Teaching English in Japan used to be a way for young Westerners just out of university to make $40,000 a year. The responsibilities were low, the people were friendly, and everything was new. The place, of course, was Japan and these times are now fondly referred to as 'the bubble years' after the country's once over-inflated economy.
Japan's tremendous economic success in the period of high economic growth saw the 1980s defined by conspicuous consumption, inflated real estate prices, and extremely high dollar-value salaries for English teachers in Japan due to the pumped-up value of the Japanese yen.
Salary
Although the bubble years are over you can still make and save decent money by teaching English Japan, contrary to popular belief. Salaries for English teachers at most private English academies start in the 250,000 yen per month range. The Japanese government sponsored Jet Programme pays 300,000 yen per month.
International schools pay between 3,000,000 and 6,000,000 yen per year but generally require a teaching license from your home country. Click here for more information about international schools in Japan.
Benefits
Although some large companies may pay on your behalf, you will most likely be required to contribute about 10,000 yen per month to the National Health Insurance system. 70% of all costs for visiting the hospital, dentist, acupuncturist, etc. will be covered by your insurance and, compared to costs in the US, health care in Japan is significantly cheaper.
Many of the larger private English academies also offer teachers a bonus after signing a contract and/or upon its completion. This severance bonus starts at around 80,000 yen for completing a one year contract. If you work at a school for 2 or more years, you may get up to twice that amount.
You will also have to pay about 20,000 yen per month into the National Pension Program. When you leave Japan, you will fill out a form and this money will be returned to you.
Housing
Unlike teaching English in Korea, you will have to pay for your housing when teaching English in Japan. If you live in a big city and don't want roommates, this could run you as much as 70,000 per month or more. Most likely it will be in range of 50,000 - 60,000 yen per month, less in the countryside.
Travel Expenses
Many Japanese companies will pay your travel expenses to and from work, which is good since taking the train to work in Japan can get expensive. However, some schools require that you must live a certain distance from the school to qualify so make sure to clarify the issue before signing a contract.
Click on the currency converter to find out the current exchange rates for your salary.
Want to teach English in Japan? Check out our Japan TEFL Jobs
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Just a comment
Im just wondering why people in the Philippines are not qualified to teach english in Japan or Korea where in fact we are not going to have the cvourage to apply if we know for ourselves that we are not qualified for the job. In fact Filipinos are gramatically correct English Speakers. Its not the accent that should be the first requirement but also grammar because it is very important especially in written english.
just wanna know
i have been teaching english for many years...i know myself and my qualifications.. i have handled different students different nationalities.... yet when i apply to some foreign countries like korea, china, taiwan and japan, i wonder why filipinos are not qualified to teach english, were in fact we are also degree holder though we are not native speakers still i believe filipinos posses something that i am sure these students will surely love. we could also offer same as they could.. these countries also look for someone who has CELTA certificate though they are not a degree holder or even have experience.. isn't experience is the best thing one employer has to look for if one is looking for a good teacher? and there must be a demonstration so they would see if we are qualified or not.. i have korean, chinese, japanese, libyan, turks tutees.. and ihave succesfully taught them speaking english. their feedback? we are the best teachers, patient, loving and most of all God fearing people... they easily understood us compared to the native speakers.. well that's their comments i just like to share and hope this will be an eye opener for them..
JET Programme
Definitely, if you can get onto the JET Programme, it is a great option. In addition to having a higher base salary, the earnings are also tax free. This means that the net salary ends up being significantly higher than other competitors. On the downside, they only do intakes once per year (Jul/Aug), so it can involve a lot of waiting. So if you don't want to wait, it makes sense to consider other private schools and agencies.