There are many reasons people teach English abroad, for some it’s to escape a deadbeat job back home or gain some valuable life experience and for most it’s just because they want to explore the world. None of this can be done without money unfortunately and while all programs pay you more than enough to survive abroad, some definitely pay better than others! Not least among these is the Teach English in South Korea program, so let’s look at how you could be stashing away cash to pay off that student loan or take that next epic trip.

Some teachers that we placed in South Korea on a cultural orientation tour at the Gyeongbokgung Palace.

1. Great pay

While our Thailand and Vietnam programs are loads of fun, culturally enriching and pay you a living wage which will easily support backpacking through South East Asia, if you’re after visiting some of the pricier destinations in the region their pay may leave these a little out of reach.

South Korea by contrast offers some of the highest pay of all of our programs: you could earn as much as $2300 per month. This opens up a world of teaching and travel opportunities, making pricier destinations like Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and even those much further afield definite contenders for your bucket list; not to mention making South East Asia even more affordable and you’ll be able to do it in style!

2. Flights paid for

The uncomfortable truth is that with most teaching placements you’ll need to spend a fair bit to reach your destination, they are after all (mostly) on the other side of the world. The South Korean schools are pretty keen on attracting some of the best teachers in the world and so will reimburse you for the cost of your flight from wherever you are in the world. Oh, that’s within reason of course – so no sipping champagne in first-class I’m afraid, unless you’re paying!

Marek, an English teacher in front of his class. Our placements offer both public and private school options.

3. Free accommodation

As with anywhere in the world, in South Korea you could see a huge chunk of your salary going towards your rent, in some cities a 1 bedroom apartment rents out for as much as $900. Luckily with all of our placement options in the country (you can get placed almost anywhere from large metros to small towns in either public or private schools) you get accommodation provided for you adding an extra stack of cash to your pocket to use on things that matter most to you.

4. Paid leave

Compared to the backpacker magnates in Thailand and surrounds, working in South Korea is a slightly more serious job.  Where working at schools in Thailand gives you a lot of holiday time, that holiday time is unpaid. South Korea on the other hand offers real-job benefits such as paid leave so that you can explore the world, or pay a visit to your friends and family without losing out on a salary.

5. Bonus pay

Like I said, this is a real job and with real jobs come some real perks. When you complete a 12 month contract you get rewarded with an extra month’s pay, that means a 13th paycheque which will go nicely towards that trip to Japan you always envisioned!