How English teacher pay actually works in Korea

A hagwon offer in Korea is rarely just a monthly salary. It is a base figure plus housing, plus a flight, plus severance after a full year, plus the employer half of pension and health insurance. Two offers with the same headline number can be worth very different amounts once those five pieces are counted.

Park English · Published 2026-07-28 · 2 min read

New teachers compare offers by the headline number. Schools know this. The result is that the offer with the biggest number on the first line is often not the best offer on the table.

Here is what to add up instead.

The five pieces

1. Base monthly salary. The number in the advert. It is the piece everyone looks at and the only piece most people compare.

2. Housing. Most hagwon contracts include a single studio near the school, furnished, with the school covering the key-money deposit. Some pay a housing allowance instead and you find your own place. The difference between those two is real money and real effort in your first month.

3. The flight. Usually one inbound flight, sometimes an outbound one at the end of a completed contract. Check which, and whether it is booked for you or reimbursed.

4. Severance. Korean labour law provides severance for a completed year of service. It is not a bonus and it is not discretionary — but it does depend on finishing the contract, which is one reason the end-of-contract terms in clause 12 matter.

5. Pension and health insurance. Both are shared between employer and employee in a standard full-time contract. Your take-home pay is lower than the base figure; your total compensation is higher. Depending on your nationality, the pension portion may be refundable when you leave Korea — check your own country's agreement with Korea rather than trusting a forum post.

What actually moves the number

Three things move pay more than negotiation does.

Ages taught. Kindergarten and young-learner roles usually sit differently from elementary and middle school roles.
Hours and shift. A morning kindergarten plus afternoon elementary schedule pays differently from an evening-only academy.
Location. Seoul pays more on paper. Seoul also costs more to live in. See the note on cities below.

Experience matters less on a first contract than most people expect, and more on a second one than most people expect.

Don't guess — look at the board

We do not publish a "typical salary" figure, because on any given week the honest answer is a range and the range moves. What we do instead is show the pay on every posting, up front, before you apply.

Open the job board and look at the pay line on twenty cards. That is the market this week, not last year.

The question to ask a school

"What is the total monthly cost to the school for this position, including housing?"

A school that can answer that question calmly is a school that has thought about your contract. A school that cannot is telling you the housing arrangement has not really been decided yet.

What we do

Park English lays out all five pieces for every offer we bring a teacher, in one message, before anyone books a call. Free for teachers — academies pay us, never you.

Common questions

Is a higher salary in Seoul worth it?

Sometimes. Rent, transport and everyday costs are higher, and if housing is provided the Seoul premium shrinks a lot. Compare what you keep, not what you are offered.

Do I get paid during my first month before the ARC arrives?

Yes — your pay date is set by the contract, not by the ARC. Bring enough to cover the first few weeks before your bank account and card are set up.

Can I get the pension money back when I leave?

It depends on your nationality and the agreement between Korea and your country. Check that specifically for your passport rather than relying on what another teacher tells you.

Should I take an offer without housing?

You can, if the allowance is genuinely enough for that district and you are comfortable finding a place. For a first contract in Korea, provided housing removes a lot of risk.