One of the most important questions you will ask yourself when deciding to teach English abroad is WHERE you actually want to teach.

Are you interested in a TEFL job in the Middle East? Or maybe you want to learn Spanish in South America? Or maybe you finally want to move to Europe? Or perhaps you want to live on a beach in Thailand. (And teach too!)

In 2017 there will be more options than ever when it comes to places for TEFL jobs. With the demand for Native English Speakers increasing around the world, there are more places to develop your teaching skills and earn money, all while discovering a new country.

So which places are our favorites for 2017? This list has a little bit of everything and is full of the salary and benefits you can expect from each country!

11) Czech Republic

• Salary: $700 – $1,125 USD/month
• Benefits: housing guidance, work visa assistance
• Requirements: BA/BS degree and TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certification
• Why go? If you have your heart set on teaching in Europe, the Czech Republic is still the best place to do it. It’s the gateway between Eastern and Western Europe, and a lot cheaper than France or Italy. You will find all the things that you love about Europe in the Czech Republic: the cobble-stone streets, fascinating architecture, great coffee, and even great beer. (Yes, it is cheaper than water, still!)

Our TEFL in Prague comes with job placement and work visa assistance, housing guidance and more! Let us help you teach English in Europe!

10) Costa Rica

• Salary: $700-1,000 USD/month
• Benefits: None.
• Requirements: An interest in Costa Rican culture and teaching.
• Why Go? Rain forests. Volcanoes. Pristine beaches that touch the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans. Costa Rica might be a small country, but it has a lot to offer not only travelers, but long-term expats. You certainly won’t get rich teaching here, but you will be in a lush country with a lot to do and you will have the opportunity to learn Spanish. You will likely teach in a language institute as opposed to public school.

Our TEFL/TESOL Course can help you find a job in Costa Rica! Read the Top 4 Reasons to Get TEFL Certified in Costa Rica and the Top 5 Benefits to Living in Costa Rica.

 9) Indonesia

• Salary: $700 – $1,100 USD/month
• Benefits: Sometimes furnished apartment and airfair reimburesment
• Requirements: BA/BS, fluency in English
• Why go? You want to live in South East Asia, but you want the salary of Eastern Asia. You want to experience year-round great whether with a lot of outdoor activities, but you also want a low cost of living. Enter Indonesia, where you get to have a little bit of everything. While the ESL business has been steadily increasing over the last five years, we think it will boom in 2017 to cope with the influx of international travelers and business.

8) Chile

• Salary: $800 – $1, 200 USD/month
• Benefits: None
• Requirements: An interest in Chile and teaching English abroad
• Why go? The Chilean government recently started an initiative to increase the amount of native English speakers in classrooms across the country. If you are looking to learn Spanish and love spending time outdoors, Chile is the perfect country for you to teach English abroad. While the salary isn’t as high as the Middle East, you can earn enough to explore South America and begin to pay off your student loans.

7) Vietnam

• Salary: $1,100 – $1,700 USD/month
• Benefits: low cost of living
• Requirements: BA/BS degree
• Why go? If you want to really experience South East Asia, Vietnam is your best bet. They have been hiring more native English speakers over the last two years to cope with tourism and to advanced in international business relations. Many of the TEFL jobs in the large cities actually pay quite well, making it a great place to save money while still being able to travel. The cost of living is also quite low, even lower than neighboring Thailand, making it a great place to teach abroad if you are still paying off those pesky school loans.

6) Nicaragua

• Salary: $400 – 1,000 USD/month
• Benefits: low cost of living.
• Requirements: A fluency in English and an interest in Nicaraguan culture
• Why Go? Nicaragua was rated the safest country in Central America during the 2014 Gallup World Poll, so this could be a great introduction to the region. If you are seeking untouched beaches, lush rainforests, and a growing ESL market, Nicaragua is the place for you. Additionally, it is largely undiscovered by foreign tourists, making it a truly unique experience for someone who wants to learn the language and really immerse themselves in the culture.

Our TEFL/TESOL Course can help you find a job in Nicaragua! Read the Top 5 Reasons to TEFL in Nicaragua and the Top 4 Benefits of Living in Nicaragua.

 5) Online

• Salary: Varies. Read our complete guide to teaching English online here. 
• Benefits: Work from where YOU want to be.
• Requirements: BA/BS degree, TEFL certification, Native speaker, Strong computer skills
• Why do it? A new fad in TEFL education is teaching English online. This connects students in any country to Native English Speakers via their computer and, sometimes, even their cellphone. Some classes are held through a branded online platform while others are held directly through Skype or Google Hangouts, which allows you to work from the comfort of wherever you want to be. With the growing trend, we think TEFL jobs online are going to be very popular in 2017.

4) UAE

• Salary: $1,500 – $3,800 USD/month
• Benefits: Annual airfare, furnished apartment, and transportation
• Requirements: BA/BS degree, TEFL/TESOL/CELTA certificate, Native English speaker
• Why go? In the United Arab Emirates you get the whole package: yearly airfare, a modern apartment, transportation to and from your school, AND a high salary. Most schools require a teaching certification like a CELTA, and pay higher if you have an actual teaching license. You will likely be placed in Abu Dhabi or Dubai, both modern and technologically-advanced cities.

3) South Korea

• Salary: $1,650 – $2,050 USD/month
• Benefits: Airfare, furnished apartment, medical insurance, sick pay, paid holidays, paid vacation
• Requirements: BA/BS degree, TEFL certification, Native speaker
• Why go? If you are any of the following, you’ll find yourself at home in South Korea: culture nerd, architecture geek, foodie (the spicier the better!), history buff, beach babe, cosmopolitan comfortable, island hopper, outdoor enthusiast…and the list goes on. Our teaching positions in South Korea are all government sponsored, which means you get to live and work in comfort, with none of the surprises you often hear about on the private spectrum (late paychecks, weird living arrangements, etc.).

Now hiring teachers for Korea! Email us your resume today!

2) Taiwan

• Salary: $1,300 – $2,000 USD/month
• Benefits: Sometimes an apartment, low cost of living
• Requirements: BA/BS degree and TEFL preferred
• Why go? Taiwan is now what South Korea was five years ago. Here you will find an exciting culture with a lot to do without the high cost of living that is present in South Korea and Japan. Do you love the outdoors? Or maybe ultra slick modern cities? Eating your way through night markets? Or maybe culture-rich towns with a lot of history? You can have all that in Taiwan. Taipei, the capital, is a modern city with great public transportation and easy connections to the rest of the country.

1) Thailand

• Salary: $900-$1,200 USD/month
• Benefits: work permit paid and low cost of living.
• Requirements: BA/BS and TEFL preferred but not required
• Why go? Thailand is one of the most popular places to earn your TEFL certification for a reason: the food is great, the beaches are amazing, and the culture is addictive. While the salary is on the lower end of the spectrum, you will find that your basic necessities don’t cost as much, especially the further away you are from major cities. It is exceedingly rare to find a gig that pays for airfare and even accommodation, so be prepared to take that into account when trying to teach here. Despite that, it is still one of the top countries to teach in in 2017 because more and more opportunities are opening up to cope with the tourism, where the main language is English.