Which country pays English teachers the most?

There is no reliable single ranking. Compare net pay after tax, housing, hours and flights for each specific offer.

Is the Spanish language assistant allowance enough to live on?

It is described as an allowance towards room and board, at €800 a month, so many assistants add private tutoring where allowed. Check your region's terms.

Do I pay Irish tax on income earned abroad?

It depends on your residence and domicile. Revenue taxes Irish residents who are also domiciled on worldwide income, so take advice before you go.

TEFL Salaries by Country: How to Compare Offers Fairly

Do not compare headline salaries across countries. Compare what you keep after tax and social security, what housing and flights cost, and how many hours you actually work. Published pay figures vary by city, school type and year, so this page gives a method and only the figures that could be traced to a source.

Pay figures that could be verified

Place	Figure	Source and date
Spain, language assistant programme	€800 a month for 14 to 16 hours of classroom support a week; some regions pay more with more hours	Spanish Ministry of Education, 2026-27 call
Thailand, advertised jobs	Median advertised minimum of THB46,250 a month in a sample of 84 adverts, range THB15,000 to THB100,000	Thailand Starter Kit, citing Ajarn.com adverts from August 2026

These are the only figures this site is prepared to quote. The Thai figure comes from a secondary guide's sample of one jobs board, so treat it as indicative, not typical. For Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and Italy, ask each employer for the exact monthly figure in writing, because published averages mix very different jobs.

A method for comparing offers

Line	What to find out
Gross monthly pay	The figure in the contract, and the currency.
Deductions	Income tax, social security and any pension. In Spain the Embassy of Ireland puts total social security at about 32% of gross, with the employee paying roughly 6%.
Hours	Teaching hours per week, plus planning, travel between sites and any unpaid office time.
Housing	Provided, subsidised or your cost. Add deposits.
Flights and visa costs	Who pays outbound, who pays return, and when any reimbursement is paid.
Bonuses	End-of-contract payments, and what you must do to qualify.
Holiday and sick pay	Paid, unpaid, or only in term time.
Cost of living	Rent, food, transport and phone in the city, not the country.

Divide the net amount by the total hours you work, including unpaid ones. An offer with a lower salary but housing, fewer hours and a completion bonus can beat a higher salary that you must spend on rent.

Tax and residence

Revenue says people who are Irish resident and domiciled are chargeable on worldwide income, so your tax residence while abroad matters. Ireland has double taxation treaties with countries including Japan and South Korea. The Japan convention, for instance, includes an article exempting visiting teachers' pay for up to two years in some cases, but only if specific conditions are met. Do not assume an exemption applies. Ask an accountant before you go, and keep travel dates.

If you teach online from Ireland, you are generally self-employed. In 2026 Class S PRSI is 4.2% to 30 September and 4.35% from 1 October, with a €650 minimum for those with income of €5,000 or more. See the online teaching guide.

Questions to ask the employer

Is the salary paid monthly, in which currency and on what date?
Are there deductions for housing, utilities, insurance or uniforms?
What are the exact teaching and non-teaching hours?
What happens to pay during public holidays, school closures and illness?
Is there a bond or a penalty if I leave early?

Why the same salary buys different things

Two offers that look equal can differ sharply in what they leave you. Consider a contract that pays a lower salary but includes housing, an airfare allowance and a completion bonus, against one that pays more but leaves you to rent privately in an expensive city. After rent, travel to work and the cost of visiting home, the first can leave you with more savings. Equally, a contract with a large share of unpaid office hours or cancelled classes that are not paid will lower your effective hourly rate.

Treaties can matter too. Ireland's conventions with Japan (1974) and South Korea (1990) each include an article on visiting teachers, exempting teaching pay from host-country tax for up to two years in defined circumstances, such as being resident in the other country just before the visit. The conditions are specific and may not fit private language schools, so ask for professional advice rather than relying on the headline.

Country guides: Spain, Thailand, South Korea and Italy. Check the red flags page if an offer looks unusually generous.