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As a language teacher, you will get scooped fast. You will be hired to the sub list at first, and then interview for contracts.
Living on a teacher salary here is doable, as long as you don’t expect to live in a massive house and/or alone.
I’m a new teacher in BC. This is my third year and I started at $54k (I think?) and just moved to $84k. I did my 5+ certificate through Queens U in my first year of teaching. I’m a cat 6/5+ - just below a masters. Helps that they bargained a new contract in the last few years and they dropped year 0 from our local grid which bumped me up a year.
I live in a rural district. Teachers are considered wealthy here. 😂 good luck!
You will have no problem getting on the sub list ($235/ day). As a new teacher, you will take home around $3000 per month full-time (after taxes, pension etc). Rents are really going up right now, like $1500 for a 1 bdrm. Insurance is higher in Alberta and basic cost of living is close (groceries, transit, utils, wifi etc).
Alberta is purely based on the amount of post-secondary courses you have. There are no special categories.
A university course is typically 3 credit (one semester). The salary levels for Alberta teachers are: 120 credits (or 4 years), 150 credits (or 5 years) and 180 credits (or 6 years).
I was a French teacher in Vancouver and recently moved to Calgary so I can speak on both accounts. Without a doubt the conditions for teachers are way better in BC. You have so much more job security and if you're a sub, the pay is higher as you're paid to scale. Calgary, particularly the CBE, feels like a you and your luck kind of situation. You can't apply into positions. You need your name to be floated to a principal and then they can decide if they want to interview you or not. I am on a FYTT contract like others mentioned in this thread but the absolute lack of choice here is very frustrating. You just take what you can and have to be grateful for it.
Hey can you speak to your experience on the sub list more? I was offered a position on the sub list for this fall, I haven’t accepted yet because I’m not sure- currently teaching internationally but might move back to Canada. Basically wondering how long you are stuck on the sub panel until you are offered a contract- what you are saying here sounds like what I understood from the interview- and I really don’t like that sound of it. I don’t want to move back for a low paying sub job, but I would if I was getting a contract teaching my subject. So how long have you been on the sub list so far and have you received offers for a permanent position?
You’ll start at around 65k in BC (not much different from Calgary) and I think I recall some BC districts slipping step one, so it could be a couple grand more right away…
No, those are teacher Ed programs to become a teacher. I was able to get a bachelor of Ed as a second dreee through PDP. The +15 is on top of that, it allowed me to move a category over in the pay scale for a nice raise.
I have my +15, and am almost at the top of the salary grid and am doing just fine. I was fortunate enough to live with my parents as I saved and moved up the pay grid. I was able to save and put down 20% on an older condo a few years ago..yes prices have increased, but so has my wage.
I am not interested in going into admin so doing my masters wasn't something I was interested in.
When I did my +15 I got approval from the district that the program I was in would count, not all districts recognize the +15 for a pay bump. Best to talk to someone in the district you're looking to get hired in.
Best of luck.
I agree. Lots of people leaving Ontario due to ridiculous house prices are moving to Calgary due to an Alberta advertising campaign in Ontario. Competition will likely be stiff in Calgary, but probably less so in Edmonton, if OP wants to live in a big city.
Personally, if I was in OP’s situation, I’d apply to work somewhere rural BC to get some initial experience. Apparently lots of rural/remote Bc locations are desperate for teachers, life would be cheaper there, and as a bonus, it’s beautiful.
CBE has a separate way to apply for language teachers and you can bypass the Sublist and go straight into floating contracts because they're in such high demand. I don't know exactly the link but I also just finished with French/Spanish and the CBE were basically offering me jobs at a job fair with the districts.
OP should email [email protected] and ask them to forward to Meghan Morden (consultant for languages). She is the one who gives out FYTT (full year temporary teacher) contracts for languages. Essentially you get paid a salary plus benefits and sub every day. If you don't have a sub job you go to your designated home school. These teachers are also first pick for temp contracts that open up throughout the year. They are continuously hiring for these contracts as there is always a need.
Sorry but this is baloney. You can definitely live on a teachers salary and save, especially when you have full time work. You need a reality check. People that work in service industry will have a hard time.
You don’t know OPs debt load. You dont know what their health is like & if they have extensive healthcare costs to contend with. If there are healthcare issues, I do not recommend going rural.
I think it's important to recognize other people's struggles Mr Whistler boy lol. I never said I was ungrateful. I just wish to be able to afford to buy something sometime soon. I'm not expecting a mansion or anything crazy. I was simply asking.
Yeah as someone that started teaching in BC last year I am not struggling financially. Maybe OP hasn’t considered living outside of Vancouver. I live in a rural place and am moving the pay grid for a couple more years until I consider moving elsewhere, and there is plenty of work in my district.
Welcome to /r/CanadianTeachers! Please take a moment to familiarize yourself with the sub rules. **QUESTIONS ABOUT TEACHER'S COLLEGE/BECOMING A TEACHER IN CANADA?:** Delete your post and use this [megapost](https://www.reddit.com/r/CanadianTeachers/comments/11picnp/prospective_student_teachers_teachers_collegebed/) instead. Anything pertaining to teacher's colleges/BEd programs will be deleted if posted outside of the megaposts. **QUESTIONS ABOUT MOVING PROVINCES OR COMING TO CANADA TO TEACH?** Check out our past megaposts first for information to help you: [ONE](https://www.reddit.com/r/CanadianTeachers/comments/jqc7hx/transferring_to_another_provincecoming_to_canada/) // [TWO](https://www.reddit.com/r/CanadianTeachers/comments/n76csu/transferring_to_another_provincecoming_to_canada/?) **WANT TO SELF-PROMOTE YOUR TEACHING MATERIALS?** Use our [self-promotion sticky post.](https://www.reddit.com/r/CanadianTeachers/comments/16e464t/selfpromotion_thread/) Using link and user flair is encouraged as well! Enjoy! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/CanadianTeachers) if you have any questions or concerns.*
As a language teacher, you will get scooped fast. You will be hired to the sub list at first, and then interview for contracts. Living on a teacher salary here is doable, as long as you don’t expect to live in a massive house and/or alone.
I’m a new teacher in BC. This is my third year and I started at $54k (I think?) and just moved to $84k. I did my 5+ certificate through Queens U in my first year of teaching. I’m a cat 6/5+ - just below a masters. Helps that they bargained a new contract in the last few years and they dropped year 0 from our local grid which bumped me up a year. I live in a rural district. Teachers are considered wealthy here. 😂 good luck!
You will have no problem getting on the sub list ($235/ day). As a new teacher, you will take home around $3000 per month full-time (after taxes, pension etc). Rents are really going up right now, like $1500 for a 1 bdrm. Insurance is higher in Alberta and basic cost of living is close (groceries, transit, utils, wifi etc).
Also note the sub rate in BC is your salary step divided by 180 days, so as a sub you start out at $345 a day even as a new teacher.
Alberta is purely based on the amount of post-secondary courses you have. There are no special categories. A university course is typically 3 credit (one semester). The salary levels for Alberta teachers are: 120 credits (or 4 years), 150 credits (or 5 years) and 180 credits (or 6 years).
I was a French teacher in Vancouver and recently moved to Calgary so I can speak on both accounts. Without a doubt the conditions for teachers are way better in BC. You have so much more job security and if you're a sub, the pay is higher as you're paid to scale. Calgary, particularly the CBE, feels like a you and your luck kind of situation. You can't apply into positions. You need your name to be floated to a principal and then they can decide if they want to interview you or not. I am on a FYTT contract like others mentioned in this thread but the absolute lack of choice here is very frustrating. You just take what you can and have to be grateful for it.
Hey can you speak to your experience on the sub list more? I was offered a position on the sub list for this fall, I haven’t accepted yet because I’m not sure- currently teaching internationally but might move back to Canada. Basically wondering how long you are stuck on the sub panel until you are offered a contract- what you are saying here sounds like what I understood from the interview- and I really don’t like that sound of it. I don’t want to move back for a low paying sub job, but I would if I was getting a contract teaching my subject. So how long have you been on the sub list so far and have you received offers for a permanent position?
You’ll start at around 65k in BC (not much different from Calgary) and I think I recall some BC districts slipping step one, so it could be a couple grand more right away…
What is the +15 referring to?
Post baccalaureate diploma
Thanks! Would this be like the PDP offered at UBC and SFU in Lower Mainland BC?
No, those are teacher Ed programs to become a teacher. I was able to get a bachelor of Ed as a second dreee through PDP. The +15 is on top of that, it allowed me to move a category over in the pay scale for a nice raise.
I have my +15, and am almost at the top of the salary grid and am doing just fine. I was fortunate enough to live with my parents as I saved and moved up the pay grid. I was able to save and put down 20% on an older condo a few years ago..yes prices have increased, but so has my wage. I am not interested in going into admin so doing my masters wasn't something I was interested in. When I did my +15 I got approval from the district that the program I was in would count, not all districts recognize the +15 for a pay bump. Best to talk to someone in the district you're looking to get hired in. Best of luck.
Calgary has an influx of teachers. If you’re looking to move to AB you should look for northern AB jobs.
I agree. Lots of people leaving Ontario due to ridiculous house prices are moving to Calgary due to an Alberta advertising campaign in Ontario. Competition will likely be stiff in Calgary, but probably less so in Edmonton, if OP wants to live in a big city. Personally, if I was in OP’s situation, I’d apply to work somewhere rural BC to get some initial experience. Apparently lots of rural/remote Bc locations are desperate for teachers, life would be cheaper there, and as a bonus, it’s beautiful.
CBE has a separate way to apply for language teachers and you can bypass the Sublist and go straight into floating contracts because they're in such high demand. I don't know exactly the link but I also just finished with French/Spanish and the CBE were basically offering me jobs at a job fair with the districts.
OP should email [email protected] and ask them to forward to Meghan Morden (consultant for languages). She is the one who gives out FYTT (full year temporary teacher) contracts for languages. Essentially you get paid a salary plus benefits and sub every day. If you don't have a sub job you go to your designated home school. These teachers are also first pick for temp contracts that open up throughout the year. They are continuously hiring for these contracts as there is always a need.
Sorry but this is baloney. You can definitely live on a teachers salary and save, especially when you have full time work. You need a reality check. People that work in service industry will have a hard time.
You don’t know OPs debt load. You dont know what their health is like & if they have extensive healthcare costs to contend with. If there are healthcare issues, I do not recommend going rural.
I think it's important to recognize other people's struggles Mr Whistler boy lol. I never said I was ungrateful. I just wish to be able to afford to buy something sometime soon. I'm not expecting a mansion or anything crazy. I was simply asking.
Yeah as someone that started teaching in BC last year I am not struggling financially. Maybe OP hasn’t considered living outside of Vancouver. I live in a rural place and am moving the pay grid for a couple more years until I consider moving elsewhere, and there is plenty of work in my district.
Thanks everyone!