Salary and Allowance
What is the standard for determining the foreign teachers’ salaries?
- Foreign teachers are paid monthly and on a scale in accordance with their highest education level and teaching experience. Starting salaries for those teachers are divided into three levels as follows: those who have doctoral degrees are paid NT $70,895; those with master degrees are paid NT $67,925; and those with bachelor degrees are paid NT $60,890. For those who have been full-time teachers in schools domestically and abroad and are able to present relevant documentation or certificates, the ranking of their salary rate will be increased according to the number of years of previous service. Each previous service year may be converted as one step on the salary scale.
- Teachers on the highest level of the salary scale (in other words, having already served for twelve years) may be paid according to their highest education level: those who have doctoral degrees are paid NT $88,755; those with master degrees are paid NT $84,290; those with bachelor degrees are paid NT $75,770.
Are foreign teachers entitled to other allowances in addition to their salaries?
Yes. Allowances that foreign teachers are entitled to are listed as follows:
- Performance incentive:
By the end of the term of employment, accountability assessments for foreign teachers are conducted by a team whose members should be from the school, the local government, and the advisory panel for English teaching. Foreign teachers whose performance is graded as A (80 points or above) and who have never been absent, and whose personal leave and sick leave combined are no more than fourteen (14) days are entitled to a one-month-salary performance incentive; those with grade B performance (70 to 79 points) who have never been absent, and whose personal leave and sick leave combined are no more than twenty-eight (28) days are entitled to a half-month-salary performance incentive; those with grade C performance (less than 70 points) are not entitled to any performance incentive, and may have their employment contract terminated.
- Reimbursement for transportation:
The MOE or the institutes that employ foreign teachers should provide the foreign teacher and his/her spouse or one lineal blood relative, if coming along with him/her to Taiwan, each with a round-trip, economy class, air ticket to/from Taiwan from/to the nearest international airport from the foreign teacher’s residence in his/her country. In addition, airport pick-up services to the appointed location or organization are also available.
- Rent allowance:
If the institute or school employing foreign teachers are unable to offer free dormitories for foreign teachers, single foreign teachers shall be subsidized NT $5,000 per month and those accompanied with families(spouse or one linealblood relative) shall be subsidized NT $10,000 per month for rent allowance.
- Subsidy for health insurance fees:
Foreign teachers are required to participate in the National Health Insurance scheme pursuant to relevant regulations. In terms of the insurance fee per month, each teacher should pay 30% of the total insurance fee while the institute or the school that employs him/her should account for 70% of the total.
- Subsidy for labor insurance fee:
Foreign teachers are required to participate in the Labor Insurance scheme pursuant to relevant regulations. In terms of the insurance fee per month, each teacher should pay 20% of the total insurance fee while the institute or the school that employs him/her should account for 80% of the total.
- Overtime Pay for Teaching Work:
Foreign teachers are obligated to support the teaching requirements of the school. Should the total number class hours he/she teaches exceed the basic teaching time (24 classes per week for an elementary school teacher and 22 classes per week for a junior high school teacher), the school should pay overtime pay to the foreign teacher for the portion of teaching time in excess of the basic teaching hours, which will be paid together with the monthly salary payable for the following month). (Note: Overtime Pay of each class for an elementary school teacher = NT $260 1.25 = NT $325; Overtime Pay of each class for a junior high school teacher = NT $360 1.25 = NT $450)
Why are foreign teachers paid more than domestic teachers?
The parameters of the calculation of foreign teachers’ salaries are as follows:
- With reference to personal income and consumer price index of countries from which foreign teachers are recruited, such as the U.S., Canada, the U.K., Australia, and New Zealand.
- The average salaries of foreign teachers who work in cram schools and private schools in Taiwan should be taken into consideration.
- With reference to The Guidelines for Salary of Teachers of the Bilingual Division in the National Experimental High School at Science Based Industrial Park, approved by the Executive Yuan, and declared by Yuan-Shou-Ren-Zih-0920053967 on May 26th, 2003. The salary scale has been authorized to be adjusted by the Schools by the Central Personnel Administration, the Executive Yuan, as declared by Jyu-Ji-Zih-0940023639 on August 2nd, 2004.
- Higher salaries may also act as an incentive to attract qualified foreign teachers to come to Taiwan as well as to reduce the outflow of recruited teachers.
Is there any mechanism set to prevent foreign teacher’s violating from employment contracts?
Yes. Should foreign teachers withdraw from his/her duty or engage in any part-time work during the term of their contract without the prior consent of the school or the institute that employs him/her, he/she should pay an amount equal to one-month’s salary which may be withheld from the salary along with any other allowances owed to him/her.