How much does an English teacher make in Japan?

An English teacher in a public high school in the US can make 2-3 times what the JET program pays.

The US high schools don't have JET programs for the assistant teacher, not a teacher. It is a good program for young people to experience living in Japan for a couple of years. Not just about the money. I met some who were happy with their experiences. Benefits on top of pay.

An English teacher in a public high school in the US can make 2-3 times what the JET program pays.

That might be true, but what I learn as an English Teacher in Japan was and still is, is it's not what you make that really matters. It's what you KEEP in the end that does. For example, first, the cost of living in the US is far more expensive than in many parts of Japan. Second, what's the tax rate in the US? Third, does your employment pay for your transportation?

I know teachers have insurance in the US, but how much do you pay out of pocket and for prescriptions in the US? Many things are relative.

JETs are definitely overpaid for what they do. When I first started teaching at a junior/senior high school, I was at 240,00 yen a month (before taxes), with little benefits (half of what JETs got). At that time, I also didn't have much of medical benefits, either. Yet, I was teaching without an assistant teacher.

The race to the bottom continues.

In my area of Japan, almost all the ALTs are from Nepal and the Phillipines.

It's weird to here kids pronouncing "Thursday" as "Tursday", just like a Nepali. Of course, the schools couldn't care less; they just want to farm out English "teaching" to the lowest bidder.

The English Industrial Complex of Japan. Ask yourself if you can think of a single industry in the world that puts so much time, resources and energy in, only to produce such low and pitiful results at the end of the process. Engrish levels in Japan are still atrocious, and yep, getting worse! Just hope to god Elon musk never decides to ‘have a look’ at it! The department of English efficiency . Doee! That would be brutal.

Here kids instead of the correct hear, writes the dunce disparaging Nepali English teachers.

I read that air traffic controllers in the US earn similar to J-English teachers, which is a shame for such an exacting, stressful job.

Good luck finding quality native teachers anymore. This salary is the same as 20-30 years ago. Is unbelievable how they kept it the same, even if everything else doubled and tripped since then.

@Ricky--while your last example is indeed simple, at least it is a full sentence with all English words. A bigger communication problem would be throwing in references to pro-yakyu, the common nomenclature for the rarely used NPB.

The US high schools don't have JET programs for the assistant teacher, not a teacher. It is a good program for young people to experience living in Japan for a couple of years. Not just about the money. I met some who were happy with their experiences. Benefits on top of pay.

This article is about the money.

Japanese schools don't offer teacher positions at 3 times the pay as the JET Programme for people from the US, UK, Australia et al.

Teach in a public school in the US. Make more in 6 months that what JET pays in aa year. Take your two month summer vacation and spend it in Japan. You'll be happy with the money.

Think about it. Make more than twice the pay, get three times as much days off.

The bell you heard was the Pavlovian signal to go join your company calisthenics. Do not miss any inane group activity or the office do-gooders will add to your personnel file to reach their daily quota of backstabbing before lunch/naptime.

iknowall

Today 09:51 am JST

The US high schools don't have JET programs for the assistant teacher, not a teacher. It is a good program for young people to experience living in Japan for a couple of years. Not just about the money. I met some who were happy with their experiences. Benefits on top of pay.

> This article is about the money.

Yes and about English teachers, here in Japan.

Anyway you think all English teachers here (the native speakers at least or just Americans) qualify to the position you mentioned?

An English teacher in a public high school in the US can make 2-3 times what the JET program pays.

If you have a teaching license issued by a Japanese university you can also make 2-3 times what the JET program pays.

The English level in Japan is horrendous because of the teaching system in general.

The majority of Japanese teachers actually barely speak English.

The majority of foreign teachers, whose main skill is more often than not simply "being native of the US/UK/Aus", are not actual teachers, just dudes who speak English. (How could they explain grammatical rules when they barely know them themselves?)

So the students are basically left to fend off for themselves.

The very insular culture doesn't help at all, of course, but this is gradually changing thanks the Internet. Young Japanese people are now infinitely more exposed to English content than their parents were.

Despite the name, the JET program is more about introducing young students in Japan to foreigners and foreign cultures. English & English learning is just a part of that.

Many kids have never interacted with a foreigner until meeting their schools JET/ALT teachers.

Many are enthusiastic about the opportunity. Many great times and experiences can be had.

But it all comes with caveats.

How skillful is the JET at communicating, relating to others? Do they have the ability to empathize with young people? Are they confident enough to be self-motivated, organized and have a strong desire to learn? Are they at least a little knowledgeable about components of the English language? And much more depending on locations - regional or urban, school policies, school heads, helpful kind staff, etc etc.

The salary incl all the mentioned benefits for JETs is usually fairly commensurate with their qualifications. Most are fresh out of college/uni and have little work experience in education.

Yes and about English teachers, here in Japan.

Yes, and many of those English teachers here, in Japan, come from there, in the US, where they can earn much higher pay---teaching English.

If you have a teaching license issued by a Japanese university you can also make 2-3 times what the JET program pays.

No--in fact, it is not uncommon for starting Japanese licensed teachers to make less than JET participants.

English ability still poor here in general sadly. Those salaries are shocking, especially the lowest ones that would mean a very frugal existence and living in a tiny place.

I guess the Americans and others who are here in Japan for whatever reason want to be here rather than in their own countries just like many of the JT posters. The added benefit there are no mass shootings in Japanese schools.

No--in fact, it is not uncommon for starting Japanese licensed teachers to make less than JET participants.

I make ￥600,000 per month. I made less than half that prior to obtaining my teaching license.

I make ￥600,000 per month. I made less than half that prior to obtaining my teaching license.

Great but as I mentioned above starting Japanese licensed teachers

You obviously are not a starting licensed teacher if you were previously an unlicensed teacher.

At the same time, the pay for a first year licensed teacher in Japan can be as low as 250,000JPY a month.

￥600,000 per month is good cake in Japan, but working for JET you get about half that.

￥600,000 per month is good cake in Japan

Yes, and as mentioned you CAN make that if you have a teaching license issued by a Japanese university ( a license from abroad is non-transferable). In most schools, it takes some time to be elevated to full-time status, despite having the same working hours. Such teachers are classified as part-time teachers or 嘱託 shokutaku, who are a step up, with more duties and higher remuneration but are still not considered “full-time” teachers.

Just done a quick messaging to an English teacher lady I know in S'hai. TEFL?? +BA+20ys local there, ~equiv USD4,500 /mth. lower rates equiv 2.5K.

Nb; S'hai is expensive and got prov + national tax. She marry (correction) is married to an ex-work colleague of mine. S'hai is a nice place, but has it's own dialect. Tixi drivers do not u'stand canton or japan (good fun)

An English teacher in a public high school in the US can make 2-3 times what the JET program pays.

But I'm sure getting those jobs is not easy! Maybe coming to Japan and getting some work experience on your resume is better than taking a job at Starbucks!

My God.... Those salaries are the same or even lower than my brief but enjoyable stint in the classroom way back in 1989. I needed a visa so got a teaching job. I was making about ¥400,000 a month working 4 days a week. That was considerably more ( almost double) what newly hired graduates were getting in the UK. As others have said, it can be rewarding in other ways than cash. I even carried on for a couple of years after my exceedingly generous trust fund kicked in. But I cannot see why anyone would do the job for those salaries today. How do they even live on ¥230,000 a month? Is that even legal?

I did it, enjoyed it, and it served its purpose.

If you struggle to learn Japanese (no shame in that) and actually like teaching Japanese people, I suppose you could easily end up doing it for years and years. In that situation, you should start your own school or get qualified and aim to get a better job. Otherwise that low salary will just go on and on. If you have passive income from assets, an inheritance etc. it won't matter, but you might struggle if you don't. Life seems to be increasingly about what passive income or side hustles you have, because many jobs don't pay much compared to the cost of living.

JETs are definitely overpaid for what they do

That is true. There is a limit to their contracts (5 years max) so after that their income will drop if they try the dispatch company route. The average salary in Japan is about 380 000 a month. Most English teaching job pay well below that so it a low paid job. I do think dispatch company teachers are underpaid up to 20 000 a month. Most of these teachers are not trained teachers so the schools shouldn't be expecting too much. If they want to get trained teachers they need to pay them accordingly.

It's interesting but little wonder Japan is getting English teachers from countries such as Nepal and Philippines. The main issue is salary. Starting salaries for direct contract English teachers are almost identical to what I received 38 years ago. With inflation and little support from the schools it's little wonder that traditional English teachers from UK, Australia, and the USA are reluctant to even consider a job here. In Tokyo I can't see how you could survive on such a low salary.

When I arrived, the yen was strong, and the bubble was at full surge. We still had a month off or so and a free apartment. They didn't bother to sign up anyone for pension or health insurance (not mandatory at the time) and you could enjoy your holidays from your earnings. Not so today.

Having said that, it's a chance to get your feet wet and more importantly make future connections for work.

My company promised classes at the local office and then dispatched me out to a university three days a week never once mentioned in the contract. I stuck it out and parlayed my MA TESOL into a university career that lasted 35 years. For those seeking a two-year holiday English teaching will not be the choice it once was. I suspect the adage is true, you get what you pay for. The English business here has always been exploitive of both students and teachers. Take a job on your own terms or just stay home and find something else to do with your life.

Yes, and as mentioned you CAN make that if you have a teaching license issued by a Japanese university

In fact, the license is not issued by universities but by prefectures or designated cities.

way back in 1989.

Hmm. Yes, things have changed since your brief stint way back then.

Keep in mind that the average starting salary in Japan for a university graduate is a poverty wage of ¥230,000 per month.

That is literally how much somebody with a "useful" degree gets paid for 1 week in North America.

That is literally how much somebody with a "useful" degree gets paid for 1 week in North America.

Yes, it is. Where the cost of living- rents and such- is beyond the means of those making even four times your poverty wages paid to Japanese uni grads.

@@Japan Glimpsed

Not really. The medium price for a house in Dallas is $394,000 and $400,000 in Charlotte and in a major city like Chicago the medium price in less than $350,000. In Kansas city with a metro population of over 1.5 million and an unemployment rate below 4%, which is considered 0% the average home price runs around $230,000.

A house in Denver still costs less than $600,000.

Poor people do not represent the "average American," except on CNN.

Bless Aaron, he's trying but doesn't really know.: 29 man a month is the average only if you include university instructors, a minority. Aaron, consider this: many ALTs are now fiscal year appointees and receive a base salary of 250,000 before taxes.

When I got here in 2001, I made 10k US a month working 40 hrs a week, commuting 20 hours. That schedule sucked so I started working 22 hrs a week for $3500 a month. Those were the days when ALTs didn’t have to suffer through the day when they didn’t have classes to teach. I went in, did my 2 or 3 classes, then went home. Those days are gone, thanks to interac. Glad I’m out of that.

In fact, the license is not issued by universities but by prefectures or designated cities.

upon completion of a teachers' certification course at a Japanese university

https://english.rikkyo.ac.jp/campuslife/certification/education.html

Yes, and as mentioned you CAN make that if you have a teaching license issued by a Japanese university ( a license from abroad is non-transferable).

You can't if you are a Japanese licensed teacher who graduated from college that first year.

But I'm sure getting those jobs is not easy! Maybe coming to Japan and getting some work experience on your resume is better than taking a job at Starbucks!

It is easier to get hired as a teacher by a public school in the US than to get accepted into the JET Program. Public schools nationwide recruit heavily because of a teacher shortage.

You can't if you are a Japanese licensed teacher who graduated from college that first year.

No, but your salary will double once you become a full-time teacher. If you graduate at 24, then you could be making double what you make by 30.

You can't if you are a Japanese licensed teacher who graduated from college that first year.

Not only will your salary double, but you will be allotted 35 paid holidays per annum, above and beyond the 15 national holidays, bringing your paid days off to 50, almost 2 full months. As of 5 years ago MEXT has also made it mandatory that teachers are allotted 2 days off a week. Our school offers a week day which differs each year, and Sunday. Overtime has also been drastically reduced as we are now remotely monitored and have to sign in digitally. This means meetings that once went to 7 or 8 pm are now over at 5. On top of that we get a retirement package of around $150,000. All this and an exceptionally good work environment where kids practically sing good morning to you and the time flies due to all the various events and seasonal activities that make it far less mundane than a typical office or labour job.

No, but your salary will double once you become a full-time teacher. If you graduate at 24, then you could be making double what you make by 30.

Yes, I totally agree.

I am only saying, in this economy, if a first year university graduate were considering the JET program, I recommend teach in the US for the first year or two, and then come to Japan in some capacity--or visit for two months each summer. With the result being after those 2 years that person would have earned what would take 5 years to earn in the JET program.

if a first year university graduate were considering the JET program, I recommend teach in the US for the first year or two, and then come to Japan in some capacity--or visit for two months each summer.

Sure, good advice. To become a full-time teacher in Japan requires being able to read and write at a high school level as all courses in the Ed. program are in Japanese, including hand-written writing assignments. It took me 15 years of diligent study before I could apply. So, yes...It's not for everyone and it takes a monumental commitment. That said...the topic at hand is what teachers make in Japan. Perhaps it should be titled "What ALTs or Eikaiwa teachers make" in Japan.