The Foreigner's Guide to Living in Slovakia

In my first blog about teaching English in Slovakia, I talked about:

• TEFL certification
• looking for a job in Slovakia
  
  

In this blog I’d like to talk about the following:

• what is a “typical” teaching salary in Bratislava and other parts of the county, and how does this compare with the cost of living
• what is the difference in salaries between public and private schools

I’m a bit reluctant to estimate teaching salaries because these numbers are always so fluid. Additionally, everything depends on a person’s level of experience. Still, these estimates are meant to give an idea. (Note: all numbers are before taxes.)

I did a quick search on Profesia, a Slovak job search site, for English teachers and found two ads that listed salaries. One job was for teaching at a private high school in Bratislava. They offer 20,000sk to 30,000sk. Another ad for a private language school in Bratislava offers 270-450 Sk for a 60-minute class. For a “native speaker” of English with some experience, I wouldn’t accept less than 350sk for a 60-minute lesson.

For someone who is moving to Slovakia for the first time, I would recommend considering teaching jobs outside of Bratislava. Why? Most private language schools outside of Bratislava are more willing to work with new applicants who need help with obtaining work visas, and also, they often provide living arrangements as part of the salary. I know of a private school in the town of Kežmarok – a pretty and quaint mountain town – that provides housing, and also offers 200sk per 60-minute lesson. If average work week for a teacher is 20 lessons, this adds up to about 16,000sk a month, and if housing is already included that could be quite a comfortable life.

Housing may be a major factor when considering where to work. Though the costs of living are typically cheaper in Slovakia than in many western European countries, rent in Bratislava is high. Of course rent in Bratislava will depend on the location and the size of the property, but expect to pay anywhere from 11,000 to 14,000sk a month for a single bedroom apartment in an average location (i.e. outside of the city center). The cost of rent could easily be half your monthly salary or more. That’s not a situation anyone would like to see for themselves.

I would like to mention the difference in salaries between private and public schools. As mentioned above, a private language school typically offers between 20,000 and 30,000sk a month for a full time teacher. A public school such as a university for instance, which is funded by the state, typically can offer a teacher from 12,000 to 15,000sk a month. That’s just about half of what a private school offers and is the reason why people who want to spend only a year or two in Slovakia would not consider teaching at a public school.

In the third blog of teaching in Slovakia, I’ll talk about the legal issues of obtaining visas.

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