City guide
Teach English in Shanghai, China
International schools and adult training centers at the top of the China pay range.
Shanghai is the highest-paying ESL market in mainland China and the most competitive. International schools cluster in Pudong and Minhang, adult training centres and corporate English programmes hire continuously, and the bar at the top end is a licence and classroom experience rather than a certificate. Tier-1 cost of living is real, but most packages include a housing allowance, which is the number to compare rather than the headline salary.
Neighborhoods
Pudong and Jinqiao for international schools and the established expat family base. Jing'an and Xuhui, the former French Concession, for central living and the highest rent. Minhang for schools with more space and a lower cost. Hongqiao for a commuter base with fast access to both airports.
Cost of living
Roughly 5,000 to 12,000 RMB a month for a one-bedroom depending on how central, and the range is wide enough that where you live matters more than what you earn. Check whether an allowance is paid or the flat is provided before comparing two offers.
Best for
Experienced teachers and licensed K-12 teachers maximising savings, who can meet a higher documentation bar than the rest of the country asks for.
China at a glance
Salary: International schools: 25k to 45k RMB per month. Training centers: 18k to 30k RMB. Public schools: 12k to 22k RMB. Universities: 10k to 20k RMB with long vacations. Most contracts include housing or stipend.
Visa: Z visa. Requires a bachelor's degree and a criminal record check (notarized and apostilled). Foreign language teachers also need more than two years of language-education experience, which is waived with a bachelor's in education or language, a teaching certificate from your own country, or a qualified international language teaching certificate (the standard published by the Beijing government). Many schools also ask for a 120-hour TEFL. Applicants are usually citizens of countries where English is the national language. Age cap of 60 is typical.
Full China guide →Open positions in Shanghai
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What you need to teach in Shanghai
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