Teacher Salary In Russia is the average salary of a teacher in Russia. The median income for teachers can vary greatly based on a number of factors including education, experience, and occupation.
How much does a Russian Teacher make?
As of Jun 23, 2022, the average annual pay for a Russian Teacher in the United States is $41,053 a year.
Just in case you need a simple salary calculator, that works out to be approximately $19.74 an hour. This is the equivalent of $789/week or $3,421/month.
Teacher salary in Russia
Teacher salary varies depends on school type and their requirements.
Russia doesn’t have a government program of hiring English speaking teachers. So, available vacancies are spread between language schools, international schools and kindergartens. Most of vacancies are for ESL teachers and available in two major cities — Moscow and Saint-Petersburg.
English Language Schools
The first is a dedicated English language school like English First, Language Link, or their local Russian competitors. They focus on teaching English to Russians of all ages, but they are not part of a school curriculum. All of the students are there because they choose to be (or their parents force them). The salaries at these language schools are typically what we quoted above – 70,000 – 100,000 rubles (around $1000 – $1300 USD ) per month.
The requirements to teach English at a language school in Russia are relatively lax compared to most countries. To get a job, you need either a bachelor’s degree or a TEFL certificate. If you have neither, all is not lost, but it will be harder.
There is not much room for advancement at these schools and most people use them to get their bearings in Russia. You rarely see experienced teachers at these schools because it doesn’t make much sense. After you understand the local English teaching scene you will find other opportunities. Some people go to work as a corporate English teacher at a big Russian company, a private international school, or work 100% freelance.
Private International Schools
The second option is working as a teacher at an international school in Moscow or other Russian cities. The salaries at the international schools in Moscow are much higher than in language schools. Depending on the school you can expect to earn between $1500 and $5000.
The key difference is that when you teach English in Russia at an international school, they want you to be a qualified teacher in your home country. Some international schools require teaching experience as well.
You will also be teaching a relatively strict curriculum at an international school. The highest-paid teachers are those who actually teach a subject like math, science, or social studies. Therefore, it makes sense they would make more money.
There are also a number of perks that come with teaching at an international school like private medical insurance, flights home once a year, and nicer housing.
Possible employment options for a teacher
1. Big schools chains: English First, Language Link etc.
High level of organization but low salaries and lots of working hours. Typical contract includes separate room as an accomodation and up to 1000 USD a month. Big schools can also provide TEFL certification before teaching semester.
2. Middle-size and small schools
Level of organization depends heavily on the owner or manager you’re working. Salaries are higher but rarely exceed 1500 USD a month. Sometimes the school helps to find accomodation and provide medical insurance.
The biggest problem of small schools are “last minute calls” with an aim to place a new client in your tomorrow schedule and long-time commutes.
3. Kindergartens
Some kindergartens give a chance to recently graduated teachers and provide competitive wages, comparable to salaries in middle-size schools. We recommend to get experience of teaching and classroom management in the school, as in the kindergarten there’s few to no chance for academic support.
4. International Schools
The most lucrative salaries are provided by international schools and starts from 2500 USD a month and goes up to 5000 USD. Previous experience and advanced teaching qualification (PGCE, QTS) is highly preferred.
Look at other options to teach in Russia.
Teacher job benefits in Russia
Benefits list for average language school or kindergarten in Russia includes work visa and provided accommodation or accommodation allowance, state medical insurance. Check if a school provides Russian-speaking assistant, otherwise it’s hard to solve even simple problems like broken Wi-fi.
Usually, the longer the list of benefits — the longer the list of requirements.
Higher salaries and a wide range of benefits provided by international schools with highly competitive selection. Conditions include medical insurance, housing, flight reimbursement, wellness programs, paid leaves etc.
School requirements in Russia
In general, schools require Bachelor’s Degree in any field and some teaching experience. Some positions are available for native speakers of English with ESL certification — TEFL, TESOL, CELTA etc. Due to high demand, short interviews as “Are you a native speaker of English — you are accepted” is still possible, but more exception than a rule. These schools don’t usually provide any benefits, even a working visa and fixed salary.
International schools in Russia accept qualified teachers with matching degree, e.g. B.Ed., and international work experience. Professional certificates — PGCE, QTS etc. or teaching license from other country will be a plus for any ESL school and basic requirement for international school
