Teaching English Hanoi - Hourly rate

Around $ 20 to $ 25

If they Have a degree or previous teaching 25-30 usd per hr
If they have no degree ,but more than 3 years teaching TEFL 23-27 usd per hr
If they are a backpacker 16-20 usd per hr
If from a non Native speaking country 12-18 per hr

Thanks a lot. Somebody was trying to fob me off with USD 20 /hr when I knew that USD 30 /hr was applicable to my experience and qualifications.

20 per hour is ok if you need the work , but that rate doesn't not include extra duties like giving tests , writing reports . But you should ask for payment after every class or every 2 weeks for that low rate.

Why is it that 90% of the people who use this site are prepared to ask pointless questions and yet provide nothing in return?

An excellent answer from travworld - but why would he waste his time answering a question when the author tells us that he/she already knows their worth.  It is obvious what the hourly rate of pay is just by accessing any website offering English Teaching jobs.  Down here in Hue I am being paid $12 an hour - that seems to be the going rate for casual labour - and I am a FULLY QUALIFIED UK TEACHER with years of experience.  But in return for my $12 per hour I offer no commitment, no promises of long term work  and I am free to work as and when I want to.

Can we please try and keep ExPat for ExPats - not for free-loaders who want someone else to do all the hard work for them.  We all make mistakes and learn from them.  We start at the bottom and work our way up.

ExPats ought to be a place for SHARING information that people may not know about - a new restaurant, a group meeting, a planned getaway or day activity. It ought to be there for the benefit of its members.

$20 an hour is too much if you are casual labour - think yourself lucky, accept it pro-tem and go from there.
and perhaps even have the courtesy of providing feedback in a week or two as to what was the outcome.
But if you know your worth then attend a few more interviews and you will find out your true worth.  To that school you are worth $20 - it is not  scam it is their assessment of what it will cost them to find someone to provide the services they require.  It is up to you whether you believe yourself worthy of loftier responsibilities and rewards.

Don't whine, do your own homework - it takes 2 minutes and you only have yourself to blame.

Thanks travworld for making the 2 minute sacrifice of your time that someone else ought to have made - good on you (assuming your advice is correct - of which I have no idea)

sorry, I am tpp lazy tooo cheeck this message for its contemp - I leaf it up two you too sort it out.

Oh dear, what can the matter be....

I will pass on my hours of research.
Monthly salary $1800 (max) $21,600pa
hours worked 20 pw (averaging) 90 hours per month
Divide the 2 gives us - oh look at that - $20 per month
some people are definitely worth more and most are definitely worth less.
Only you and the interviewer know which category you will belong to.

or in reverse
20 hours pw x $35 = $3000pm or $36400pa
which is likely more than ANY teacher (proper teachers) in the top International schools earn.

Yep, my advice is: 
MOST DEFINITELY DO NOT ACCEPT LESS THAN $35 per hour
Because you're worth it!
It quite possibly being ZERO

12 per hour is usually the rate when doing free lance teaching in the smaller cities of Vietnam , you will often find the rate to me 12-15 usually .

My life changing decision
.
I will be moving to Hanoi, Vietnam in early June, and the plan is to hopefully retire here in another 5 years.
After much research, its time to make the move and just go. I'm feeling excited and scared all at the same time. Lol.
I have experience working with young learners and hold a Tesol certificate. However I'm not sure if getting a job teaching English will be easy as I will be sixty years old in May. I don't look my age, and certainly don't feel it. Lol. Healthy, fit and ready to go.  I know ageism exists every where, and wondered what your views where on this?

I joined Expat.com to make friends,learn and share experiences. 

Susie55

Hi sussie55.
I am a 66 year old male (females usually preferred) and with NO EFL qualification.
I started my FIRST job teaching English 2 weeks ago - in Hue, Vietnam.
Hanoi appear desperate for teachers - but as I mentioned earlier it depends upon what you think it/you are worth.
To me $12 per hour is a lot better than your feared scenario of zilch.
Having obtained a job and experience one can go from there =- the hardest job is the first job - both to find and to teach.  If however you need to be full time AND well paid then you OF COURSE you will come low in the pecking order as there are always plenty of others who already have that vital experience of living in Hanoi and already have a teaching track record.  Probably starting part-time, cash non-contract and working for several schools you'll soon be picked up by a school which values your talents.
Many teachers start in Hanoi or HO Chi Minh (greatest demand) and then move elsewhere to escape the noise and pollution
I am currently tempted to move TO Hanoi or Saigon in order to join the rat-race at the bottom.  I suspect we have similarities as I have spent 2 years wondering whether I could/should train to become an EFL teacher. I fell into my present job - I had recently been been a full-time QUALIFIED UK teacher (a proper teacher!) teaching MATHS in a Vietnamese school.   When that job came to an end I applied for various EFL jobs in the DaNang/HoiAn/Hue region and was offered several jobs - which I declined because there weren't enough hours.  I now realise I ought to have accepted a half reasonable post and built it (or several) up from there.  DaNang is oversupply and consequently low pay - why, well thsat's because everyone in Vietnam wants to be in Danang for its slightly milder and more accommodating climate with lovely sea breezes.

Why am I writing all this  because you should have stopped reading and instead already be packing your bags and booking the tickets.
I'll be up to Hanoi for a spell (or even a job - interviews pending) and I'll let you buy me a coffee.
In advance I say welcome to Vietnam - nothing can go wrong. Worst case scenario is that you spend a bit of your savings and eventually return home with some wonderful experiences.
Come and join us - your age brings experience and wisdom which is more important than a bit of arthritis or dementia.  Anyway, you say you ARE coming so presumably you are just looking for re-assurance.  Yes, Come to Vietnam, although of course we do not know if you are running way from something else or whether you come to us with encumbrances.  Not to worry - just come.  I'd say we are all misfits - otherwise we'd behave like everyone else!

By all means send me a private message if you want to ask more personal questions specific to yourself and less useful to all the others who read these blogs

Hi there,
Thank you for taking the time to write, and yes bags are almost packed and visa completed. Ya. I leave work at the end of May and will be spending some time catching up with my son and some friends. I leave for Vietnam on the 9th of June.
I do feel better since I reading your reply and I did put it out there, rather then having a nagging worry that you keep to yourself. Love positive people.
Running away from the safety net is great, I can't wait to start this new adventure and learn a new language and culture.
I think I do owe you a cup of coffee, lol. Thanks again.
Susie55

pilotadamp wrote:

Can anybody tell me what is the normal hourly rate for an experienced TEFL teacher in Hanoi ?

I see Pilotadamp wasn't impressed with my solution to his difficulties of 'net worth'
I invited a follow up email to inform us of progress towards his salary ($30/35 per hour)

Please, having read the advice of other seasoned ExPatters, report back on how the search is going.

How can you teach for 12-15 and still come out of the country every 3 months

heliopolis1 wrote:

Why is it that 90% of the people who use this site are prepared to ask pointless questions and yet provide nothing in return?

An excellent answer from travworld - but why would he waste his time answering a question when the author tells us that he/she already knows their worth.  It is obvious what the hourly rate of pay is just by accessing any website offering English Teaching jobs.  Down here in Hue I am being paid $12 an hour - that seems to be the going rate for casual labour - and I am a FULLY QUALIFIED UK TEACHER with years of experience.  But in return for my $12 per hour I offer no commitment, no promises of long term work  and I am free to work as and when I want to.

Can we please try and keep ExPat for ExPats - not for free-loaders who want someone else to do all the hard work for them.  We all make mistakes and learn from them.  We start at the bottom and work our way up.

ExPats ought to be a place for SHARING information that people may not know about - a new restaurant, a group meeting, a planned getaway or day activity. It ought to be there for the benefit of its members.

$20 an hour is too much if you are casual labour - think yourself lucky, accept it pro-tem and go from there.
and perhaps even have the courtesy of providing feedback in a week or two as to what was the outcome.
But if you know your worth then attend a few more interviews and you will find out your true worth.  To that school you are worth $20 - it is not  scam it is their assessment of what it will cost them to find someone to provide the services they require.  It is up to you whether you believe yourself worthy of loftier responsibilities and rewards.

Don't whine, do your own homework - it takes 2 minutes and you only have yourself to blame.

Thanks travworld for making the 2 minute sacrifice of your time that someone else ought to have made - good on you (assuming your advice is correct - of which I have no idea)

sorry, I am tpp lazy tooo cheeck this message for its contemp - I leaf it up two you too sort it out.

Because he already asked in Dave's esl and the members there said the exact same thing you're saying. So he ran over here just like the other New poster(racism and ageism in getting a job) did.

travworld wrote:

How can you teach for 12-15 and still come out of the country every 3 months

I just chucked working for $12 for 5-10 hours per week - it just wasn't worth the aggro.
I do have a small UK pension which will keep me alive until I find  better job.
I shall be leaving Vietnam within 3 weeks as my visa expires.
Question is - do I bother to return to Vietnam?

Is there any news yet from the agent provocateur pilotadamp who said he is worth $35 per hour?

Hello everybody.  I'm vietnamese, but my husband is Singaporean.  We are stay at VN and looking for a job. Can u help my husband to get a job as English teacher in Hanoi?  Thanks.

YES - I set up my own English Centre and it is thriving!  Hard work writing all the courses, but very enjoyable.

Focus on listening and speaking, not grammar.

All the best...

It's is between $20 to $25 per hour If you are female , native(white) from US, UK,etc.

Since when does "native" mean white ?
So crass!

pilotadamp wrote:

Since when does "native" mean white ?
So crass!

hongma's reference was to Native English speakers.
The poster left out 'English' in their sentence.
And Native English speaker is a common term used in ESL job advertising.
As the owner of an English centre,I thought you may have understood the meaning even though it was incomplete.

A native English speaker is not "white" and the word "white" should not be included in the post.
Come to the UK (where English originates from) and you will find a multiplicty of different coloured people who are native English speakers!

pilotadamp wrote:

A native English speaker is not "white" and the word "white" should not be included in the post.
Come to the UK (where English originates from) and you will find a multiplicty of different coloured people who are native English speakers!

I was in Greenford not long ago.

And in all my walking around there,I was the only White person there.


So what you write must be true because most of the storefronts had English writing on them.

Absoulte rubbish - everybody knows that London is probably the most diversed and multicultural city in Europe.

Anyway, no time for your nonsensical waffle...

pilotadamp wrote:

Absoulte rubbish - everybody knows that London is probably the most diversed and multicultural city in Europe.

Anyway, no time for your nonsensical waffle...

Thank God the Labour party didn't get in, it would have been more than just " Multicultural ". Hope Cameron has the balls to do what he's been saying.

Before we get too far off topic, lets get back on topic please which is ' Teaching English Hanoi - hourly rate'.

Another way for you to get an idea on the hourly rate is through The New Hanoian for those intending to go to Hanoi. It pays more to do private lessons. Most white people will get a job teaching but I am not sure whether it's sustainable to live on for many years. I've seen elderly white folks trying to get by in Hanoi and it seemed Vietnam is a place where dreams come to die.

Correct. That's a good idea.

" Hanoi Massive " is another busy site, many " teachers " of all nationalities. " Hagwon Blacklist " for dodgy schools ( but mainly Korean and Chinese ).

i think 20 usd is fair enough for someone who has done a one month TEFL course, unless there is an expectation of lots of marking and writing reports etc - and the big language schools (Apollo etc) seem to pay about that.  i think international schools are more likely to employ teachers with a B Ed or PGCE so they probably get more

philip983 wrote:

i think 20 usd is fair enough for someone who has done a one month TEFL course, unless there is an expectation of lots of marking and writing reports etc - and the big language schools (Apollo etc) seem to pay about that.  i think international schools are more likely to employ teachers with a B Ed or PGCE so they probably get more

Have you had an experience working for Apollo?, they are always advertising for teachers, ( same with AMA, but they only pay $12 --$14 an hour, so it's not surprising  ).

My friend in Hanoi is in her sixties and gets plenty of teaching work in Hanoi both in a big language centre and private classes through people she meets at the gym. She says that many people she has met really value her patience and general pleasant demeanour (which she does have) I have heard (but do not know myself) that some schools look for younger, pretty teachers (like the teachers you sometimes see who dress like estate agents lol)..

To Bluenz - Yes, i worked for Apollo about 3 years ago (for a year) and I got about 18 usd after tax if i remember rightly. They were okay but had to work every Saturday and Sunday and I got fed up of that. I have heard now that there is more beaurocracy for the teachers - need to write more reports etc

philip983 wrote:

To Bluenz - Yes, i worked for Apollo about 3 years ago (for a year) and I got about 18 usd after tax if i remember rightly. They were okay but had to work every Saturday and Sunday and I got fed up of that. I have heard now that there is more beaurocracy for the teachers - need to write more reports etc

I heard about horrific stories from Apollo but FWIW, GLN (or JOLO) is much worse - trying to forcefully take the passport, nonpayment of salaries and promised flights. I think English teaching in Hanoi is fine as long as you are just passing through the city. If you have long term plans then perhaps invest it's better to invest in higher qualifications (a related Master's Degree from an overseas university for example) as sometimes the drama of these English centres are really not worth the aggravation and move towards working to working for international schools instead. That is if you really wanna base yourself out of Vietnam.

xxxriainxxx wrote:

philip983 wrote:

To Bluenz - Yes, i worked for Apollo about 3 years ago (for a year) and I got about 18 usd after tax if i remember rightly. They were okay but had to work every Saturday and Sunday and I got fed up of that. I have heard now that there is more beaurocracy for the teachers - need to write more reports etc

I heard about horrific stories from Apollo but FWIW, GLN (or JOLO) is much worse - trying to forcefully take the passport, nonpayment of salaries and promised flights. I think English teaching in Hanoi is fine as long as you are just passing through the city. If you have long term plans then perhaps invest it's better to invest in higher qualifications (a related Master's Degree from an overseas university for example) as sometimes the drama of these English centres are really not worth the aggravation and move towards working to working for international schools instead. That is if you really wanna base yourself out of Vietnam.

Thanks XXX, this why there needs to be a Website dedicated to dodgy schools in VN, other countries, i.e, China and Korea have them, especially now with English being made compulsory in VN Public schools , ( if they're lucky enough to even have an English teacher ), the amount of English Language Centres has exploded, ( if my little city is any indication ). Too often a new teacher signs a contract and is practically had to ransom by it. The Center shouldn't become your sponsor while you're in VN, the Govt should be, that way if you have any complaints, you sort it out with them, not the Center. I wouldn't think the Centers would be very happy with this idea though?

Anyone and everyone who's lived in VN know this. You would need to grease more than a few hands to have your disputes heard that you will just have to give up and leave. VN laws are there to protect its own citizens so don't expect help as a foreigner.

xxxriainxxx wrote:

VN government is terribly bureaucratic. Anyone and everyone who's lived in VN know this. You would need to grease more than a few hands to have your disputes heard that you will just have to give up and leave. VN laws are there to protect its own citizens so don't expect help as a foreigner.

That's where actually living here, and not just visiting has it advantages, it you live here, you will know many people, and the more people you know, the less chance of having to grease any palms. ( Not even a VN likes anyone to know they are corrupt ( unless they're at the top of the ladder, then they don't give a F*#k what anyone thinks about anything they do ).

bluenz wrote:

xxxriainxxx wrote:

VN government is terribly bureaucratic. Anyone and everyone who's lived in VN know this. You would need to grease more than a few hands to have your disputes heard that you will just have to give up and leave. VN laws are there to protect its own citizens so don't expect help as a foreigner.

That's where actually living here, and not just visiting has it advantages, it you live here, you will know many people, and the more people you know, the less chance of having to grease any palms. ( Not even a VN likes anyone to know they are corrupt ( unless they're at the top of the ladder, then they don't give a F*#k what anyone thinks about anything they do ).

I did live there for 3 years but it's just too much of a hassle. Our work visas for example don't move forward unless at least 500USD is paid under the table. In a labour dispute, we escalated it to the Labour Ministry and they pretty much they sat on it. We went to one of the offices and one of the bosses is eating while reviewing the complaint papers. It's really crazy and anyone who's considering of moving there for good needs to think about this. It's not as romantic as it is.

xxxriainxxx wrote:

bluenz wrote:

xxxriainxxx wrote:

VN government is terribly bureaucratic. Anyone and everyone who's lived in VN know this. You would need to grease more than a few hands to have your disputes heard that you will just have to give up and leave. VN laws are there to protect its own citizens so don't expect help as a foreigner.

That's where actually living here, and not just visiting has it advantages, it you live here, you will know many people, and the more people you know, the less chance of having to grease any palms. ( Not even a VN likes anyone to know they are corrupt ( unless they're at the top of the ladder, then they don't give a F*#k what anyone thinks about anything they do ).

I did live there for 3 years but it's just too much of a hassle. Our work visas for example don't move forward unless at least 500USD is paid under the table. In a labour dispute, we escalated it to the Labour Ministry and they pretty much they sat on it. We went to one of the offices and one of the bosses is eating while reviewing the complaint papers. It's really crazy and anyone who's considering of moving there for good needs to think about this. It's not as romantic as it is.

I know many teachers and I've never heard of any of them, ( or myself ) having to pay anything extra to renew a Work permit, ( always ask for LONG term contracts, unfortunately now only 2 yrs ), Maybe being married to a VN is also an advantage there?  I think the Center you were working for was working a scam with someone in the Labour Dept???? And yes, VN is far from being anywhere near as romantic as some make it out to be.

I think some teachers in some centres are making a lot of money but doing an unbelievable amount of hours! I tend now to stick with short contracts and substitute teacher roles where u get paid on the day u work. It saves a lot of hassle and u have the feeling of being effectively self employed. If I was dependent on a salary and needed to earn 2000 usd a month (actually needed the money not just want lots of spending money) I think teaching is a quite hard life and nowhere near as 'rosy' as some suggest..