
Let me explain. How much does it cost to buy one tomato where you live in the west? What percentage is that of your salary? Do not be lazy and do the calculation!
Now go and play on the computer and choose the country you want to live and teach in....Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and so on. Do some work on finding out the cost of a tomato in your destination country and I can assure you that as a percentage it is far less than in your own country!
If you are a certified teacher with experience and you teach at a prestigious school in Asia you will probably get $3,000 a month plus some sort of compensation for your accommodations plus the costs incurred for getting a visa plus a "free" lunch every day in most schools and other incidental expenses which will be picked up by the school. Of course, they will also pay for your plane fare once every year. Ask for the money immediately so you can have some money to spend in the first month.
If you teach at a school that is western oriented but not as prestigious you might make $2,000 a month plus, plus, plus but that is also fine. You can live comfortably, especially if you want to live like a local. That is, eat local food, take public transportation, buy local clothes and so on...and by the way, why would you want to live any other way? You did not travel all the way to Asia to live like a westerner....did you?
If you are not a certified teacher, but an itinerant moving from country to country just working your way around Asia you will probably make $1,000 a month to teach English which is far above the national averages. If you live like a local you will be better than fine. A local would be hard pressed to make $300 a month.
I want to make clear I am not talking about scrimping and eating dog food every night. I am talking about living well but modestly travelling on week-ends and so on. If you just started reading my blog, look up earlier blog posts where I tell you what web sites are good for finding jobs in Asia.
If you go as a principal, you will make in the vicinity of $5,000 or $6,000 a month plus driver and so on. If you are well qualified, negotiate, negotiate, negotiate
to Mina who told me she" laughed and cried" when she read my novel It All Started in Mandalay.
and Ron who told me I write with such "passion about education that it should be required reading in each teachers' college. "
Please keep the notes and encouragement coming and if you need a motivation to go and work in Asia, read my book about ordinary teachers doing extraordinary things. Press this button for instructions on how to buy the book