Korea
Korea is one of the best countries to teach English in. The pay is one of the highest in the world, the jobs are abundant, and the benefits are really good. There are a lot of young people here and is the major destination for young people looking to teach English after college. Teaching in Korea is something done by a lot of people who are looking to take a year or two off after college.
Basic Korea Information: Korea is a great country to teach English in. Living expenses here are pretty low. Working conditions, like anywhere you teach English, can be really great or really bad in Korea. Many times the language schools in Korea don’t keep their promises. However, Korea has a pretty good labor board that allows you to complain and get some justice if things don’t go right.
The Korean culture is pretty strict and working in Korea can be a good experience but you might have a hard time getting vacation or sick time.
Salaries in Korea: Teaching jobs in Korea pay over $2,400 USD (or more) a month and come with a free round trip air ticket, free housing, 50% medical, and a one month bonus at the end of the contract. With a little experience or a little luck, you might also land a job paying closer to $3,000 USD a month. On average, a teacher walks away with around $20,000 USD after one year.
New teachers tend to make about 2.1 million Won per month if you find the job on a teaching board. If you come in with more credentials, you can begin at about 2.6 million Won.
Job Requirements for Korea: You will need a BA from a university and a TEFL degree in order to teach English. Experience is not required though. If you are a certified teacher, you are guaranteed a job.
Visa Rules for Korea: The country recently changed their visa rules and have made the application process more time consuming. Teachers now need to be interviewed in their home country, go through a criminal background check, and pass a physical. You’ll need to get a letter of employment and apply for the visa in your home country. They don’t give work visas for teaching English outside of your native country.
