Teaching English in China as a foreign teacher normally won't make you rich. The salary is normally just a fraction of you would earn in western countries as a professional teacher. Depending on cities, the monthly salary varies from RMB3000 ~ 10000 (US$1 ~= RMB7.8). Bigger cities like Beijing and Shanghai pays better than smaller cities or remote cities.
However, you will live a confortable life in terms of Chinese living standard. Foreign teacher's salary is normally double the average salary of local employment. Plus, almost all employers will provide free apartment, or even meals.
The standard work load is normally ~15 hours per week, with possible overtime pay at a higher rate. Foreign teachers are entitled for statutary holidays same as local employees.
Regulated by government laws, employers provides basic medical insurance. On top of that, bigger employers may provide extra coverage.
Although foreign teachers may negotiate a better compensation package, the flexibility is limited because there are salary guidelines set by the government who controls work permit. Employers may offer alternatives to be more competitive, for example free air fare, extra vacations, etc. These have become common practice in recent years.
Below is salary information for various provinces/cities in China. Please note that these are preliminary information on basic salaries. Your pay can be dramatically affected by compensable factors such as teaching hours, employer size, employee credentials, years of experience and others. It doesn't include overtime pay, bonus, etc. The data is based on 2005 survey.
| Location | Foreign Teacher | Chinese Teacher① | Urban Resident② | Rural Resident③ |
| National Level | 1,942.00 (College) 1,108.00 |
897.56 | 234.39 | |
| Anhui | 3,150-4,050 | 880.83 | 727.11 | 199.15 |
| Beijing | 3,850-4,950 | 2,214.00 | 1445.41 |
627.97 |
| Chongqing | 3,014-3,875 | 994.33 | 907.12 | 188.11 |
| Fujian | 4,030-5,182 | 1,211.08 | 1032.18 | 338.39 |
| Gansu | 3,241-4,167 | 1,038.83 | 737.93 | 123.20 |
| Guangdong | 4,150-5,336 | 1,533.67 | 1283.76 | 362.74 |
| Guangxi | 2,722-3,500 | 900.50 | 790.30 | 192.93 |
| Guizhou | 4,283-5,250 | 813.42 | 704.67 | 126.39 |
| Hainan | 2,917-3,750 | 1,054.08 | 746.62 | 242.44 |
| Hebei | 2,970-3,819 | 873.83 | 603.26 | 251.31 |
| Heilongjiang | 3,617-4,650 | 1,091.00 | 657.90 | 251.59 |
| Henan | 2,902-3,731 | 888.83 | 842.91 | 178.13 |
| Hubei | 3,098-3,983 | 949.58 | 756.32 | 200.78 |
| Hunan | 3,138-4,034 | 1,014.83 | 639.52 | 245.46 |
| Inner Mongolia | 2,917-3,750 | 971.75 | 799.01 | 227.67 |
| Jiangsu | 3,150-4,050 | 1,258.92 | 976.84 | 395.22 |
| Jiangxi | 3,684-4,737 | 834.42 | 731.57 | 207.06 |
| Jilin | 3,135-4,031 | 994.25 | 726.55 | 251.22 |
| Liaoning | 3,650-4,694 | 1,070.33 | 776.34 | 318.12 |
| Ningxia | 2,800-3,600 | 1,130.17 | 672.12 | 224.36 |
| Qinghai | 2,667-3,429 | 1,055.67 | 790.96 | 148.41 |
| Shaanxi | 3,354-4,312 | 931.50 | 746.83 | 168.47 |
| Shandong | 2,975-3,825 | 1,046.83 | 906.98 | 320.90 |
| Shanghai | 4,529-5,823 | 2,057.17 | 1661.96 | 704.08 |
| Shanxi | 2,882-3,705 | 883.42 | 821.54 | 157.15 |
| Sichuan | 3,182-4,091 | 980.75 | 712.92 | 207.92 |
| Tianjin | 2,333-3,000 | 1,421.92 | 1118.86 | 458.34 |
| Tibet | 2,342.50 | 723.59 | 115.83 | |
| Xinjiang | 2,800-3,600 | 1,186.92 | 732.96 | 165.11 |
| Yunnan | 2,333-3,000 | 1,065.50 | 725.84 | 141.43 |
| Zhejiang | 3,911-5,029 | 1,852.58 | 1454.08 | 610.16 |
| ① Before tax,
source from National Bureau of Statistics of China
2003 ② Source from National Bureau of Statistics of China Jan, 2005 ③ Source from National Bureau of Statistics of China Oct, 2004 |
