Teaching English in Vietnam: A Realistic 2026 Guide
TEFL salaries, schools, and the work-permit reality from someone who has watched the market for years.
Teaching English is still the easiest legal job for a foreigner in Vietnam, but the market has matured. The days of walking off a plane and into a classroom are mostly gone. You need a degree, a TEFL/CELTA certificate, and a clean background check before any reputable school will talk to you.
What you can actually earn
Pay depends on city, qualifications, and school tier. Hanoi and HCMC pay best; the Mekong and central highlands pay less but cost less to live in.
| Tier | Typical hourly | Monthly full-time |
|---|---|---|
| Public school placement | 350,000–500,000 VND | $1,200–1,700 |
| Mid-tier centre (Apax, VUS) | 500,000–700,000 VND | $1,700–2,200 |
| Premium centre (ILA, Apollo) | 700,000–900,000 VND | $2,200–2,800 |
| International school (licensed teachers) | salaried | $2,500–4,500 |
Most centre teachers work weekends and evenings; that is when kids and working adults take lessons. Daytime hours go to corporate clients or public-school contracts.
The main school chains
- ILA — the gold standard for centre work. Strict hiring, proper contracts, real work-permit support. Salary on the higher end.
- Apollo English — owned by Pearson; well organised, decent professional development.
- VUS — huge chain, lots of openings, more variable management quality by branch.
- Apax Leaders — was the largest network, ran into financial trouble in 2023; still operating but pay reliability has been a problem. Ask current teachers before signing.
- Wall Street English / EF / Yola — smaller adult-focused players.
Branch managers matter more than brands. A good ILA branch beats a chaotic Apollo one and vice versa.
Public vs private vs international
Public-school placements are usually arranged through an intermediary like Cleverlearn or DynEd. Pay is lower but hours are daytime and the classroom dynamic is easier. Private centres pay better but you teach until 9pm on weekdays and all day Saturday/Sunday. International schools (BIS, ISHCMC, UNIS) want PGCE/QTS or state licensure and two years of post-qualification experience; this is real teaching, not a centre gig.
Freelance teaching
Lots of teachers build a private-client list once they have a network: Vietnamese executives, university students prepping for IELTS, kids of wealthy families. Hourly rates of 600,000–1,500,000 VND are normal. The catch is that freelance teaching is legally murky without a work permit and your visa status — see our work permit page and freelancing page for the realities.
The work-permit reality
A reputable employer will sponsor your work permit. Expect to provide:
- Notarised and apostilled/legalised degree
- TEFL/CELTA certificate
- Criminal background check from your home country (must be recent)
- Health check at a Vietnamese hospital
- Passport copies and photos
The process takes 6–10 weeks. Many smaller centres will tell you to "start now, we'll sort the paperwork later". This is how teachers end up working illegally and getting deported when there is a sweep. Do not do this. See work-permit deep dive for what to push back on.
Honest take
If you are coming for the cash, Vietnam is no longer the bargain it was in 2015. Taiwan, Korea and the Gulf pay much better. People who stay in Vietnam teaching long-term do it because they like the country and want a base in Southeast Asia, not because the salaries are great. Pair teaching with online clients abroad and you can live very well on the difference.
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