Whenever I come across anyone who wants to make a decision to come and work in Ecuador, the commonest question I get from people is how much is an English teacher paid in Ecuador.
The salary for an English teacher ranges between 425$ to 2000$. This is determined by a number of factors among which include – whether you have a VISA or not(for foreigners), your level of English, your employer, your city of residence, type of institution you work for, your experience and skills and your academic qualification(s).
FACTORS THAT DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF YOUR SALARY.
1.Your level of education.
Teachers who teach English range from University students to Doctors with PhDs. Such contrast in the level of education will largely determine how much you get paid. Generally speaking University students are paid a minimum of 400$ and they are only required to present an English certificate in some cases. In reputable private schools if the teacher is at University he/she has to present their University admission letter and they have a leeway to break off immediately at midday.
Teachers with a University degree are paid a minimum salary in public salary($817) before insurance. These are the majority in the education system both in private and government schools.In private schools these earn between ($500 – $800) It can go higher if you have good negotiation skills.
Those who have a masters degree in their field of endeavor (not necessarily education) get paid between $901 to $ 986 .In private schools it can go as high as $1500.
On the other extreme end of the spectrum are University English teachers who get paid from ($1500 to $2500)
2.Your level of English proficiency.
Generally speaking, teachers who have a very good level of their English proficiency have higher chances of earning handsomely compared to those with a lower level of English.
The basic requirement for most institutions is a B2 certificate.
In public schools an English certificate of a B2 level is becoming a requirement to be employed as an English teacher although it has not yet been implemented across all public institutions.
In some unique private schools a B2/C1 is required especially if the teacher is going to handle students of a higher level.
In a few cases like in exam preparation for advanced students and being a University Head of English Department, a C1/C2 comes in handy and in addition to that such teachers are found in big cities like Quito, Guayaquil, Cuenca,Manta and Santo Domingo working in the prestigious schools.
However it should be understood that the majority of the teachers teaching English in Ecuador lack English certificates of proficiency so a teacher with a B2/C1 certificate stands higher chances of getting employed to replace one of a lower level although some factors may come into play.
3.Your city of residence.
If you live in a huge city like Guayuaquil, Quito,Cuencan Santo Domingo, you have higher chances of landing a handsomely paying job that a person who resides in rural towns like JipiJapa, Pajan,Crucita,Chone among others.
Schools in large cities are willing to pay as much as $2000 to an English teacher who understands his/her craft while schools in the deep rural areas cannot exceed $600 in a monthly salary. I always advise job seekers to try out their luck in large cities because schools in such areas can even employ two English teachers in a single classroom and this reduces the workload and makes teaching and learning fun to students whose first language is not English.
However, it is important to note that not all schools in urban areas are willing to pay good salaries and that all schools in rural Ecuador pay very low salaries.There are always exceptions especially if it comes to prestigious schools regardless of where they are located, their pay is fair most of the time.
4.The type of institution you work for.
As a rule of thumb, the government pays better than the private sector in Ecuador across the board. For instance, regardless of the area where you work, every teacher working in the public school earns $817 as a minimum salary; however this can go as low as $500 dollars in private schools in adjacent schools. My best recommendation would be to either visit the ministry of education website and apply for any vacancy or upcoming positions or go to the Districts where recruitment happens at Province and City level.
When it comes to English institutes, they normally pay between $5 to 15$ on an hourly basis and the average is between $200 to $450 a month with 6 hours a week in the afternoon or evening as the schedule may dictate.
Still, depending on the type of institution, if you get a job to teach in a university, your salary is not going to be under $1500 a month.
5.Having a working VISA in possession or not(for foreigners)
For foreigners who are trying to search for employment to teach English, having a VISA will be very significant in accelerating your search for a job. It might really be difficult to exceed $500 a month if you are not possessing one. In some institutions you might not even be considered for a job as this VISA is necessary in processing your payment if you are going to be paid through a bank which will require you to have VISA to open up an account.
Another reason why a VISA is very critical is because to become affiliated with insurance, one of the documents necessary to register is to present a VISA.So you should process your working VISA once you get into the country. The most important requirement to process the VISA is a contract from your place of work where the rest of the documents will be processed from. Including insurance, the working VISA and an Identity card.
The bottom line is, when looking for an English job, put all the above factors at the back of your mind and you won’t be disappointed at what you will receive at the end of the month.