my (or similar) qualifications.

I graduated from UC Berkeley (psychology major) in 2003 with highest honors (equivalent to summa cum laude, 3.9 GPA) and also am currently a doctoral student of clinical psychology at UCLA, which is the nation's top program (according to US News, not that it's a fair ranking system). I have my MA degree in clinical psychology from UCLA and have decided that my passion lies in teaching, instead of research or clinical work.

I have 3 years of teaching experience at the college level, both in a large lecture setting (300+ students) and small discussion sections (20 students). Although I am not an English major, I have taught 3 quarters of "Research methods in Psychology", which required me to teach writing in APA (American Psychological Association) format, which has rigorous standards for grammar. Furthermore, I've done a great amount of teaching at the elementary / jr. high / high school level while I was an undergraduate at Berkeley. As for my own writing qualifications, I have a publication under review (which the editors will accept with a few revisions) in a major academic journal.

I will be going to live/work in Korea starting in Fall and have done a bit of research into the programs that are available, and it appears that programs are providing anywhere from 2mil to 4 mil won. What would be a fair salary for someone with these qualifications? Thank you all in advance for your input.

- jaimin

[felicity booth]

I graduated from UC Berkeley (psychology major) in 2003 with highest honors (equivalent to summa cum laude, 3.9 GPA)

Whether you have a major in psychology with summa cum laude or not, the salary wont change. Your salary may only be higher if you have a Masters, a teacher certificate, or a degree in Education. Schools and employers wont care the fact that you got a GPA 3.9. Sorry to tell you this.

The fact that you hold a Masters may bump up your salary, or allow you to choose from some of the better teaching jobs out there. Not a hard and fast rule however, just a small advantage you will have.

What schools really love is a degree in education along with a teaching certificate and teaching experience. I see you have teaching experience, so this is GREAT!

There is huge demand for English teachers in Korea. You can see this by how hard emloyers and recruiters are trying to get a hold of you. If you are in no rush to accept your first job offer, then am sure you can get above average in salaries.

I would aim for around 25,000 to 30,000 KRW per hour. At first, your main aim should be setting yourself up and getting familiar with your surrounds. Then, you can always find better work and upgrade later if need be.

Just DON'T accept the first job that comes to you. Take your time and select carefully.

[jaiminyoon56]

Thank you for your wonderful and informative post! I appreciate the honesty and fast feedback

- jaimin

[kmossman]

Are you a WASP American? No offense, but your handle suggests otherwise.
Often it is more difficult for some-one who looks Asian to be taken more seriously here. A blonde buxom bimbo (couldn't resist the extra 'b') can haul in bigger bucks than an Asian with a PhD in Education from "Harvard".

If you are western looking, then with your degrees, upwards of 3 million is possible. But those jobs are few and far between.

[jaiminyoon56]

Hi everyone,

Thank you to all who have posted. I just wanted to follow up by letting you all know that I will begin teaching soon, in Korea, and that it appears that my degree(s) and teaching experience did make a difference in offers, much more than anticipated.

It appears that it is possible for a person without large breasts and blonde hair to not only begin at a monthly salary above 3.5mil KRW, but to find a reputable and caring institution that is interested in the well-being of their teachers and the education of their students. It was not as long of a process as I thought it would be (received responses to a resume post within 24 hours, applied in the next 24 hours, and received an offer in the next 24 hours) and I would be happy to share my experiences without divulging company information and such.

Thank you again!

[felicity booth]

Well congrats on your placement. Great to hear the good news and am sure you will have a blast in South Korea.