Salary for english teacher in china
There are many locations to teach in China. The majority of teachers tend to go to big cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Xian, etc. as these provide larger opportunities for expats to make more money. However, if you have a particular type of job that requires you to move from city to city or state to state, then there is no reason why you should not go teaching in China’s smaller cities and states. You are not just limited to the big cities when it comes to finding jobs in China.

If you’re looking to teach English in China, you’ll need to know how much you can expect to make. In this post, we’ll take a look at salary ranges for English teachers in China and what factors can influence your pay.
Salary Range for English Teachers in China
The range for salaries for English teachers in China is wide, with some earning as little as $20 per hour and others earning $50 or more per hour. There are a few factors that affect your salary: the location where you choose to work, the institution where you teach, and your own experience level.
Location Matters
The first factor that affects your salary is where you choose to work. The cost of living varies greatly across China. In cities like Beijing and Shanghai, which have high costs of living and higher salaries overall, it’s easier to find jobs that pay well than in smaller cities with lower costs of living. You may want to consider moving to a city like Beijing or Shanghai if you want higher pay than what’s available elsewhere in China.
Institution Matters
Another factor that affects your salary is the institution where you work. Public schools tend to offer lower salaries than private schools because they receive less funding from government sources; however public schools
Salary for english teacher in china
A person working as an English Teacher in China typically earns around 21,900 CNY per month. Salaries range from 11,400 CNY (lowest) to 33,500 CNY (highest).
This is the average monthly salary including housing, transport, and other benefits. English Teacher salaries vary drastically based on experience, skills, gender, or location. Below you will find a detailed breakdown based on many different criteria.
English Teacher Salary Distribution in China
The median, the maximum, the minimum, and the range
- Salary RangeEnglish Teacher salaries in China range from 11,400 CNY per month (minimum salary) to 33,500 CNY per month (maximum salary).
- Median SalaryThe median salary is 21,000 CNY per month, which means that half (50%) of people working as English Teacher(s) are earning less than 21,000 CNY while the other half are earning more than 21,000 CNY. The median represents the middle salary value. Generally speaking, you would want to be on the right side of the graph with the group earning more than the median salary.
- PercentilesClosely related to the median are two values: the 25th and the 75th percentiles. Reading from the salary distribution diagram, 25% of English Teacher(s) are earning less than 14,600 CNY while 75% of them are earning more than 14,600 CNY. Also from the diagram, 75% of English Teacher(s) are earning less than 26,100 CNY while 25% are earning more than 26,100 CNY.
English Teacher Salary Comparison by Years of Experience
How does experience and age affect your pay?
The experience level is the most important factor in determining the salary. Naturally the more years of experience the higher your wage. We broke down English Teacher salaries by experience level and this is what we found.
An English Teacher with less than two years of experience makes approximately 12,900 CNY per month.
While someone with an experience level between two and five years is expected to earn 17,300 CNY per month, 34% more than someone with less than two year’s experience.
Moving forward, an experience level between five and ten years lands a salary of 22,500 CNY per month, 30% more than someone with two to five years of experience.
Additionally, English Teacher(s) whose expertise span anywhere between ten and fifteen years get a salary equivalent to 27,300 CNY per month, 21% more than someone with five to ten years of experience.
If the experience level is between fifteen and twenty years, then the expected wage is 29,800 CNY per month, 9% more than someone with ten to fifteen years of experience.
Lastly, employees with more than twenty years of professional experience get a salary of 31,400 CNY per month, 5% more than people with fifteen to twenty years of experience.
English Teacher average salary change by experience in China
0 – 2 Years | 12,900 CNY | |
2 – 5 Years | +34% | 17,300 CNY |
5 – 10 Years | +30% | 22,500 CNY |
10 – 15 Years | +21% | 27,300 CNY |
15 – 20 Years | +9% | 29,800 CNY |
20+ Years | +5% | 31,400 CNY |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value
English Teacher Salary Comparison By Education
How do education levels affect salaries?
We all know that higher education equals a bigger salary, but how much more money can a degree add to your income? We broke down English Teacher salaries by education level in order to make a comparison.
When the education level is Bachelor’s Degree, the average salary of an English Teacher is 16,700 CNY per month.
While someone with a Master’s Degree gets a salary of 20,700 CNY per month, 24% more than someone having a Bachelor’s Degree degree.
A PhD gets its holder an average salary of 33,000 CNY per month, 60% more than someone with a Master’s Degree.
English Teacher average salary difference by education level in China
Bachelor’s Degree | 16,700 CNY | |
Master’s Degree | +24% | 20,700 CNY |
PhD | +60% | 33,000 CNY |
Percentage increase and decrease are relative to the previous value