Salary & Benefits
Teacher’s Salary Scale
Requirements Salary (USD)
1 CELTA Certificate & BA degree $12,792
2 CELTA, BA degree & 1-2 years’ experience after TEFL training $13,776
3 CELTA, BA degree & 2-3 years’ experience after TEFL training $14,760
4 CELTA, BA degree & 3 years’ experience after TEFL training $15,744
5 CELTA, BA degree and/or DELTA MA or TESOL, or 1 year’s teaching at scale 4.
Notes:
*Teachers can move from scale 1 to 2 after working for six months, provided they have met all professional development conditions. From there, teachers move up a scale each year until they reach the highest scale.
**In order to teach adults, teachers have to be a scale 2 teacher or have a CELTA with an A or B pass.
All salaries are paid directly into staff members and teachers’ accounts at SHINHAN VINA Bank. Payday is the 10th of each month. Payment covers all work completed in the previous month. Salaries are normally paid by 2pm on payday.
Contract Length
There are 9 and 12 month contract on offer in Vietnam.
Accommodation
Teachers are initially booked into a guesthouse of the school's choosing and their first 5 night’s accommodation after arriving is paid for. After the first 5 nights teachers are free to seek other accommodation or they can arrange to stay with the guesthouse for longer.
Other teachers are the main source of housing information for new arrivals and it is quite easy to find accommodation. Most end up renting a house with other teachers ($ 150-250 each per month depending on the number of rooms, location and mod/cons, etc.), but some teachers prefer to have their own apartments ($ 250 - 400 US per month). Your school can put you in touch with housing agents and others who can help you find appropriate accommodation.
There are usually 3 main housing options:
- A room in a guesthouse
- Shared private accommodation
- Solo private accommodation
Most people stay in a guesthouse until they can arrange other accommodation. Shared housing is relatively easy to find, as is solo private accommodation, although the cost will depend on factors such as location and conveniences (there is a wide variety to choose from). Please bear in mind that most landlords will require 3 or 4 months rent up-front, as a form of security deposit, before allowing you to move in. This means that anyone wanting to move into their own private accommodation quickly will need to arrive in Vietnam with adequate funds to do so or wait until they receive their first salary.
The school gives assistance if the teacher feels unable to sort out their own housing arrangements. All housing costs throughout the teacher's stay in Vietnam are the responsibility of the teacher.
Accommodation in Vietnam is mostly shared housing. You can expect to share with 1 - 3 people in a typical Vietnamese style house, 4-metres wide, 3-storeys. The bedrooms are likely to be air-conditioned, while the common living area will have a ceiling fan.
Tax
All foreigners having incomes in/ from Vietnam, regardless the length of time they live in Vietnam, are the payers of personal income tax.
With respect to whom living in Vietnam less than 183 days, they will be liable for paying tax at a fixed rate of 25% (formerly 10%) of the aggregate income. With respect to whom living in Vietnam over 183 days (so called locally-resident foreigners), they will be subject to the progressive tax tariff, with the maximum rate of up to 40% of their monthly income.
The taxable income minimum rate applicable when calculating tax for a locally-resident foreigner is VND 8 million.
Benefits
Teachers hired from outside Vietnam are generally offered a one year, full time teaching contract. These contracts come with a USD 600 health insurance payment, paid directly to the teacher at the end of the first month of the contract.
Non financial benefits of teaching in Vietnam
Besides a competitive salary and conditions, ILA offers teachers many additional benefits. All teachers at ILA are able to:
- Attend two professional development sessions per month
- Attend a quarterly staff social with their teaching department, paid by the school
- Attend the annual trip away (usually an overnight stay at a beach resort)
- Attend 40 hours of free Vietnamese lessons (Beginner lessons)
- Access an extensive range of supplementary teaching resources
- Attend regular school social events, such as the school’s birthday party & Christmas party
- Apply to transfer to other branches around Vietnam
- Take advantage of many discounted events and services through franchises extensive local network, including discounted gym memberships, dive courses etc.
Bonus & Allowances
There are three bonus/allowances that teachers can avail of;
- Relocation allowance: $750 USD (net)
- Contract Completion Bonus: $750 USD (net)
- Contract Re-signing Allowance: $1000 - $2000 USD net
Airfare
There is no subsidy for a teachers out-bound or return flight to Vietnam.
Holidays
Public Holidays
01 Jan – New Years Day
7-9 Feb – Têt / Lunar New Year
30 Apr – Liberation of Saigon
01 May – May Day
02 Sep – National Day