Comparison
Teach English in Japan vs China
Experienced teacher choosing between lifestyle (Japan) and savings (China).
Japan offers stability and a longer career path; China pays significantly more, especially at international schools. Japan's eikaiwa hours skew toward evenings and weekends. China's market shifted toward in-person K-12 after the 2021 online tutoring ban.
Japan
JET, eikaiwa chains, and ALT positions. Pay is steady, vacation is short.
Salary
JET: 3.36M JPY for first year, scales up year over year. Eikaiwa: 250k to 280k JPY per month. ALT dispatch: 230k to 270k JPY per month. Cost of living outside Tokyo is reasonable.
Visa
Instructor visa or Specialist in Humanities visa. Bachelor's required. Native English speaker preference for most roles. JET requires application by November for the following August start.
Best for
Teachers committed to staying multiple years and learning Japanese. The pay does not stretch as far as Korea, but career stability and quality of life are high.
China
International schools, training centers, and universities. Pay is the highest in Asia.
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 bachelor's, two years of post-graduation work experience, a 120-hour TEFL, and a notarized criminal record check. Citizenship from one of seven native English countries is standard. Age cap of 60 is typical.
Best for
Experienced teachers who want to maximize savings. Two years of teaching in China can clear 30k USD in savings if you live carefully.
Open positions, side by side
China
Hangzhou Primary school ESL English teacher
Hangzhou Haicheng Education · Qiantang district, Hangzhou, China
High paid teaching openings from a first class international school in Shanghai, China
Start Consulting · China
20-30k monthly. Kindergarten, primary school, middle school and high school English teachers,art teachers needed in Hangzhou,Suzhou,Beijing,Kunming,Changsha, Chengdu, Yiwu, Taizhou and Wuhan
Lianheng Xiaomei (Wuhan) Enterprise Management Consulting Co., Ltd. · Beijing, China
TEFL Teacher in China
Xinxiang Education · China
English Teacher – China | Graduate & Experienced | Visa Sponsored
China Link ESL · Manchester, Greater Manchester, GB
English Teacher – China | Graduate & Experienced | Visa Sponsored
China Link ESL · Stanley, Durham, GB
Common questions
Japan
JET vs eikaiwa vs ALT dispatch — which should I apply to?
JET if you can wait 9 months for a placement and want a public school role with full benefits. Eikaiwa if you want to start within 60 days and are okay with evening hours. ALT dispatch is the fallback when you are already in Japan and need work.
Japan
Can I save money teaching in Japan?
Less than in Korea or the Gulf. Most teachers cover living costs comfortably and save 30k to 80k JPY per month outside Tokyo.
China
Is online teaching of Chinese students still possible?
Not for K-9 students inside China. Adult-focused online teaching to Chinese learners through global platforms is allowed but pays much less than the old VIPKid era.
China
What's the salary difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities?
Tier 1 (Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Guangzhou) pays 30 to 50 percent more, but cost of living absorbs much of that. Tier 2 cities often have better savings rates.