TEFL jobs in Romania
A complete guide for TEFL teachers on teaching English in Romania
Overview
The Carpathian Mountains run through the country of Romania. It is an unusual destination for English teachers abroad; however, there is undoubtedly a lot on offer. There is strong folk culture, and the smaller villages have been self-sufficient due to the fact they are isolated from the rest of the country. This makes them fascinating places to visit as they all have stories and unique traditions. It may not be your first choice of country to visit, but English teachers in Romania will have amazing adventures and connect with local folklore and learn all about the history of this fascinating country.
Over the last few years, modernisation has begun to collect and connect up these smaller areas, and this has seen them grow increasingly reliant on modern technology and equally need more English teachers in Romania to help with the socialisation of these villages. While you are living and working in the country, you need to make time to visit the many amazing castles, abandoned forts, churches and other landmarks that tell stories of days gone by. The Romanians are very proud of their history and want you to take part in local customs, and in many cases, your employer will even pay for excursions to these places as they consider it vital for your education. So if you have a passion for history, folklore and telling tales of old, then teaching English in Romania could be the perfect adventure for you.
Often state schools cannot afford to hire English teachers in Romania unless they are local. This also means that while you are perfectly within your rights to try and teach private lessons, the market is pretty sparse. There are plenty of volunteering opportunities for teaching English in Romania, but the wages will be lower than what you are used to. In this guide, we will look at the opportunities in more detail, learn more about finding work as an English teacher in Romania and look at the cost of living and integrating into the community.
Types of teaching jobs
Public Schools
State schools in Romania do not have a lot of money; however, if they are going to hire an English teacher in Romania, they will be looking for someone who comes from the EU. In state education, you have the standard primary through to high school education, so there is an opportunity to teach your favourite age group. You will need good qualifications and potentially a degree if you do not come from a European country.
Private Language Schools
Found mainly in the larger cities, international and private language schools are another great way to find work teaching English in Romania. At these institutions, your students will be adult learners, usually business people who want to take part in international job markets. You will also find college-age students looking to gain English language skills so they can apply for further education in other countries. Generally, they are going to want to learn conversational English with an emphasis on spoken rather than written skills.
Private Language Lessons
As with most countries, you can top up your income teaching English in Romania by offering private tutelage. However, this is quite a poor country, so in order to find people willing to pay for private tutors, you need to be located in the bigger cities. The only thing you need to do is check if you have a contract with a language school that they are happy for you to offer this service, as some see it as a conflict of interest. Alternatively, you could teach English online as the Internet connectivity tends to be very stable, in which case your employer should have no issue as he will not be poaching their students. You should take care to understand any rules of self-employment in a new country and make sure you comply with them.
Salaries, requirements & visas
Popular locations for TEFL jobs
Bucharest, Constanta, Cluj-Napoca, and Lasi
Average salary for EFL teachers
The basic monthly salary for full-time English teachers in Romania is likely to be in the region of 1,100 Leu (€250) per month. Skilled jobs potentially pay up to 2,500 Leu (€570), but finding one of these positions is hard. The hourly rate will be around 50 Leu (€11).
TEFL qualification requirements:
A 120-hour TEFL qualification is the standard minimum for most roles
Prerequisite university degree
Most jobs are for postgraduate candidates, but voluntary opportunities and some language schools often accept English teachers in Romania without a degree
Term times
September to June
Teaching programmes
Public Schools, Private Schools, Language Schools, International Schools, Freelance, Volunteering
Age restrictions
Postgraduate, but volunteering opportunities for those aged 16+
Previous teaching experience
Beneficial to most jobs
Living costs
Romania is one of the cheapest countries to live in, in eastern Europe, but it can be hard to make ends meet and pay your bills because the wages are comparably very low. This means if you find full-time work in a local school, your payment will be on a par with local teachers. In addition, some schools will have some benefits, including subsidised or free accommodation. The good thing is that rent is cheap in the country, so as an English teacher in Romania, your wages should stretch to a small apartment for yourself.
The best advice for any new country is to try and live like a local. This means shopping at local markets and stores and avoiding places that sell overpriced imported goods. If you do this, your lifestyle will be pleasant while you are living and working as an English teacher in Romania. Locals tend to assume that foreigners are very rich and you may gain something of a celebrity status, especially among younger people. Expect a lot of questions about your culture and lifestyle as they are keen to travel.
In order to provide the most accurate cost of living figures, we use numbeo.com, the world’s largest cost of living database, updated regularly.
Accommodation
€420-€690
Utilities
€90
Health insurance
The cost of a typical visit to a GP: €31
Monthly transport pass
€15
Basic dinner out for two
€23
Cappuccino in an ex-pat area
€2.88
A beer in a pub
€1.85
1 litre of milk
€1.14
2 litres of Coca-Cola
€1.34
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