The International Schools Review Forum

I'm in love with Paris and I wanna move there to teach Math. In French or English it doesn't matter - whichever language pays more haha

Realistically, anywhere in northern France is okay since I have family in Belgium and Germany I'd like to visit on the weekends.

Anyway, I know it's too late for this year so I'm just basically gathering info for next year.

What sort of beginner salary could I expect if I have a Masters Degree with about a decade of secondary school teaching experience but none of it abroad?

What is the maximum I can strive for after about 5 years of IS experience?

Poverty wages, I’m afraid. You may work in Paris but doubtful that you’ll be able to live in the city.
Everyone (so it seems) wants to live their Paris dream, no matter the cost. Therefore Paris schools have no need to pay a living wage.

Too true, unfortunately. You'll find a recent thread on Paris on the paid side of this site.

Theres a long line of ITs that want to live the same dream as you.

Whats your citizenship?

If youre an EU citizen, than just move to Paris, there are only a handful of ISs that advertise on the circuit, the vast majority are LHs and youll need to be there to interview and already have a right to work. Even then you will find opportunities very narrow, regulated/public DSs will require you to have one of several credentials, and they are not east to get. This leaves you with the private/independent DSs and a handful of ISs and except for the elite tier ISs, those DSs have little incentive to pay good coin.

If youre not an EU citizen, than you probably wont get much of anything, the ISs on the circuit have a strong preference for those with valid working papers and only in the most desperate scenarios will they be able to sponsor a visa outside of a couple elite tier ISs.

Vacancies generally dont hit the circuit until late April, Early May in alignment with the spring hiring rush.

You could not pay me 100,000 euros to work in the main international schools in Paris. I'd rather work in Genoa, and that might be a living nightmare.

@reisgio

How about €200K, maybe €500K, €1M to teach in Paris?

@PsyGuy

I would do €500K if single, €1M if I had one or more dependents.

I was in Paris a couple of times and I didn't like the city. I mean, yeah, the Eiffel Tower, Louvre, it's all great. But the city was quite dirty. I even didn't want to go there again when I was applying for college. I just sent them. Checked postal codes, Education is great, no doubt. But during it, I lived in outskirts.

In all seriousness, why would some of you never consider Paris schools? Is it the quality of the schools or the quality of life in Paris for the pittance that you are being paid? From what I can tell, two schools in town are actually respectable and pay decently. You are not going to get rich working there, but it could be a good quality of life - unless I am missing something...?

@shawanda

The cost of living in the city is so high and the first tier ISs coin is modest at best and the ISs leadership know they can replace you in a hummingbirds heartbeat.

@PsyGuy

How would you counter if I told you that at one of those top schools in Paris, many expat employs stay for 15+ years. At that point, if you see yourself as capable of pulling that off and not being replaced so fast (like you posit), wouldn't there be some up side to working at that school and living in Paris. It can't be that bad with relatively long tenures of a diverse mix of expat employees. Can it?

@shawanda

They get to live and work in Paris, what else are they going to do, where do they go 'up too' and stay in Paris.

I think most teachers look for (in no particular order): (1) a good school, (2) an interesting city/country/region to live, (3) good savings potential.

If at the right school, you can get 2 out of 3 in Paris, which isn't bad at all, and that might be why some people stay so long.
Those who prioritize savings potential will leave soon, or never apply there to begin with.

There are some gems in Paris. I won't name them here, but yes... they are there. PsyGuy is 100% correct in his last statement. If you are lucky enough to live and work in Paris, most fall in love with the quality of life and see no reason to leave because, as PsyGuy says, "Where do they go 'up go'?

@shawanda

Having worked and lived in Europe for years, and being in an international marriage myself, I am guessing that many of those are tied to France for family/spousal reasons.