How to get an English teaching job in China in 2027
China still has more English teaching jobs than almost anywhere in Asia, and some of the best-paid ones. It also has the most paperwork and the most recruiters standing between you and the actual school. This guide sums up what we saw while checking China job ads for our pack, plus the official rules behind them. It's written for people planning a move in 2027.
Our numbers come from the 18 listings in our China pack, verified as of 2026-10-22. Job ads change fast, so treat every figure as a snapshot, not a promise. Rules also differ by city and province: always confirm the current requirements with your employer and the official sources linked below.
Requirements: degree, TEFL, experience and passport
A bachelor's degree
You need one. Beijing's official work permit guidance says a foreign language teacher should teach their native language and hold a bachelor's degree or above (Beijing work permit guidance, point 6). The same page sets a general age limit of 60 for this route, and many ads we checked use 55 or 60 as a cut-off.
Two years' experience, or a TEFL instead
The official rule asks for at least two years of language-teaching experience, but you can skip the experience proof if you have a degree in education, language or pedagogy, a teaching qualification from your home country, or an international language-teaching certificate such as a TEFL. In practice almost every ad we checked asks for a 120-hour TEFL, TESOL or CELTA, and some still ask for two years of work experience on top. Bilingual and international schools usually want a teaching licence and classroom experience.
Passport
Because the rule is about teaching your native language, most employers only hire English teachers with passports from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or South Africa, and some cities are stricter than that. Ads aimed at "anyone, any nationality" don't fit these rules and deserve extra caution.
Documents you'll be asked for
- Your degree, authenticated for use in China. China joined the Apostille Convention on 7 November 2023, so for most countries an apostille from your home country now replaces consular legalisation (Chinese Embassy in the US: notice on the end of consular authentication).
- A clean criminal record check from your home country, apostilled. Ask your employer how recent it must be.
- Your TEFL or teaching certificate and, if needed, reference letters proving experience.
- A medical check, usually redone after arrival.
Visa and work permit basics
The order matters, and the employer drives it:
- Your school applies for your work permit. You then receive a Notification Letter of Foreigner's Work Permit.
- You apply for a Z visa at a Chinese embassy or visa centre with that letter, your passport, photo and the online application form (Chinese Embassy: Z visa requirements).
- Within 30 days of arriving you apply for a residence permit for work at the local public security exit-entry office, and you finish converting the notification into a work permit (State Council: Guide to Working and Living in China).
Working on a tourist, business or student visa isn't legal, whatever a recruiter says. Almost every legitimate ad in our pack says the employer provides or reimburses the Z visa, work permit and residence permit; a few roles only hire people already in China with a transferable permit.
Typical salary ranges
These are ranges stated in the ads we checked (monthly and before tax unless the ad said otherwise). Big international school groups sometimes only publish an annual USD band, and a few give no number at all.
| Type of job | What the ads said |
|---|---|
| Language and training centres | About 14,000 to 25,000 RMB per month (for example Best Promise 18,000 to 21,000; Giraffe Inspire 20,000 to 23,000; Storyland 22,500 base). Xueersi English (TAL) advertised 25,000 to 35,000 RMB. |
| Kindergartens | About 16,000 to 30,000 RMB per month in the ads we saw, with the top end in tier-1 cities. |
| University and joint programmes | Wide range: QIBA in Tianjin 14,000 RMB; the SHOU AIEN programme in Shanghai 20,000 RMB; Victoria University English paid about AUD 1,250 per teaching week. |
| Bilingual and international schools | About 21,000 RMB per month (Yiling Tianwen) up to USD 55,000 to 65,000 per year (BASIS bilingual schools, as listed on Teachaway). |
Smaller cities often pay less, around 10,000 to 15,000 RMB in the ads we saw, but more often include a free apartment. Compare the whole package, not just the headline.
Types of jobs
- Training centres (kids and teens): the biggest group. Evenings and weekends, short holidays (often 10 to 21 days), hiring all year.
- Kindergartens: daytime hours, often well paid in big cities, sometimes a homeroom role.
- Public schools: usually filled through agencies; long paid holidays but lower pay.
- Universities and joint programmes: academic English, often want a master's degree or teaching qualification.
- Bilingual and international schools: the best packages, but they want licensed, experienced teachers.
Cost of living and what packages cover
What you spend depends far more on your city and your package than on your salary. From the ads we checked:
- Housing is often covered: a free apartment, or a housing allowance of about 1,800 to 5,000 RMB per month.
- Flights are often reimbursed with an allowance of roughly 4,000 to 13,000 RMB a year, usually paid after you finish the contract.
- A completion bonus of about one month's salary is common.
- Visa and permit costs are usually paid or reimbursed by the employer, sometimes only after probation.
Tier-1 cities such as Shanghai, Beijing and Shenzhen pay more but rent there is much higher if housing isn't included. Budget for a deposit, the first month's living costs before payday, and a buffer in case anything goes wrong. Our first-two-weeks arrival guide covers police registration, the residence permit, bank and SIM.
How hiring works, and when
- Spring term starts. October and November are the main recruiting window for February and March 2027 starts.
- The 2027 to 2028 school year. International school groups such as BASIS were already hiring for July and August 2027 when we checked.
- Training centres hire all year, often "ASAP".
- Where the ads are. Most listings we checked were on Dave's ESL Cafe, Teachaway, Serious Teachers, TEFL.com and employers' own careers pages.
- The process. CV and photo, one or two online interviews, often a demo lesson, then an offer and the permit paperwork, which can take a couple of months. Start early. Our interview tips guide covers the interview and demo lesson.
How to spot scams and bad offers
Most of the problems we ran into were recruiter-related, not outright fraud. Watch for:
- No school named. About 60% of China board posts we saw were agency blasts covering many cities. You can't check an employer you can't name.
- Placement or "program" fees. A real employer doesn't charge you to get hired (FTC: Job scams).
- "Come on a tourist or business visa, we'll sort it later." That means working illegally.
- Contact details that don't match. Personal Gmail or QQ addresses for a "government" or school poster, or a different email on the ad than on the school's official site.
- Contradictions. A city, province or start date that changes between versions of the same ad, or a start date that has already passed.
- Vague relocation terms, such as "candidates must financially support relocation", and age or appearance wording.
Before you sign, check the school's real address and website, ask to talk to a current foreign teacher, and get the salary, hours, holidays, housing and who pays for the permit written into a contract with the actual school.
FAQ
Do I need a degree to teach English in China?
Yes. Official work permit guidance for foreign language teachers requires a bachelor's degree or above. Offers without one usually mean working without a legal permit.
Do I need two years of experience?
The official rule asks for two years of language-teaching experience, but a TEFL or similar international teaching certificate, a home-country teaching qualification, or an education or language degree can replace the experience proof. Some employers still ask for experience anyway.
How much do English teachers earn in China?
In the ads we checked in October 2026, training centres paid about 14,000 to 25,000 RMB a month, some large chains up to 35,000, and bilingual or international schools from about 21,000 RMB a month to USD 55,000 to 65,000 a year. Many packages add housing or a housing allowance.
Which visa do I need?
A Z visa, applied for with the Notification Letter of Foreigner's Work Permit your employer obtains, followed by a residence permit within 30 days of arrival. Tourist, business and student visas don't allow you to work.
Can non-native speakers get a job?
Rarely, for English teaching. The work permit rule is about teaching your native language, so most employers only hire passport holders from the US, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland or South Africa.
Does buying a job pack guarantee a job?
No. Our packs are curated lists of public job postings with links to the originals; you apply directly to employers. We are not a recruiter, and there is no job or visa guarantee.
Sources
- Beijing Municipal Government: Work permit for foreigners, points for attention (official English page)
- Embassy of the People's Republic of China: Z visa requirements
- State Council of the PRC (english.gov.cn): Guide to Working and Living in China
- Embassy of the PRC in the US: notice on the end of consular authentication after China joined the Apostille Convention
- US Federal Trade Commission: Job scams
- ESL Jobs Asia China pack research: 18 listings checked against their original postings, verified as of 2026-10-22.
This guide is general information, not legal or immigration advice. Rules and job ads change; confirm details with your employer and the official sources.