What are the best countries to teach English?

20.06.2023

256

8 minutes

Teaching qualifications
Tips & Strategies

We have already been talking a lot about teaching abroad: things you should pay attention to before taking up an international offer, resources you may use to find a perfect job abroad, places where you can teach even without a teaching degree – all of these are important things to consider before applying for some international positions.

However, what are the best places to teach abroad? What are the average salary ranges and minimum qualifications? What are the pros and cons of teaching in top foreign countries all over the world? We have created a list of top destinations and collected some facts which will help you to find your perfect destination overseas. So, here is our list of best countries to teach English.

Central & South America

Argentina

Average salary range:

45,000 pesos to 90,000 pesos (£465 – £930 / $600 – $1,200) per month

Most jobs pay by the hour at around 45 to 120 pesos (£0.50 – £1.25 / $0.60 – $1.60 ) an hour.

The average cost of living (single person, without rent): $400/month
Minimum qualifications:

A 120-hour TEFL qualification
most positions require teachers to have a BA degree
prior experience is helpful for some positions but not always necessary

Pros	Cons
the cheapest place to live in Southern America	big turnover (most schools have a 6-month contract)
the affordable and good healthcare system	not very high salaries, so it’s hard to save a lot of money
experience new culture	few jobs come with accommodation

Brazil

Average salary range:

3,000 – 4,800 BRL (£400 – £650 / $550 – $920) per month
Hourly rates range from 50 BLR to 80 BLR per hour

The average cost of living (single person, without rent): $551/month

Minimum qualifications:

A 120-hour TEFL qualification will be required for most positions
a BA degree is preferred but not always necessary
prior teaching experience is helpful but not mandatory

Pros	Cons
not intense working schedule (full-time contract include 20–25 hours a week or less)	Brazilian students are known for not showing up at individual classes from time to time, so it may influence your income
the cost of living in Brazil is cheaper than 85% of countries around the world	prices are pretty high
you can be hired without a degree, however, Brazilians love collecting certificates, so having one might be beneficial	few jobs provide accommodations
if you are good at what you are doing, it’s easy to find new students through word of mouth	not easy to get by only with knowing English

Middle East & Africa

UAE

Average salary range:

The basic monthly salary for full-time positions is likely to be in the region of 8,000 – 15,000 dirhams (£1,575 – £3,000 / $2,200 – $4,000) per month
The best-paid jobs may rise salaries to 22,000 dirhams (£4,300 / $6,000) per month

Average cost of living: $1,000/month

Minimum qualifications:

A 120-hour TEFL qualification will be required for most positions if not a CELTA
a degree and many positions also require an MA in a related field
three to five years of previous experience

Pros

Cons

decent salary

high accommodation prices

very good equipment, therefore a lot of resources to make lessons, especially interesting

strict dress code for women

some positions include free accommodation and return flight

getting acquainted with laws is a must to avoid problems (e.g. kissing, swearing (even on the Internet) are illegal)

quite relaxed approach to studying by students

Saudi Arabia

Average salary range:

The basic salary for full-time positions is likely to be around 96,000 – 180,000 riyals (£18,160 – £34,000 / $25,000 – $48,000) per year
8,600 – 11,300 riyals (£1,600 – £2,000 /$2,300 – $3,000) per month

The average cost of living (single person, without rent): $2,530/month

Minimum qualifications:

A 120-hour TEFL qualification will be required for most positions
a university degree
most positions require experience

Pros	Cons
contracts often include fully-furnished accommodation	strong culture differences which may seem restrictive
high salary	dress code for women
modern classroom equipment	no pictures or videos without a permission
teachers can save a lot of money	alcohol and pork are forbidden
a lot of places for sightseeing

Qatar

Average salary range:

The basic monthly salary for full-time positions is likely to be around 6,000 to 16,300 Qatari Rial ($1,650 – $4,500) per month.

The average cost of living (single person, without rent): $887/month

Minimum qualifications:

A 120-hour TEFL qualification will be required for most positions
a degree
previous job experience

Pros

Cons

cultural diversity

no strict quality regulations in the educational system, so your work-life position depends on where you find your job

no age limitations

even tutoring requires a special permission, otherwise you can be imprisoned or deported

some jobs include free accommodation, travel allowance (look for it in a job offer as there is a poor public transport system)

high prices for accommodation

poor public transport system

Europe

Denmark

Average salary range:

Wages for teachers are set by law
The minimum is DKK170 ($25) per hour, rising to DKK220 ($32) per hour.
The basic annual salary for full-time positions is around DKK296,000 to DKK400,000 ($43,000 – $58,000).

The average cost of living (single person, without rent): $1,096/month

Minimum qualifications:

A 120-hour TEFL qualification will be required
A degree, some jobs might even specify certain subjects to study such as a degree in education
previous experience is usually required, especially for teaching Business English

Pros

Cons

good salary

hard to get a position

great working conditions

teachers are supposed to know Danish

paperwork: if you have a non-Danish teaching qualification and searching for opportunities to teach in a primary or secondary school, you’ll have to apply to the Danish Agency for Higher Education and request the official recognition of your education before applying.

Norway

Average salary range:

Annual salary in an international school will be around 386,000 kr ($39,000) for primary school teachers and 465,000 kr ($48,000) for secondary school teachers.
Full-time jobs for professors in universities will pay around 470,000 kr – 510,000 kr ($48,460 / $52,580) per year.
The average monthly salary for a full-time teacher is 25,000 kr to 30,000 kr ($2,580 – $3,090).

The average cost of living (single person, without rent): $1,092/month

Minimum qualifications:

A 120-hour TEFL qualification
Most jobs require a degree, and top positions in International Schools might specify which subject your school is qualified in, or that you need an MA in your field
at least two years of full-time experience

Pros

Cons

great salary

hard to find a job

no age limitations

many teaching jobs are filled by Norwegians as 80–90% of the population can speak English

might reimburse airfare and initial accommodation

accommodation prices are very high

a lot of schools offer medical insurance

Switzerland

Average salary range:

Hourly rates are usually around SFr60 ($63), but can range from SF20 up to SFr123 per hour ($20 – $127).
Full-time positions might exceed SFr5,000 per month

The average cost of living (single person, without rent): $1,502/month

Minimum qualifications:

At least a 120-hour TEFL qualification
Most jobs require a degree
Some jobs rank experience over a degree or TEFL experience, but others are happy to take new teachers. Inexperienced teachers can struggle even with getting summer camp positions, but if they’re bilingual or multi-talented they might get a position

Pros	Cons
one of the best-paid paces in Europe	even experienced teachers may have trouble finding a job
available unique opportunities of working in hotel English courses where people who work in the hospitality sector have to improve their knowledge of English (such job may be easier to get)	the most expensive country in Europe
	hierarchical working environment, so you need to be careful who you are arguing with

Asia

Hong Kong

Average salary range:

The average monthly salary for full-time teaching jobs is around HK$16,000 to HK$65,000 ($2,000 – $8,380) per month
Private tutors can charge around HK$100 – $550 ($13 – $70) per hour

The average cost of living (single person, without rent): $1,084/month

Minimum qualifications:

a degree
a TEFL qualification
two years of experience
some international schools and university positions require degrees in specific fields, or higher qualifications such as a master’s degree, PGCE or Ph.D.

Pros	Cons
one of the top spots in Asia to teach	you have to be less than 60 years old
high salary	young female teachers are preferred for positions where you have to teach children
high demand for specialists	high minimum qualification standards
some jobs provide free accommodation	one of the most expensive countries in the world and the most expensive country in Asia

Japan

Average salary range:

vary depending on location and experience
220,000 – 280,000 Yen ($2,100 – $2,675) per month for full-time work
International schools may pay 600,000 Yen ($5,730) monthly.

The average cost of living (single person, without rent): $924/month

Minimum qualifications:

a bachelor’s degree
TEFL certification with a minimum of 120 hours completed

Pros

Cons

high demand for English teachers

should be younger than 65

the variety of jobs available

high minimum qualifications standard

decent salary

have to get a visa

expensive country

Any other options?

High salaries, good working conditions, and international experience make all foreign countries best places to teach English abroad which means that it may be a competitive and challenging task to teach there. How to lend a good working position then? Well, teaching online is always an option.

With a great variety of teaching courses, it is not hard to get a TEFL qualification and proceed with a career even without a degree or prior teaching experience. Moreover, some of the best companies may guarantee you an income of $16 – $25/ hour and around $1,000 – $2, 000/ a month. So, maybe you should give it a try for a start?