Foreign teachers face tough times in Vietnam as salaries drop

Amy, who has been teaching English in Ho Chi Minh City for nearly two years, is preparing to return to the U.S. due to steadily decreasing salaries for foreign teachers like her. The 30-year-old lamented arriving in Vietnam at what she considers the wrong time, noting that the heyday for “Western teachers” in Vietnam has passed and competition has driven down wages.

“A teacher cannot rely on just one language center,” Amy said. “It’s even tougher for Americans like me.” At public schools, she earns VND350,000 (US$13.70) per teaching hour, which is VND100,000-150,000 higher than at English centers.

The shift towards online teaching during the Covid-19 pandemic further squeezed salaries as schools reduced classes and cut costs.

Stephen Wield, 40, also from the U.S., echoed similar struggles. He has been in HCMC for seven years and saw good times when he earned VND450,000 per teaching hour, affording him a comfortable life. However, since Covid-19 hit and with an economic downturn, full-time teaching opportunities have dwindled. “There’s too much competition now,” he said. “They prefer teachers who fit a certain Western stereotype, which I don’t.”

For the past two years, from April to August, he only received a part-time job, teaching three to five hours a week.

“There is too much competition as more and more foreigners choose Vietnam as their place of residence,” he said. “In reality, they prioritize teachers who have good looks, white, with blue eyes and blonde hair, which I do not meet.”

Both Amy and Wield’s experiences reflect a broader trend affecting foreigners seeking teaching jobs in Vietnam.

A survey by the Teaching English as a Foreign Language (TEFL) community, with 50,000 members, revealed a 50% decrease in available jobs over the past year. The English Teaching Jobs group, with 55,000 members in HCMC, noted a shrinking market for teachers with TESOL, TEFL, and CELTA certifications across Asian countries.

Debra Mann, an administrator in the TEFL community, observed a significant shift. “The pie is getting smaller,” she said, attributing it to declining student enrollments and increased selectivity among employers.

Now, some people are considering moving to other markets like Japan, South Korea, China, and Thailand, she added.

The collapse of the Apax Leaders English center chain further damaged the market’s reputation, leaving many teachers and parents disillusioned.

Apax Leaders, a language school established and owned by businessman Nguyen Ngoc Thuy, failed to pay salaries to expatriate teachers and refund tuition fees to parents, leading to financial strain and mistrust. The company promised payments during the pandemic but fell behind, causing severe anxiety and legal challenges for staff. Parents were also left without promised refunds for their children.

Jenny Petrova, a 43-year-old Russian with a teaching background, arrived in Vietnam with high hopes but faced rejection after sending out 100 job applications over nearly a year. Despite a bachelor’s degree in education, a TEFL certificate, and seven years of experience, Petrova struggled to find stable employment, even considering positions in suburban and rural areas.

Petrova’s perseverance underscores the harsh reality of the job market, where competition remains fierce and job security elusive. Despite the challenges, she remains determined to stay in Vietnam, learning Vietnamese to enhance her prospects.

A part of a rented apartment where Jenny Petrova currently lives with her son in HCMC’s Tan Binh District. Photo courtesy of Petrova

She wanted to find a stable job that would support a work visa. Each day, she sent out two to four emails to recruiters in various fields but still received no response. So far, Petrova has only been invited by a few schools to work as a teaching assistant or to substitute for teachers on sick leave.

Last month, she received two job offers. One place wanted her to sign a contract for 100 teaching hours per month, with a salary of VND8 million, but they promised that in reality, they would pay her VND33 million, which Petrova described as “had no basis to believe.”

Another place wanted her to work on probation in a remote province for ten days. She would pay for her own travel and accommodation costs, and received no salary for that period.

She refused the offer even though her savings were running low.

“The job market here is too harsh,” I feel lost,” said the 43-year-old Russian woman, who currently rents a place to live in HCMC’s Tan Binh District. But I truly love Vietnam and want to stay here for a long time.”