12 companies in China that are hiring English teachers like crazy

12 companies in China that are hiring English teachers like crazy Do you suffer from wanderlust? Is your travel bucket list 10 feet long? Have you decided that this is the year you’re going to teach English in China? Then we’ve got good news for you - with a massive population eager to learn English, China is the perfect destination for new grads across all majors, as well as new and experienced licensed educators looking for travel and career growth opportunities. (And hey, if you’re still on the fence, here’s five reasons why teaching in China is a good idea.) So long as you meet the basic requirements to teach in China, you’re in luck. There are plenty of companies in China are actively searching for tons of English teaching candidates to help them fill their open positions. A great-paying new job (and travel adventure) could be just on the horizon. The best companies to teach English in China In fact, here are 12 of our favorites. Go ahead and block off a few hours of your weekend, because we guarantee you'll want to apply for them all. 1. The Explore Program Let’s start with the obvious one - the Explore Program, Teach Away’s very own teaching program in China for college graduates, ESL instructors and certified teachers! A TEFL certificate and some teaching experience can come in handy for your Explore Program application, but these are by no means required. We do require applicants to have a bachelor’s degree as a minimum prerequisite for Z visa acceptance, however, and the program is only open to people from the US, Canada, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand or South Africa. Hundreds of teaching jobs with the Explore program are up for grabs year round, and successful applicants are placed at top English language schools we’ve partnered with throughout the country. The salary and benefits are also undeniably awesome - you could be paid up to the equivalent of $3,300 USD a month, plus flight and housing allowance, paid vacay and health insurance - a pretty appealing prospect if you ask us! Interested? See open jobs with the Explore Program today. 2. First Leap You can’t go too far wrong with sending your application in to First Leap. The First Leap teaching team isonly continuing to grow, and there’s plenty of room for graduates of all majors with native English speaking skills who are up for a year (or even more) of teaching and traveling around China. Teaching salaries with First Leap are pretty decent, ranging from $2,100 - 2,800 a month, plus extra perks like free flights, medical insurance and settling-in allowance. Interested? See open jobs with First Leap today. Sign up to Teach Away today for access to the latest teaching jobs around the world. 3. Disney English Like the idea of Disneyland season passes? This is probably one of the most unusual - but awesome - English teaching perks we’ve ever heard of at Teach Away. On top of this, as an English teacher with Disney English, you can expect to earn anything from 10,000 - 13,000 RMB a month on top of benefits like a housing and resettlement allowance, paid vacation, health insurance and more. They’re keen to hire native English speakers with a college degree and a passion for teaching little kids. Teaching experience isn’t essential but it could give you a leg up when it comes to landing a job in one of the more competitive Disney English locations. Interested? See open jobs with Disney English today. 4. English First With English teaching vacancies across more than 200 schools in cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou English First is a great option for TEFL-certified graduates from the UK, USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia, South Africa or New Zealand. They’ll also give you a helping hand with the Z visa process. English First teacher perks are nothing to be sneezed at either - you can expect to be paid anything from 13,000 - 15,000 RMB a month (depending on your credentials and experience), as well as a flight allowance, paid vacation, health insurance and free Mandarin lessons. EF is known for fostering a strong team environment for their teachers, and hold weekly social events and well as a job swap program for English teachers. Interested? See open jobs with English First today. 5. Happy Goal Kid Want to get away from the daily grind and gain overseas work experience? How about getting paid to live in Shanghai, one of the most spectacular cities in China? Yes, please! There are a ton of English teaching positions available with Happy Goal Kid for bachelor’s degree holders, no classroom experience required. Class sizes are small (10 students, max) and you’ll get lots of hands-on training to help you find your feet in the classroom. The ESL teacher pay at Happy Goal Kid is highly competitive, ranging from $2,200 - 2,900 USD a month and paid overtime is an also option for those who want to bump up their take-home pay. Teaching jobs with Happy Goal Kid do fill up quickly, though, so this is an opportunity not to be missed. Interested? See open jobs with Happy Goal Kid today. 6. Bright Scholar Hey, certified teachers and ESL instructors, looking for a new life experience and want to travel? The problem with that is, it takes a good chunk of change to visit those must-see places on your bucket list. Instead of blowing your savings or going into debt by traveling Asia, why not get a job with Bright Scholar in China and travel in your free time? Bright Scholar has some fantastic K-12 English teaching opportunities across their various school locations, including Guangzhou and Lanzhou. For as little as 20 teaching hours a week, you can earn up to $2,800 USD a month. This leaves plenty of free time to tutor English privately or teach English to Chinese students online on the side if you’re looking to boost your earning potential. Bright Scholar will also pay for your meals, reimburse you for your flights and pay you over the summer and winter holidays - the list of perks goes on and on! Interested? Apply to teach with Bright Scholar today! 7. Scholastic English For all you 90s kids, Scholastic is synonymous with the elementary school wonderland that was the Scholastic Book Fair. What you might not know is that Scholastic China has a handful of English language training centers located in Shanghai and recruit overseas English teachers on a year-round basis. Scholastic English class sizes run on the smaller size (12 students, max), come with a teaching assistant and cater to elementary-aged children after school and on weekends. Eligible applicants will need to be be native English speakers and have, at minimum, an undergraduate degree, one to two years of teaching experience and a TEFL certificate. Benefits for English teachers working with Scholastic China are nothing to be sneezed at and include paid teacher training and a highly competitive salary (up to $3,500 USD a month), plus return flights. Interested? Apply to teach with Scholastic English today! 8. Kid Castle Kid Castle is one of the best-known operators of English language schools in China, with hundreds of branches in Shanghai and other major cities. Kid Castle run preschool programs in the morning for young English language learners under the age of six, as well as after-school programs in the afternoon and evening. Kid Castle is currently on the lookout for TEFL-certified native English speakers with a bachelor’s degree. Pay ranges as high as $2,600 USD for an average 34-hour working week. But that’s not all - Kid Castle will also throw in visa, flight and housing allowances, as well as medical insurance and a PD bonus of $800 USD for successful candidates who sign on for a one-year contract. Interested? Apply to teach with Kid Castle today! 9. Shane English How does $2,000 USD a month sound, in exchange as little as 20 hours of work a week? Pretty sweet, right? To sweeten the deal even further, English teaching jobs with Shane English School come with ample paid overtime opportunities, paid vacation, airfare and housing allowances. Shane English are keen to hire native English speaking candidates with a TEFL certificate and a university degree, from either Canada, Ireland, the UK, America, New Zealand or Australia. Interested? Apply to teach with Shane English today! 10. Web International English Got your bachelor’s degree done and dusted? How about two years of teaching experience? And a TEFL, TESOL or CELTA certificate? If this sounds like you, then there are a bunch of highly lucrative English teaching jobs with Web International English, one of China’s leading English training centers, for native English speaking applicants. The pay for ESL teachers working with Web International English is in line with other language schools in the country. Before you know it, you could be teaching in Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beijing - you can essentially take your pick of the most desirable cities to live in China for expat teachers! Interested? Apply to teach with Web International English today! Whether you’re looking to teach in China for a year, tops, or for the long haul, teaching English with any one of these 12 companies will help you make your globetrotting dreams come true. But don’t delay - apply now before these vacancies get snapped up by other aspiring jet-setters! Recommended reading: What’s the average salary for a teacher in China? You can teach English in China without a degree (and 3 other myths people think are true)