Teach English in South Korea (2023)

FAQs

How much do you get paid to teach English in South Korea? ›

First-time English teachers in South Korea working in public schools through programs like EPIK typically earn monthly salaries between 1.5 to 3 million won ($1,150 - $2,650 USD). English teachers at private schools (Hagwons) earn from 1.9 to 2.4 million won ($1,600 - $2,000 USD) monthly.

Most foreigners working at public or private schools qualify for the school-sponsored E-2 visa. The E-2 visa will permit you to teach in South Korea for a year with a single entry.

To get hired to teach English in Korea, you will need a TEFL certificate and a 4-year college degree. You must acquire an E-2 teaching visa and be a native English speaker as well. Finally, you must have a clean national-level criminal record, and a clean health check and drug test.

Demand for English teachers in South Korea, including in Seoul, is high and still growing. Schools throughout the country will arrange and pay for both accommodations and airfare. They will also provide a generous salary, making it easy to send money home or put it away for travel.

South Korea is often regarded as one of the best places to teach English abroad. English teachers in Korea enjoy relatively high salaries, great benefits, and a high quality of life, especially those who teach with EPIK.

At times, it's challenging and depends on your co-teachers or boss. Get to know your kids and you'll eventually learn what they like, even if their English level is very low. There are going to be a lot of awkward moments when you're questioning whether or not the students will ever get what you're teaching.

Pros: If you choose to teach in South Korea, you'll likely be provided with free housing with furniture included. Cons: Age restrictions for teaching English overseas in South Korea begin at 65. Because this is the national retirement age, schools don't interview candidates after 65.

While one could technically teach English in Korea forever, it isn't something many people do for more than a few years. A lot of people who stay in Korea for more than 3-5 years tend to move up in their schools to higher positions.

Minimum monthly house rent in South Korea is around 300,000 KRW (250 USD) for a small officetel studio (5–8 pyeong). On average, however, expect to pay about 500,000 KRW (425 USD) per month for this type of accommodation in big cities.

Can I work in Korea without a degree? ›

Working in South Korea without a degree

It will be very difficult to find a job in South Korea without having a higher education qualification. It is necessary to have at least a bachelor with a few years of experience. However, you can try your luck with a working holiday visa (H-1).

Wondering if you can teach English in South Korea without a degree? The simple answer is, no, not legally. You need a special kind of visa, known as the E-2 Teaching Visa, to work as an English teacher in South Korea. Unfortunately, the only way to get one of these is with a bachelor's degree.

Luxembourg. According to an OECD report, Luxembourg (a European country) has the highest-paid teachers in the world. Another source indicates that a bachelor's degree holder is entitled to an initial salary of €67,000 (US $70,323.20) per annum at the start of their teaching career.

Do I need to have a degree to enroll in a TEFL course? For the vast majority of TEFL courses, you won't need to have your bachelor's degree to take the course. However, some countries and employers will not hire you without a degree.

Work hours are typically 30-35 hours a week and teachers earn a salary of 2 to 2.4 million Won per month and can earn more depending on experience. One thing to note, is that as English teacher at a hagwon you will get about 7-10 days vacation a year, which is less than public school jobs.

Because there is a high demand for English teachers in Korea, jobs are competitive and pay well. Many jobs also come with extra perks like free or subsidized accommodation, completion bonuses, free flights to/from Korea, and other allowances.

TEFL is not just for gap years and young people, it can be a legitimate way to change your career at any point, learning a plethora of new skills while taking your life in a new direction. Teaching is a thoroughly rewarding career, offering ways to develop yourself professionally as you progress.

The pay to teach English abroad varies, but you can expect to earn a decent salary. In top-paying countries, teachers can get paid a salary of anywhere from $2,000 to over $5,000 USD per month. Your TEFL salary will depend on your position, qualifications and the country you teach in.

How long is TEFL certification? ›

Typically, a fully accredited TEFL certification course will last anywhere from 4 weeks to 6 months. Shorter, 4-week long courses will generally run full-time (30-40 hours per week) and are very demanding.

Job Opportunities in South Korea for Foreigners

In addition to teaching English, other sectors where expats will find a lot of opportunities are in IT, general office administration jobs, manufacturing, and careers related to health, science, research, and technology.

Teachers are held in very high esteem in South Korea. They are generally treated with more respect than their American counterparts by their students and society and are addressed with the honorific term.

Are there any age restrictions for teaching English overseas? In general, there isn't an age limit for teacher job opportunities abroad. Even if you've never been in a classroom since your college days, that doesn't mean you can't consider teaching English abroad in your thirties.

68.6% of all esl teachers are women, while 31.4% are men. The average age of an employed esl teacher is 42 years old.

As a requirement for the E-2 Visa, English teachers going to Seoul must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited university. Koreans prefer North American accents, but anyone from any of the native English-speaking countries can find good positions.

To work in South Korea or stay there for longer than 90 days, you must get a visa before leaving your home country. There are different types of work visas depending on the type of job.

The Best Time To Apply For Public School Jobs

Almost all public schools in Korea hire their new teaching staff at the start of each semester, March 1st and September 1st (commonly referred to as the spring and fall hiring sessions).

The crime rate in South Korea is low. However, petty crime happens, especially in major cities such as Seoul and Busan. Watch your belongings. Travellers have reported sexual assaults, drink spiking and other violent crimes.

What is considered rich in Korea? ›

According to a survey conducted in South Korea in 2021, around 34.5 percent of millionaires surveyed stated that households with a minimum annual income of 500 million South Korean won or more can be perceived as rich. The threshold to be considered wealthy increased with the level of wealth of the respondents.

Luxembourg. According to an OECD report, Luxembourg (a European country) has the highest-paid teachers in the world. Another source indicates that a bachelor's degree holder is entitled to an initial salary of €67,000 (US $70,323.20) per annum at the start of their teaching career.

The national average salary in South Korea (2022)

The salaries in the country range from 983,000 KRW (819.46 USD), which is the lowest average, to 17,400,000 KRW (14,505.21 USD), the highest average.

To teach English in South Korea, you will need a bachelor's degree, a TEFL qualification and a clean background check. Some employers also require experience and native-English speaking teachers. The maximum age for teaching in South Korea at a public school is 62.

In general, you should expect to pay around 1.5–2.5 million KRW (130,000–215,000 USD) for a small apartment or a studio in Korea. Prices for bigger accommodation start at about 4 million KRW (340,000 USD).

Kim Beom-su, founder of Kakao, tops the Forbes richest list of Koreans in 2022 for the first time with a net worth of US$9.6 billion.

If you seek to get paid to live overseas in a foreign country while making a difference in the lives of others, then teaching English abroad is definitely worth it. You will challenge yourself, and grow as a person, while seeing and doings thing you never would have experienced otherwise.

What is the highest paid job in Korea? ›

The highest-paid job in 2021 is a corporate leader (CEO) who will make an average of about 140 million won(110,000 USD) per year.

Teaching English in Korea is the most popular job for foreigners. Because of the high demand, the requirement for ESL (English as a second language) teachers is immense. You can work for government public schools like EPIK, SMOE, GOE, GEPIK, TaLK, private centers (Hagwon), or even universities.

Pros: If you choose to teach in South Korea, you'll likely be provided with free housing with furniture included. Cons: Age restrictions for teaching English overseas in South Korea begin at 65. Because this is the national retirement age, schools don't interview candidates after 65.

On a national level, a family of four can expect to spend an average of 2,300,000 KRW per month (2,000 USD) in living expenses (excluding rent). A single expat can expect to pay 652,000 KRW (560 USD) per month (excluding rent).

While one could technically teach English in Korea forever, it isn't something many people do for more than a few years. A lot of people who stay in Korea for more than 3-5 years tend to move up in their schools to higher positions.