For all English teachers in Poland (who work for only $1000 a month)

Currently I am a 3rd year university student, hoping to become an elementary school teacher (here in canada). As my username suggests, I am a polish canadian and would really like to work in Poland however I think the wages are too low. I visit my family in poland every couple of years and I just can't believe how little some people make. I was told that the average english teacher in PL makes around 2500-3000 zl/month starting! That's only $1000 CDN which is about 3 times less then teachers make here in canada (starting salary). And prices (for many products) in poland are not that much different than here in canada. Now, from browsing the forums I've noticed that some of you work as teachers overseas for many YEARS. Why?? Why do you accept so little pay? Does anyone think about retirement and pensions? Working in PL as a teacher gives you nothing in the way of a pension/benefits. Do you do this because you were not accepted into teachers college? I'm sure some of you do this for a short period of time for fun, travel and experience, but what about the others who do this for many years?

I guess those who work in Poland permanently as teachers have either a Polish spouse or really love Poland as a country.

Yeah, right! Try to find a worker in Poland for less than 2000 zlotys. Good luck.

there are plenty, a lot opt for cash in hand, show me a polish worker who earns 3000zl plus?

If someone has studied at university and has finished socilogy or psychology working in Poland as a teacher is better than returnig to a factory job, that is, as long as you have no family to support. I was on a plane once flying to Poland as I sat next to a young man who was travelling to Koszalin to teach English for a year. He had to do lesson plans and marking all for £50 per week but this was much more than he had been earning in Turkey the previous year! There is a lot of competion for good jobs now, even amongs the young, teaching English in Poland is a soft option I suppose. Easier than getting in to finance in the City of London. I must say that unless I had imediate family there, I would not chose such an option. I was offered a job teaching English in a private language school in Warsaw and the Polish man with whom I was styimg laughed. My monthly wage would have been less than his monthly mobile phone contract!!

Who the hell changed the name of my topic?? If you don't like what i wrote make your own topic. Are you angry about your low pay?

Anyone else have any comments/responses to my post? I'm sure there's more english teachers on here who have something to say...

Shh, if you stop now, they might not notice you. It was the, <looks around nervously> Admin team *shudder*

Listen, don't let them know you know, or you know they'll do nasty things, like take you to the <swallows loudly> trash can.

But you don't know me and i've not told you this. :)

That If he is a native English speaker or have 2 jobs.


Excuse me, but what else did you except ? What, we should pay 70% income tax to pay teachers better ??

Probably, if the truth is known, most people (especially men) who are seriously considering a career in Poland as a teacher of English are looking for a relationship. After all, where better to look for young intelegent people who are motivated in learning to speak English and will automatically be of the right age range ect. It is quite tempting as you will have a classroom full of young hopefulls! I do know, seriously though, in the past of men who have inded gone to Poland in this capacity with this very much in mind. People seam to think that Polish women are 'easy' and in that I mean 'simply to get along with' and they do have a lovely slovanic soul but it is a misconception on the whole to think of a relationship as ever easy.

The pay in Poland might be less, but do they take out so much for taxes? Is the housing as expensive as in the US or Canada?

Let's say you make $3.000/month. After taxes you get $2.000, house payments $1,200 (That's how much I paid). That leaves you with only about $800/month. Add to it car payments, gas, credit cards. People struggle everywhere.

Let me just clear one thing up here, do not be fooled yea Englishmen into believing that Polish girls are all sweetness and light, believe me get on their wrongside and they go nucleur.....<< no doubt Admin, will now trash me, wrong thread>>

Anyway its not all about money.....

the subject being about how much they get paid. It is set as a standard salary for them all. Native english speakers CAn get good deals if they now where to go but generally it is not much better is what i am hearing.

As to it being love - thats a sweeping statement but i guess there has to be some thinking like that. I know if it was me, it would be to get away from Ireland and just BE somewhere else. N ulterior motive.

Pay is relative. If they paid me enough that i could enjoy a living - im happy. I couldnt work there to pension age (as it is) but that could and will change over time (like SO many other countries - lets be honest & realistic, Poland is slowly going UP not DOWN.

THe current gov't is FAR from perfect but look at the few GOOD things. setting up investigations into corruption! look what that revealed!! shutting down the spy agency! ousting former secret police! these are good things and steps in the right direction.

Positive progress is slow and poland is no different. Progress is SLOWLY being made.

Hi I'm Bankole muritala from Nigeria ,i came to Poland about 4 months Ago ,i dont speak polish but speaking English fluently and life isn't easy at all, i lived in warsaw with my girlfriend hoping to get married soon though she's the one taken responsiblity of my life and hers too,I'm feeling too poor about this cos cos i'm not a man enough not to take care of myself talking less of my home,Pls can i anyone helped me out cos i'm looking for Job in any part of warsaw.

I will really appreciate if anyone can contact me soonest.
my nbr - 516986402
email address - manshallah007@yahoo

Nobody can expect to earn a lot of money as a teacher of english in Poland or almost anywhere else for that matter. Teaching English is an unskilled job that provides 0 points for immigration to Australia, so it all goes to show you. In Saudi Aarabia, maybe but you will need good qualifications and a lot of overseas experience to back the academic side up. If you are in Warsaw then you could look at marketing and sales if you have experience in these areas. Can your embassy help with some contacts? It has always been the truth that the people in Poland who earn money are in private business or in to the mafia now!

I am sorry, I read your message again. I imagined that you were teaching English in Warsaw-that is what most foreigners do though in fact you do not state that fact. I assume that your girl friend is Polish. Polish women do very much like to be in control if that is the case. You will never be totally in charge if your girl friend is Polish! Another good place, I believe for jobs is the Warsaw Voice or something very similar in title. There are adverts there to look at but I am just also wondering about your legal status for work as you say that you are a nigerian. Your embassy may well be able to give you more advice.

Michal,
what are you talking about?

What's funny is that Poles pay around 10 - 15 USD per hour for private English tutoring!

Yes, to the language school may be.

Michal,
Tamara is right, have you ever though in Poland?
Some teachers , i would say many get that kind of money for private lessons.....

Pass, can you not read? Why are you asking me what I am talking about? Try to read and everything will be clear.

I have never been a teacher anywhere. I must say that I might be out of date and I may forget how things have changed. I was in Czestochowa fifteen years ago and I know that teachers could earn a lot of money for private lessons but there were often contractual issues around this as the schools would not allow the teachers to give private lessons. I imagine that schools were worried about students being 'poached' by teachers. I do not know what the situation is like today in Poland. I do know that even Russian has made a come-back and is taught again in state schools. I only completed a TESOL with Trinity College in 2000, I could never afford to actually change careers and work for peanuts in Poland.

Here is how it layed out for me.

In the states I made about 1400$ per mounth teaching 24 hrs a week. (Sometimes I taught more for the money, but whatever.)

Now, I teach in poland for 2100PLN after taxes.

A beer in DC was 6$.
Dinner out in DC 20-40$
A beer in Krakow is 6PLN.
Rent in DC, minimum 1000$ to not get shot.
Dinner out in Krakow 20-40PLN.
Rent in Krakow (not in center), 500PLN.

Polish lessons- free at the bar.

So, I get much more much better beer, and can eat out more. Also, genrally I have more disposable income.

Downsides:
Box of Space Orks in DC 35$. In Krakow 90PLN.
Anything foreign, eletronic, or large appliances (like a damn drier) are kinda out of range.

However, one of these days I will start teaching private lessons (30-50 PLN/hr) and/or do some investing with this monopoly money. Afterall, I could probably stick an apartment on my US credit card.

I teach about 15 hours a week and make the same as if I were working in an insurance office 40 hours a week. Living here is calmer, more easy going and the work is amazingly fun. I do private lessons to cusion my shoe spending money. I don't believe I could do this for the rest of my life but for 2-3 years of living abroad and learning a new culture and language first hand.... it's worth it. If life ever leaves me the option to come back for another round of 2-3 years I would be on the first plane back. I admit, there are many disadvantages but life expierence is the largest benefit and if that delays my 401K or big screen.... so be it. I will NEVER forget my time here. Ever.

Hey James 2134 Im from DC. Ive been gone for a long time more or less but always in the heart. Im teaching in Warsaw. Canadian boy if money is your greatest concern become a stockbroker.

Wow polishcanuck chill a bit....why do you care what others take for pay? If your pay is so great enjoy it and stay in Canada.

On the cost front however...Poland is NOT cheap. Most things like housing, food, clothing...most things actually cost as much or more as most 'normal' western cities...I am not talking Paris, Rome, NY etc.is...but I come from the midwest of the USA...a nice but average costing area...and it costs me more to live here....and let's face it....Warsaw is not Rome or Paris...it is gray, dirty and has bad weather. That is not an insult to Poles it is just a fact.

I understand that really nice places cost more...the south of France is not cheap...Siberia is....but I don't understand Warsaw's pricing. I don't understand how native Poles can afford to buy flats when they cost 500,000 to 1,000,000zl...that would buy a huge house in my home city...not a two room flat.

So to answer the rude guy's question...I will marry the Pole I am living with so that is why I am here....and she knows I think Warsaw is crap...and she and almost all of the people I know here agree.

(now I will brace for the superpatriotic lovers of Warsaw who attack me :))

And Michal must have had some crap girlfriends....my Polish girl is not a control freak...she is a lovely, caring and equal partner and we have been together 3 years...

Are there greedy controlling Polish girls? Yeah sure...but I don't think most...at least not the ones I know. Sure the ones you see in the street dressed in club attire 24/7 with a guy twice their age are like that.

In fact I find most Polish MEN quite irritating and whiney. Not all mind you...but most. They always complain and are very much 'momma's boys'. They are used to having all the cleaning cooking and washing done for them....my girlfriend and her friends about passed out when I helped in these chores...their Polish boyfriends won't lift a finger.

I for one think Polish women are theex...work tougher ones...work.harder and and are more stoic.

Oops bad editing...

I meant they are the stronger sex and work harder.

If you have some experience teaching, are an educated native speaker, not a kid fresh from college and have more than just the minimum 4 week course and teach in-company for one of the better language schools, you should be able to clear 5000pln after tax in a good month, 4000 in a bad one. In Warsaw, that is - might not be so much in the provinces. A colleague of mine here was making 8000 plus, but he was driving himself crazy with overwork. About 4500 is very easily achievable with a moderate and reasonable timetable.

There really isn't any reason to work for a couple of thousand złotych in some language factory when good schools pay well for good teachers.

Why do I have a problem believing this ?

Most natives are not worth half that!


People get paid what they are worth!

Why indeed? 50pln before tax for a 45 minute 'lesson hour' is the going rate in Warsaw. Some schools pay 45 per 45, some pay 55 per 45, but 50 is about normal, 10 of these a day (5 hours' teaching) makes 500pln. Times 5 gives 2500 per week. Multiply that by 4.25 (some months 5 weeks, some 4) gives 11300pln before tax. 10000 before tax for 20 days work.

Of course public holidays and cancellations can reduce this, and there are fewer lessons in the summer, but it's not only achievable but normal.

Perhaps I'm paying the teachers too much. If anybody is willing to work for 2000 per month, send me a message and you're hired right away.

This calculation makes no sense! Go back to Maths class

I should add that in order to earn a good wage the teacher should be professional and be able to give 'good product', i.e. keep the client happy, resolve problems without bugging the school and basically not frighten the horses. There are some very cheap language schools out there employing Poles who don't speak perfect English, or teach like old-fashioned schoolteachers or Natives who upset the students etc, and in order to keep prices (and wages) high the courses must be very very high quality.

Learn to calculate! It would be great working for you as you would always pay too much!