Teaching English In Vietnam Salary: How To Earn Up To $2000 By TEFL in Vietnam
Today I’m going to be talking about what the teaching hours are like when you’re teaching English in Vietnam and how much you can earn.
So that you can know how much, or how little, you have to teach to live a great lifestyle out here.
And what the option are for working less and having more free time. Or how you can save a lot of money!
Check out the video I made on the topic:
Teaching English in Vietnam Salary
If you’ve been wondering about teaching English in Vietnam then you may be planning to make the move for a short-term period – perhaps for one or two years – and then move on to a variety of different things in the country – or South East Asia in general.
On the other hand, you may be open- minded and interested in developing a full career out of teaching abroad. Both of these options are fantastic! Whichever direction you choose to go in, it’s helpful to know beforehand the possibilities of your teaching English in Vietnam salary – as a first-time English teacher in Vietnam!
Teaching English in Vietnam Salary Range
After obtaining a bachelor’s degree, as well as a pre-service qualification such as TEFL or TESOL certification, first time teachers can typically earn about $1,200 to $1,800 after taxes in Vietnam, per month.
Usually, English teachers in Vietnam are paid for the number of hours they teach in a month, so your total income will depend on the hourly rate that the school offers you, as well as how many hours you teach per week. This is the actual teaching per week and you’ll be quoted in USD although paid in Vietnamese dong.
What’s The Hourly rate?
There is a range so don’t take any of this as a hard and fast rule.
As someone with a bachelor’s degree in any subject and a native English speaker from USA, Canada, UK, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia or South Africa, and with a TEFL certification you can expect to make around $15 – $20 / hour.
This can even be higher but typically if a single schools gives you a solid number of hours (around 15 – 25 / week) this is what you can expect.
Non bachelor degree holders and non native speakers usually get paid slightly less but there are definitely still opportunities.
A Salary Of Up To $2000
So how much do you actually teach and how much can you earn?
Well your living costs are dependent on how you live your life out here but I think it’s very possible to live an amazing lifestyle on $1000 / month or less. A friend of mine consistently lived on only $600 / month.
So at $18 an hour you’d only have to teach about 15 hours a week. Which is not a lot at all and will give you a lot of free time to pursue personal interests or explore the country.
At 25 hours a week (still far from a 40 hour work week!) you can make up to $2000. That’s $1000+ of savings!
Not to mention if you’re really serious about saving you could add in some tutoring of extra classes to make even more.
Teaching English in Vietnam Salary Packages
For a full-time English teacher, the norm for teaching hours is around 20 teaching hours per week. Your teaching English in Vietnam salary can be super flexible! If you wish to earn more, then you have the option to do so. Teachers can choose to pick up more hours which means earning a higher salary at the end of the month.
On the other hand, you might like a more relaxed working lifestyle, which means you can teach fewer hours per week and then earn a little bit on the lower end of the general salary range.
Benefits of Teaching English in Vietnam
Many schools in Vietnam will offer an appealing package for your teaching English in Vietnam salary, including a benefits package! These benefits will often include bonuses, although only full-time teachers are usually eligible to receive these.
For full-time teaching English in Vietnam, the timing of these bonuses will vary. For example, most schools offer 1-year contracts and may offer a bonus in the middle of your contract. Or, you may receive a bonus that amounts to an extra month’s salary, at the end of your contract. Other options include a combination of other, smaller benefits whose monetary value is equal to a full month’s salary.
Now, of course bonuses are not a guarantee at every school, but we are seeing a trend of teaching English in Vietnam bonuses amounting to around a full month salary over the course of a year. You will frequently be made aware of the benefits and bonuses that are available to you in the contract presented to you, as you interview at schools and start teaching English in Vietnam.
Other benefits will frequently include health insurance packages (which often include dental coverage), as well as housing allowances – although these are usually offered to teachers who would to like to work in more rural areas of the country.
Living Costs while earning a Teaching English in Vietnam Salary
Living costs in Vietnam vary, and even vary through different areas of Ho Chi Minh City. English teachers in Vietnam can get a nice studio apartment for about 8 to 12 million Dong, which amounts to roughly $300 to $500. These spaces are often very modern and comfortable spaces to call home!
Eating out is also a lot more affordable compared to dining out back home. In Vietnam, you could eat out at a Vietnamese restaurant and spend only about $2 per meal. On the other hand, dining at a restaurant that serves an international cuisine – like French, Korean, Japanese, or Italian food – you may find prices in the range of between $8 to $12 – still a bargain if you ask me! Plus, you can get beers at restaurants for about $1 to $2!
Another cost for English teaching in Vietnam might be renting a motorbike. This is the most convenient way to get around the city, and if you’re worried about safety – don’t be! Given the population size of the city, drivers stick to about 40 km/h and are very aware of other drivers and pedestrians as well. Just make sure to wear a helmet! Renting a motorbike might cost around $75 a month. Adding on gas prices, you might be looking at between $75 to $85 a month overall.
For those of you not inclined to driving yourself around Ho Chi Minh City, then there are several ride-hailing services that are available at competitive prices. One popular ride-hailing service is an app called Grab. Think of it as the Uber of Vietnam. For a typical trip on Grab, riders might pay between $1 to $2. Overall, most people can get around the city for less than $100 a month!
Of course, another important cost for teaching English in Vietnam is grocery shopping! There are a wide range of local and international grocery stores in the city. Wherever you live in Ho Chi Minh City, you can find a grocery store that suits your needs and your budget with relative ease. Also, there are many convenient delivery apps that offer grocery delivery services at affordable prices too! This can be a lifesaver when you’re out and about, focusing on teaching English in Vietnam.
Saving Money on a Teaching English in Vietnam Salary
As you can see, a teaching English in Vietnam salary will have a lot of buying power. You can live comfortably, while making enough money to cover your expenses, and frequently enjoy disposable income at the end of each month.
What you choose to do with your disposable income is up to you! But rest assured that if you wish to save some money while teaching English in Vietnam, teachers are able to do so, on a regular basis.
Teaching English in Vietnam – First Time Teachers
Getting started with your first teaching English in Vietnam job can really impact the experience you have in Vietnam overall. This can range from how you’re supported during your onboarding process, the hourly rate that you are offered, and the location you end up teaching and living in. At the same time, it’s worth your while to seek a teaching English position that offers professional development.
Having continuous opportunities for professional growth and development will allow you to grow as a teacher, as you improve your skills and teaching methods. Doing so may open up future doors for you, eventually resulting in promotions to Head Teacher positions or management positions. The opportunities are endless!
One way of ensuring you have access to the schools that will support you through a smooth on-boarding process, and will help you maintain optimal teaching practices, is to invest in a high quality TEFL or TESOL certification. With a high quality TEFL or TESOL certification, you will be more likely to receive higher hourly rates, and have access to desirable teaching locations, even starting out with teaching English in Vietnam.
Additionally, while this qualification will give you a boost in the first stages of teaching English in Vietnam, different schools will have pay scales which allow them to increase the salary you earn as you gain more and more teaching experience.
In general, you will find that after a year or two’s worth of teaching experience under your belt, you will become eligible for higher hourly rates. This could allow you to start to earn over $2,000 a month!
Reputable Schools in Vietnam
A good reputable school, such as the ones we work with here in Vietnam, is a good option option if you’re a native speaker, hold a bachelors degree and a TEFL as they will offer you a good number of hours (15 – 25 / week) as well as sponsor your visa and pay on time etc.
Teaching English in Vietnam Salary Possibilities
When it comes to teaching English in Vietnam, after a few years of teaching you may find you have reached the maximum limit of the hourly rate pay scales. While a teaching English in Vietnam salary offers a very comfortable lifestyle, some may wish to earn even more after 3-5 years of teaching experience. At this point, teachers may seek different kinds of working opportunities within the education field in Vietnam.
One popular route is to move from direct English teaching into management positions within the same company. Many management positions can start from a salary of about $2,500 per month. This position varies from place to place but may involve anything from managing entire English centers in Vietnam, recruiting and managing new teachers specifically, handling a team of other teachers, to providing training and professional development coaching. This would fall under the category of General Management positions.
On the other hand, you also can opt for Academic Management roles. This position will have more to do with the academic side of the English center business, where you focus more on curriculum and syllabus developments. After having taught as an English teacher in Vietnam for several years, teachers will be in a unique position to occupy Academic Management roles precisely because of all the knowledge and insight obtained through teaching English in the classroom.
The great thing is that the industry for teaching English in Vietnam is growing at a rapid rate at the moment. There are many new English centers and the timeline between teaching and getting into a management position is become shorter, depending on where you work and what the needs of the company are. In fact, we’ve already had several of our Ninja Teacher TEFL course alumni getting hired into management positions over the last few years.
Many companies prefer to hire in-house, since teachers will be intimately familiar with the work environment and the curriculum, so if you work for a company, they’ll look at you first for these positions. Plus, if your school offers regular professional development opportunities, they will often offer you management courses that you can take which will grant you further access into management positions.
Other Opportunities for Growth while Teaching English in Vietnam
Upward mobility within the industry of teaching English in Vietnam is very flexible and obtainable. There are other specializations you can consider after some years of experience teaching English in Vietnam. Teacher training is one option, while another is moving into the world of test preparation.
For those of you who don’t know, universities in Vietnam – and around the world – require students from non-English speaking countries to obtain a certain level in tests designed to determine their level of proficiency in English speaking, listening, writing and reading.
One of the most popular and commonly used tests is the IELTS test – the International English Language Testing System. English Teaching in Vietnam regularly allows teachers to specifically teach IELTS classes to students, while many teachers opt for private IELTS teaching. By learning how to prepare students for the IELTS test – and other English proficiency tests – you can start to make more money at work, or on the side. Eventually, you can become an examiner for the official IELTS test, or others like the Cambridge tests.
Believe it or not, there are even more opportunities for growth. Teaching English in Vietnam at universities is also an increasingly popular avenue. This is possible for TEFL and TESOL certificate holders.
At the same time, there is teaching at International Schools. Now, the requirements for English Teaching at International Schools are more stringent, as they require teachers to have a PGCE – a post-graduate certificate in education – and also at least two years of experience. The PGCE is a 1-year course that results in a teaching license, so it does require more time and investment to obtain. However, once you start working at International Schools you can typically earn well over $2,500 a month, as a starting salary. After obtaining some experience, your salary can go up even more, to over $3,000 a month, depending on the International School you work at. Working in the International School industry means you can also teach at International Schools around the world.
Conclusion: The Future is Bright when Teaching English in Vietnam
Overall teaching English in Vietnam offers some nice flexibility for teaching hours.
You can have a lot of free time, or save a lot, or something in between!
With the power of compound interest and saving every month, English teachers are in a pretty good position to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle, professional development opportunities and the ability to save money! It all comes down to a quality TEFL qualification.
So! If you’re interested in teaching English in Vietnam, and the teaching English in Vietnam salary, then check out the TEFL qualification course we offer at ninjateacher.com. We help out new teachers with everything that you need to get started teaching English in Vietnam, including pre-departure support in-country, to TEFL training and helping teachers find a job. If you’re interested in teaching English in 2023 in Vietnam now is a really good time to get in contact with us.
Also, if you’d like to learn more about living and teaching English in Vietnam, check out our YouTube channel too and subscribe for regular videos. Also, stay tuned here for future blog posts on other topics that will help shed more light on teaching English in Vietnam!