TEFL Jobs in Hong Kong
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Teach English in Hong Kong and discover an awe-inspiring skyline that looks incredible at all times of day but especially as the sun begins to set! When you teach in Hong Kong, you can take in epic skyscrapers, shop at bustling Temple Street night-market, dine on sumptuous dim-sum or set sail around the harbor on a junk! Take a look at our exciting teaching jobs in Hong Kong today!
Hong Kong pays well. It also charges well.
The salaries here are among the best in Asia for entry-level teaching, and the headline figures do the recruiting on their own. What decides whether you actually come home with anything is rent — Hong Kong has one of the most expensive housing markets on earth, and unlike Korea or China your employer probably isn't paying it. Understand that trade before you sign and this is a superb place to teach.
- Hong Kong Island
- Kowloon
- New Territories
- Sha Tin
- Tsuen Wan
- Lantau
What you need to teach English in Hong Kong
Hong Kong doesn't publish a TEFL rulebook the way China does. The requirements come from immigration on one side and from the route you choose on the other — and those two bars are very different from each other.
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A bachelor's degree in any subject
What the employment visa is built around. Subject doesn't matter for learning centre and kindergarten work, and you'll need the original certificate plus a transcript when your employer files the application.
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An employer to sponsor your visa
You can't apply independently. Your school submits the application to Immigration, showing why the role suits an overseas hire. Job first, visa second — and don't start work until it's issued.
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A TEFL certificate
Not a legal condition, which is precisely why it decides things. Hong Kong's entry-level market is competitive and well paid, so employers can afford to prefer applicants who arrive already trained.
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For the NET Scheme, considerably more
The government's Native-speaking English Teacher scheme places teachers in public schools on strong packages, and the bar reflects that: a recognised teaching qualification such as a PGCE or PGDE, plus classroom experience. It's a career move, not a first job.
Immigration policy and scheme requirements change, and what an employer can sponsor depends on how they're registered. Talk to our team before committing, and see our guide on how to legalise your TEFL certificate if your school asks for authenticated documents.
Which TEFL course should you take for Hong Kong?
With no legal minimum to clear, the only question that matters is how far your certificate lifts you above the other applicants — and given what Hong Kong pays, a stronger qualification pays for itself faster here than almost anywhere else.
120hr Professional TEFL
£99
The figure employers recognise. Enough to be taken seriously for learning centre and kindergarten roles.
- The standard employers look for
- Finish in 2–4 weeks
- Lifetime access to materials
168hr Level 5 TEFL
£269
Ofqual-regulated and awarded by TQUK. Hong Kong is a credential-literate market with a British education heritage — a regulated UK qualification is understood here in a way an unaccredited certificate simply isn't.
- Regulated, not just accredited
- Strongest position on salary
- A step towards the better schools
170hr Combined TEFL
£279
Includes 20 hours of assessed practice with real ESL learners — worth having, since most Hong Kong interviews include a demo lesson with children.
- Ready for the demo lesson
- Answers the "no experience" objection
- Free lesson plan bundle included
Most entry-level work here is with young learners, so the Early Childhood Education course (£15) is a cheap, sensible add-on. For the corporate market in Central, the 70hr Business English course (£89) is the one. Or compare every package side by side.
What to expect teaching English in Hong Kong
Pay, and the rent question
Read every package for what it says about housing, because that single line decides your real income more than the salary figure above it.
- Strong entry-level salaries by regional standards
- Housing usually your own cost — some employers offer subsidised staff flats
- Flats are small; sharing is completely normal
- Contract completion gratuities are common
- MPF pension contributions from both sides
- Transport cheap and excellent, so live further out
The working week, inverted
The biggest surprise for new arrivals. Most entry-level teaching is extra-curricular, which means you work when the schools don't.
- Afternoons, evenings and weekends at learning centres
- Days off often midweek rather than Saturday and Sunday
- Kindergartens run conventional daytime hours
- Small classes, typically single figures
- Curriculum usually provided rather than written by you
Start dates and settling in
Recruitment is more continuous than in Korea or Japan, which makes Hong Kong one of the faster markets to move on if your documents are ready.
- Learning centres hire year-round
- Schools and kindergartens cluster around the August start
- Allow a couple of months for the visa
- No Cantonese needed to start
- English widely spoken and signposted everywhere
| Route | What it is | What you need | Your week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Learning centres | Extra-curricular English schools, small classes of children | Degree and a TEFL certificate | Afternoons, evenings and weekends |
| Kindergartens | Early years English within a nursery or kindergarten | Degree, TEFL, and patience with very young learners | Conventional daytime hours |
| NET Scheme | Government scheme placing teachers in public schools | Teaching qualification plus experience | School hours and school holidays |
| International schools | Direct hire by individual schools | Qualified teacher status and a track record | School hours, highest pay, hardest to get |
Teaching in Hong Kong: your questions answered
How much can I actually save on a Hong Kong salary?
Genuinely the right question to ask, and the answer turns almost entirely on rent and how willing you are to share or live outside the central districts. Teachers who commute in from the New Territories and share a flat save meaningfully; those who insist on living alone on Hong Kong Island generally don't. We've broken the numbers down properly in our guide on what you can really save on an HK$23,000 salary.
Can South Africans and other nationalities teach in Hong Kong?
Yes. Hong Kong's employment visa doesn't restrict English teaching to a fixed list of countries the way Korea's does, and the city is genuinely international. Employers set their own preferences and some do advertise for particular backgrounds, but fluent, well-qualified teachers from South Africa, Ireland, India and elsewhere work here in numbers. Worth confirming with the specific employer before you apply.
Will I really be working evenings and weekends?
At a learning centre, yes — the students are at school during the day, so your classes run after school and at weekends, with days off midweek. It suits some people very well and doesn't suit others at all. If a conventional week matters to you, look at kindergartens or the school-based routes instead.
Do I need to speak Cantonese?
No, and Hong Kong is the easiest place in the region to live without the local language. English is an official language, signage and transport are bilingual, and your classroom will be English-only by design. Picking up some Cantonese is appreciated and makes market stalls and taxis easier, but nothing depends on it.
Is accommodation included like it is in Korea?
Usually not, and this is the assumption that catches people out when they compare packages across Asia. Some employers offer optional subsidised staff accommodation, which is worth a great deal in this market and worth asking about directly. Otherwise budget for rent, a deposit and agency fees, and expect flats considerably smaller than you're picturing.
What is the NET Scheme and do I qualify?
It's the government programme placing native-speaking English teachers into public primary and secondary schools, on packages well above the private sector. It also asks for a recognised teaching qualification and classroom experience, so it isn't a route into your first job. Plenty of teachers start at a learning centre, gain experience and qualify later — a sensible long game if Hong Kong is where you want to stay.
How long does the visa take?
Typically a couple of months from your employer filing to approval, though it varies with how complete the paperwork is and how experienced your employer is at submitting it. Gather your degree certificate, transcript and references early — the delays are almost always documents, not the decision.
How does Hong Kong compare with mainland China?
Hong Kong pays more and costs far more, particularly for housing, and there's no Z visa authentication marathon to get through. English goes much further in daily life. China offers cheaper living, housing that's usually included and a bigger range of cities. If saving is the priority, China often wins on the maths; if you want a compact, English-friendly, internationally connected city, Hong Kong is hard to beat.
Not certified yet? Start there.
Hong Kong sets no legal TEFL requirement, which means your certificate is working entirely to win you the job and the salary. Get qualified in a few weeks, then our placement team will help you find the right school.
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