In a research paper entitled “Why Japan Needs English” done by Liang Morita, an associate professor under the Department of Comparative Culture at Nagoya University, she states that the English language is Japan’s key to unlocking the country’s initial path to true globalization.

Japan’s government appears to share the same sentiment as Morita. Over the years, the country has made multiple significant efforts in creating initiatives that promote the teaching of the English language. One of those programs being the popular Japan Exchange and Teaching Programme (JET).

Even companies have taken notice of the benefits of developing their skills in the language, as more and more companies are beginning to expand internationally. More businesses are now also offering English language teaching services to students and even professionals.

This could be the perfect opportunity for English teachers to capitalize on, as the demand for their expertise and knowledge is currently at an all-time high in the Land of the Rising Sun.

The job title of “English Teacher” might already seem to be specific, but there are actually numerous types of English teachers in Japan. There are also different types of platforms that English educators can teach, meaning that rates for the several kinds of English teachers are varied. But how much do English teachers actually earn on average?

JET Programme Teachers

Teachers and assistant language teachers under the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme are given quite the compensation for their efforts.

First-year teachers earn 280,000 JPY per month or 3,360,000 per year. Meanwhile, longer-tenured educators who are in their fourth and fifth years earn a minimum of 330,000 JPY monthly or an equivalent of 3,960,000 annually. JET Programme will also pay for the teachers’ back-and-forth airfare if they were to return to their home countries.

Aside from the monetary income and airfare benefits that they will receive, the JET Programme will also shoulder the teachers’ insurance and expenses for flights related to work. These trips include conferences, training, orientations, and other school-related activities.

Teachers of Dispatch Companies

Dispatch companies recruit teachers from both overseas and within Japan and assign them to different schools all around the Land of the Rising Sun, with the majority of the teachers being dispatched to public schools.

Teachers who belong to these companies are expected to earn a starting monthly wage of 212,000 JPY or 2,544,000 JPY per year. Some dispatch companies look for teachers who have great teaching backgrounds and impressive qualifications and offer them up to 255,000 JPY per month or just over 3,000,000 JPY a year.

Dispatch companies provide similar benefits to the JET Programme. Plus they help teachers with their lodging concerns, even going so far as to set them up with an affordable apartment near their assigned school.

English Conversation Teachers

Eikaiwa or English Conversation Schools have become quite popular in Japan. Due to the influence of foreign companies in recent years and local businesses seeing the potential of conducting partnerships with these foreign firms, many businessmen are now taking the time in learning the English language.

Eikaiwa is perfect for businessmen because the schools conduct classes after working hours or after 17:00. They even have classes during weekends, which means businessmen don’t need to worry about their scheduling.

English Conversation Schools’ teachers have an average monthly salary of about 250,000 JPY or 3,000,000 yearly. But some teachers could get offered up to 277,000 JPY a month (3,324,000 JPY per year), depending on which Eikaiwa schools they belong to.

Business English School teachers

Huge corporations are also aware of the impacts of their staff learning English. Corporations don’t just request their employees to join language classes after work. They go to the lengths of hiring teachers to privately tutor employees in the English language.

And unsurprisingly, teachers are given just compensation by big corporations for their expertise. On-call and part-time teachers could earn 3,800 JPY per hour for their services, but some Business English Schools pay full-time teachers 270,000 JPY every month or over 3,000,000 JPY a year.

University Teachers

The consensus is that if you want your teaching career trajectory to move upward, then being a part of a university staff should be your goal. Japanese universities are known to give teachers higher salaries compared to the previous programs and companies mentioned.

For short-term teachers, they will likely receive 270,000 JPY per month for performing their duties. But some universities offer full-time faculty members up to 523,800 JPY per month or over 6,200,000 JPY annually.

That is 2,000,000 JPY more than the average annual salary in Japan, which is just a notch above 4,000,000 JPY.

Conclusion

In Liang Morita’s research, she adamantly states that Japan needs to truly embrace the English language to make the country better. She says that rather than just learning it on a surface level, Japan needs to accept English and realize its importance as a global language. In the face of globalization, Japan’s English teachers are at the forefront of the country’s international development.

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