Why teach internationally? If you’ve ever taught in the US or generally read about the state of education in the US (the UK isn’t much better, I gather), then you might understand where this post is coming from. We’re here to tell you why you should think about teaching internationally. As a teaching couple who’s done both, let us make our case for teaching abroad.
Why Teach Internationally? – US Teacher Salaries
Teaching salaries in the US are stagnant, especially compared to rising rent, inflation, student loans, and the education requirements to be a teacher and maintain licensure. According to a USA Today article on the US education crisis, “Nearly 1 in 5 teachers have a job outside the school system, according to recent federal survey data. That’s on top of spending 52 hours weekly in their teaching position (fewer than half of which they spent actually teaching).” This is unacceptable, embarrassing, and as good a reason to leave as any. Salaries have not kept up with inflation, and over the past ten years, the average teacher salary has gone down when adjusted for inflation.
Teachers, like all professionals, deserve to be compensated for their work in a way that shows the value of that work. You’re not any less committed to the well-being of your students for wanting to be adequately compensated. In fact, not having to worry about your finances can make you a better teacher: according to a survey conducted by Bankrate, 52% of respondents mentioned money as the most significant cause of their mental health issues, including anxiety, increased stress, difficulty sleeping, and depression. If your mental health is not at its best, you’re going to be a less effective teacher, and your quality of life will suffer. International schools create compensation packages that focus on financial well-being so that, to the best of their ability, teachers can focus on their craft with minor financial concerns.
This is not to say you can’t do well in education in the US. Some states pay incredibly well. The National Education Association (NEA) offers a detailed analysis of teacher salaries in every state. And yes, education generally comes with extensive breaks and, usually, great perks, i.e., healthcare and pension. However, for many, those salaries are still not enough. According to the NEA, “Nearly half of all educators took out student loans to pay for college, and they still owe $58,700, on average. Among them, one in seven still owes more than $105,000, according to new NEA research.” So, how do these salaries play into teaching abroad?
Teacher Salaries Abroad
You may wonder if your international teaching salary will be higher than yours back home. The answer is…maybe. It all depends on where you are. Asia and the Middle East usually pay more than Western Europe and Latin America. Sometimes these salaries might be higher than yours at home. However, depending on your location, they may also be less. Yet international salaries are based on more than just pure salary. Let’s take a look at why.
International Teacher Perks
While you may make less abroad (in pure salary) than at home, you’ll likely save more. So beyond just a salary, the financial perks associated with international schools help to us to answer the question: Why teach internationally?
Taxes
For US citizens, at the very least, you’re unlikely to pay taxes when you’re abroad. This is due to an IRS rule called the Foreign Earned Income Exclusion. You, as a single or family, are allowed to make up a certain amount of money each year internationally without paying tax on it. You need to meet some requirements, but you’ll meet them as you move abroad. Not paying federal income tax (note some states do still require you to pay state income tax – I believe California might be one) can significantly boost your overall income. No income tax can mean 10-15% more in take-home pay.
However, not paying federal taxes does not mean that, as a US citizen, you will not need to file taxes. No matter where you live in the world, US citizens will need to file taxes. We recommend hiring a tax professional to help with your expat taxes, especially if you have dual income (e.g., a non-working spouse or passive income), own or rent a place back in your home country, or something else.
TieTax is an excellent option as it focuses almost entirely on expat taxes. We have used TieTax to file foreign taxes while living in different countries and have never had issues with it. As of this writing, I am unsure if they work with Australians or UK citizens on their taxes, but even if they don’t, they almost certainly know someone who does.
Most international schools will quote salaries after tax, giving you a more realistic idea of your take-home pay. In any case, you will see detailed deductions in your pay stubs. You must contribute to some countries’ local Social Security or pension schemes.
Disclaimer: We are not tax or financial professionals. We recommend discussing your financial situation with a tax or accounting professional, whether you are already abroad or planning on going out.
Housing Allowances
Along with taxes, paying for housing is one of the most significant expenses people have is housing. Home prices have fluctuated wildly in the last few years, and in major US cities, rents have skyrocketed.
According to Nerdwallet,
The price of asking rents increased by 0.5% from February to March — the second monthly increase since September 2022, according to the real estate website Zillow’s rental report for March 2023. The previous month-over-month increase in February was 0.3%. The March 2023 increase is slightly lower than the typical March increase of 0.6%, averaged over data from 2016 to 2019, according to Zillow.
Typical asking rents are now $1,996, a 6% increase compared with the same time last year. Rent growth, overall, has been slowing since its 17.0% year-over-year peak growth in February 2022. The following are the latest increases and declines from Zillow’s analysis of housing data:
via Nerdwallet
Nearly every international school (at least the ones you want to work at and are not in Western Europe) will offer you housing. In some cases, you’ll be given school-provided housing; in others, you’ll get a stipend to help you find a place.
Along with an extra take-home you get from no taxes, imagine you pay $1200 a month in rent (or perhaps you rent out a home you own for $1200). That’s an extra $14,400 a year in overall pay. Imagine working in Kansas with ten years of experience, making $45,000 gross. Your average monthly salary might be around $3,400 a month or $40,800 a year. Take out rent (we’ll be conservative and say $800 a month), car payment, and insurance (again, conservatively, we’ll say $200), and suddenly you are at $2,400 a month or $28,800.
If you opt to teach internationally, odds are you likely not have the tax, housing, or car payments, meaning your $45,000 salary is precisely that – $45,000. While the salary may not be triple figures, the savings you can rack up from not paying rent or mortgage can be significant.
Housing is also typically more spacious than you may be able to afford in certain locations in the US. Families will typically have at least two bedrooms (most commonly three, depending on the number of children the school can hire you with), and singles will typically be in 1-2 bedroom apartments, with no roommates. If you’re a single teacher who dreams of having their own place, teaching internationally will allow for that. However, at least in the first year, new teachers will be housed in close proximity: imagine living in your own place but being able to walk to your besties’ places that came in with you in your cohort. The best of both worlds.
If you have a mortgage and wish you could put a little bit extra towards paying off your place, teaching internationally could be a great opportunity to work towards that goal since you may have a significantly greater portion of your take-home pay as disposable income, thanks to all the expenses covered by schools as part of your benefits package.
If you love teaching but want to find a better solution to your housing or mortgage situation, take a look internationally.
Flights
One drawback of living and teaching internationally is moving away from family and friends. Sure, you could fly home for every break you have, but that can be very expensive, and isn’t part of the point of moving abroad the ability to travel?
A reputable school will not only fly you over at the onset of your contract but also provide annual home airfare at the end of the academic year. Most schools will calculate the stipend amount based on the cost of a round-trip, economy-class ticket to the nearest international airport to your home of record. There are a couple of ways this usually happens:
- *Best Option* Lump sum for your annual leave stipend – Your school provides you with a stipend to spend essentially how you see fit, be it on flights, hotels, or just paying down debt or adding to your savings. This method offers teachers the most flexibility in their flights. It might not, however, cover everything you want, as these numbers can change from year to year.
- School-Provided Ticket – Some schools will purchase a ticket on your behalf to your home of record. This option is less than ideal as it means that money must be used for travel, and you have little to no say in the flights and can use it for something else.
Generally, these flights are offered at the end of each academic year. Some schools are happy to readjust and offer them during the winter holidays if you want to travel home instead. In most cases, you can choose your preferred airline, which can help with racking up those miles for future travel.
Be sure to discuss with your school how flights are calculated for children, particularly those who may not require their own seats just yet.
Non-Teacher Perks
Aside from the financial perks outlined above, some of the best parts of teaching internationally are the experiences and opportunities that will become available to you. Let’s take a look at two of the most influential.
Why Teach Internationally? Travel Opportunities
If you’re considering teaching internationally, chances are you’re interested in travel. Travel is perhaps the biggest bonus to working and living in a new country and, in our opinion, the best answer to: why teach internationally?
Imagine you live in California and would like to fly to Europe or Asia. Not only are these flights not cheap but they are long! A Los Angeles to Paris nonstop flight is 10.5 hours there and 11.5 back! Not short! Los Angeles to Hong Kong? 15 and 13 hours nonstop! Now, serious travelers make these flights, but wouldn’t it be easier to be closer?
Imagine, instead, you live in Hong Kong. Japan is a short 4-hour flight. Bangkok is only a little over 2.5! Or if you’re in Dubai, Europe, Africa, and other parts of Asia, it is attainable within 5-6 hours!
Specific locations abroad also provide more airline options, including low-cost airlines, if that is how you prefer to travel or save money, which also opens up your opportunities to travel. Not to mention that, in comparison to the US, high-end or even luxury hotel experiences may become much more affordable, especially in the off-season.
For example, we are staying at the St. Regis in Abu Dhabi this upcoming August for $225/night. St. Regis hotels are five-star hotels wherever they are, and you will get the corresponding service. On the other hand, one night at the Residence Inn Marriott in Downtown Seattle (a 3-star hotel) costs $303 in late June. We’d be paying more to stay in a much less nice hotel. This is no shade to either of these hotels; they’re both in the Marriott family, and we’re members. Still, a significant difference in price and amenities helps illustrate how much more accessible luxury can be outside of the US.
Teaching internationally not only affords you the ability to save more for travel but can significantly reduce the cost and time of travel. If you enjoy experiencing new places, relaxing on a beach, or trying new cuisines, then teaching abroad may be just the thing for you.
Experiences – Cultural, Culinary, Linguistically, and More
Teaching internationally will allow you to travel and have experiences you wouldn’t usually have at home. Moving abroad will allow you to try new foods, explore history in a new way, speak, meet wonderful new people, or hear and speak new languages.
No travel experience or move abroad will change a person overnight dramatically, but it can help open your mind and cause some deep reflection. All the experiences you’ll have will help you expand your worldview. They won’t all be wonderful experiences. When you move abroad or travel extensively, you will feel lonely or frustrated. We recommend reading through our culture shock page to understand what can happen in a new place.
Ultimately, these experiences will make you more open-minded and empathetic. In our nearly 15 years overseas), we’ve learned that there is rarely, if ever, one right way for something to be done. We’ve learned that no country is perfect, and each has its own pros and cons. We’ve also confirmed that the vast majority of people are just doing their best and trying to go on about their lives being good people, even when the bad people make more noise. These reflections, which you will have, help us to be more introspective and make us better educators and, hopefully, better people.
Final Thoughts on ‘Why Teach Internationally?’
Moving to a new country takes courage. You may not know what to expect or how things will turn out, but we believe it will benefit you.
We’ve covered some of the significant benefits of moving and teaching internationally, but you’ll likely find more, like new friends from wonderful new places!
If you’d like to learn more, please visit our main page, Getting Started in International Education, or schedule a call with us to talk through any options or questions you might have about the world of international schools.
Great post. For those of you thinking about teaching overseas, I suggest you stop thinking and start doing it. It’s been my single most significant life changing experience. I’ve been teaching overseas (mostly in Asia) for 22 years and can’t imagine ever going back to public school teaching in Australia.
Thanks for the comment and I completely agree! We’ve been teaching internationally for the the last 15 years, all over the place. We also can’t imagine ever going back!