Let's face it, most of us didn't get into the ELT industry for the money. In my case, going to Spain meant that I could live in a great country, learn some Spanish, do what I love, and be with my girlfriend (now wife, Kate).
At that time, Spain was the only country where we could both work legally. I am a European citizen so it was easy for me to move there, while my wife was accepted on a program called, Auxilliares de Conversacíon. I had long dreamed of living and working in Spain, so I felt incredibly fortunate that Kate got into this program.
We had a great experience, first in Bilbao and then in Valencia. But, the pay was terrible. Kate's stipend was around $1000 a month, and I brought in just a bit more to begin with. I taught a few private lessons which earned me some extra income, but having to go from place to place limited my ability to teach many lessons in one evening.
The money wasn't the reason we were there; we were looking to have a good time and experience what it was like living in a foreign country. But we soon wanted to settle down and find something that brought in more money.
I had no intention of continuing down a path of little pay. So, I started my own online language school with the initial goal of earning double what I was earning in Spain while working similar hours.
But, before we get into that, let's look at the places abroad where you get paid the most to put things into context.
