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: 4.02M JPY before tax for the first appointment, rising to 4.32M by the fourth. 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. Since 15 April 2026 Japan's immigration agency also expects CEFR B2 in the working language for language-based jobs on the Specialist status (see our B2 rule explainer). 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 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.
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
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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.
