Best place to teach English in China. Do you want to know what city is the best place to teach in China? Let's have a look at different criteria you might want to take into account and review the most popular destinations in China.
It's hard to decide what location to prioritize during your job search, especially if you haven't been to China before. Many teachers put "Beijing" and "Shanghai" as defaults - but in my opinion it's worth doing some research to make sure your teaching experience in China matches your expectations.Usually, there are quite a few teaching jobs available for foreigners in any city with population over a million people, so the question is what place will be the most comfortable for you.
Main factors to take into account when choosing a city
These things are not listed in order of their importance - prioritize them according to your preferences
🏙️ Chinese Cities Tier system
Many economists, consultants, and businesses classify cities in China based on the tier system. Chinese government does not publish or recognize the tier system, however, it is frequently referred to by various media publications. Cities in different tiers reflect differences in consumer behavior, income level, population size, consumer sophistication, infrastructure, talent pool, and business opportunity.
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen are usually included in Tier 1. However For TEFL jobs it would be correct to include Beijing and Shanghai to Tier 0, due to a much higher number of foreigners and competition for jobs. (Source: Reddit)
🌆 Tier 1 cities have a population of 10 million people and more, where there are usually many jobs available, but the competition is a bit lower than in Beijing or Shanghai.
🎡 New Tier 1 cities include major metropolises and provincial-level capitals (Tianjin, Kunming, Chengdu, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Xi'an, Changsha). They provide a fair balance between cost of living, large foreigner community and quality of jobs.
🎢 Tier 2 cities are major cities (>5 million people) that still provide many opportunities and good salaries, along with western style luxuries (not comparable to Shanghai or Beijing, though). Robert Lawrence Kuhn, an American investment banker and author of How China’s Leaders Think, argues that the so-called “second-tier” cities should actually be called “first-class opportunities,” given that these cities have been growth engines of the Chinese economy. Examples: Xiamen, Fuzhou, Wuxi, Hefei, Kunming, Harbin, Jinan, Foshan.
🌉 Tier 3 cities are usually 3 million people and more. You still can get a decent job, but you may not find as many foreigners as in Tier 1-3 cities. Reasons to choose might be a lower cost of living and more opportunities to learn Mandarin (as fewer people, in general, speak English).
If it’s your first time in China, you should probably pick a Tier 1 or a Tier 2. Tier 3 if you know some Mandarin.
It's hard to decide what location to prioritize during your job search, especially if you haven't been to China before. Many teachers put "Beijing" and "Shanghai" as defaults - but in my opinion it's worth doing some research to make sure your teaching experience in China matches your expectations.Usually, there are quite a few teaching jobs available for foreigners in any city with population over a million people, so the question is what place will be the most comfortable for you.
Main factors to take into account when choosing a city
These things are not listed in order of their importance - prioritize them according to your preferences
- 💸 Quality of offers
This usually includes types of teaching jobs available, level of compensation, and benefits. - 🏘️ Cost of living
The school will usually provide you with accommodation allowance, but expect your expenses to be higher in bigger cities - up to 9-11k yuan a month after housing, compared to 5-8k yuan in smaller cities. In Beijing and Shanghai schools also tend to provide shared accommodations due to higher rent rates. - 👔 Competition for jobs
This factor is usually underestimated by teachers looking for a first job in China. It's much harder to get a decent job in a city with many candidates who can come over to a school for a demo lesson any day of the week. No need to explain that the best schools prefer to see the teacher before signing the contract and teachers in China have a competitive advantage. - 🤟 Expat community and Luxuries of the Western world
Big cities have big expat groups which make it even more attractive for foreigners and create Western-oriented markets for goods and services. No-brainer. - ☁️ Air quality
Before accepting the offer in China, take a look at our checklist for your contract, download Air Matters (or another app that shows air quality) and check historical data for the selected city.
🏙️ Chinese Cities Tier system
Many economists, consultants, and businesses classify cities in China based on the tier system. Chinese government does not publish or recognize the tier system, however, it is frequently referred to by various media publications. Cities in different tiers reflect differences in consumer behavior, income level, population size, consumer sophistication, infrastructure, talent pool, and business opportunity.
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen are usually included in Tier 1. However For TEFL jobs it would be correct to include Beijing and Shanghai to Tier 0, due to a much higher number of foreigners and competition for jobs. (Source: Reddit)
🌆 Tier 1 cities have a population of 10 million people and more, where there are usually many jobs available, but the competition is a bit lower than in Beijing or Shanghai.
🎡 New Tier 1 cities include major metropolises and provincial-level capitals (Tianjin, Kunming, Chengdu, Suzhou, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Xi'an, Changsha). They provide a fair balance between cost of living, large foreigner community and quality of jobs.
🎢 Tier 2 cities are major cities (>5 million people) that still provide many opportunities and good salaries, along with western style luxuries (not comparable to Shanghai or Beijing, though). Robert Lawrence Kuhn, an American investment banker and author of How China’s Leaders Think, argues that the so-called “second-tier” cities should actually be called “first-class opportunities,” given that these cities have been growth engines of the Chinese economy. Examples: Xiamen, Fuzhou, Wuxi, Hefei, Kunming, Harbin, Jinan, Foshan.
🌉 Tier 3 cities are usually 3 million people and more. You still can get a decent job, but you may not find as many foreigners as in Tier 1-3 cities. Reasons to choose might be a lower cost of living and more opportunities to learn Mandarin (as fewer people, in general, speak English).
If it’s your first time in China, you should probably pick a Tier 1 or a Tier 2. Tier 3 if you know some Mandarin.
