The sinking ALT salary

The gold standard - The JET Programme

Back in the early 2000s when I first arrived in Japan, the JET Programme salary was attractive because the yen was higher than the Canadian dollar. Then, the salary was comparable to or higher than those on offer from English language schools in Canada. The timing was right for a challenging cultural and educational experience abroad.

Getting in the genkan at Japan's schools, photo

When I participated in the JET Programme, the salary was flat, but in subsequent years, a graduated salary was imposed. From the first to fifth year, the salary ranges from 3.36 to 3.96 million yen a year (up to 330,000 yen a month). In addition, many JET participants get subsidies for housing. The salary gives participants a lot of discretionary income. I could fund domestic travel and pursue cultural activities - tea ceremony and martial arts training. This is what the Japanese government built the program for - cultivating soft power by inviting young people from abroad to experience and promote Japan.

A good start

When people abroad ask about how to get into Japan right out of school or as a break from a career, I point them to The JET Programme. It’s true that the application process requires considerable paperwork, a long wait, and tempered expectations (it’s a lottery depending on the volume of applicants and the hiring committee’s attitude). But it’s the only good way for young, inexperienced, and unqualified people to get a taste of Japan’s education system from the inside while earning a living wage.

Just as I was starting my JET sojourn as an ALT (assistant language teacher), Japan’s government broadened the laws for dispatch employment which allowed companies to hire ALTs from abroad outside of the JET Programme scheme. I wrote about the program’s history and the issues in 2022 - read up on the The ALT Job’s Current Reality Part 1 and Part 2.

The sinking dispatch salary

A glance at job-finding websites in 2023 reveals that some dispatch company salaries are rock bottom, sometimes hovering at 200,000 yen a month. Yes, you can live on that salary as a single person in a smaller city with a lower cost of living than big centers such as Tokyo or Osaka. But the reality is, that a significant chunk of municipal budgets allocated for ALT hires goes into the pocket of a company and the ALTs receive minimal support in return. These companies depend on a high turnover. They can replace you with a fresh batch at a lower salary.

The real “foot in the door”

You’ll see many comments on social media using this tired expression, and just as many countering that dispatch ALT jobs are none of the sort. A real “foot in the door’ to working in a stimulating teaching position with security and decent compensation depends on qualifications and experience. Some of my colleagues have done it the hard way, completing advanced degrees or licenses while living on tight budgets and working. Others arrived with substantial CVs in hand and were able to establish careers in private high schools and universities. Good positions are out there if you have the skills and qualifications.