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ametisto

Aug 9, 2010, 7:18 AM

Post #1 of 16 (5962 views)

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Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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I was invited for a job interview at Universidad del Carmen in Ciudad del Carmen. The interview is for the position of a lecturer in translation studies and English teacher.
Unfortunately I have no clue as to what the average salary for a similar position is, and what the average cost of living is in the region. Since I would like to prepare for the interview I'd appreciate any information I can get. Thanks.

Dan

YucaLandia

Aug 12, 2010, 6:49 AM

Post #2 of 16 (5865 views)

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Re: [ametisto] Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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ametisto,
The union pay scales for UADY faculty (Mérida) for 2010 are as follows:
Profesor de Asignatura:
University teachers with a high school degree get either $76.4 pesos per hour or $82.12 pesos per hour, depending on rank.

Technico Academico:
University Technical staff & teachers with an undergraduate degree get between $9,514.28 per month and $14,286.76, depending on rank (time served).

Profesor Asociado o Titular:
University teachers with an advanced degree get between $11,885.12 per month and $23,690.64, depending on rank (time served).

All of these pay rates are net/take-home pay, with taxes already withheld.

Is this good news or bad news?
steve
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E-visit at http://yucalandia.wordpress.com/

Hound Dog

Aug 12, 2010, 8:47 AM

Post #3 of 16 (5850 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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All of these pay rates are net/take-home pay, with taxes already withheld.

Is this good news or bad news?
steve

Thanks, Steve:

Just a word on take-home pay in Mexico. I´m certainly no expert on Mexican pay scales but a few years ago, I was reading the Guadalajara paper and was appalled at the low salaries advertised for professionals in the classified adds so I inquired of my Spanish teacher of those days as to how anyone could live on such meager salaries. She told me that understating salaries in public advertisements was a common practice in Mexico for tax reporting reasons and that the published salaries being offered for various positions was not to be believed as, including various perqs, actual net compensation would exceed published salary levels. Those are her words, not mine.

Nothing is ever as it appears to be in Mexico.

ametisto

Aug 12, 2010, 8:50 AM

Post #4 of 16 (5842 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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Thanks, YucaLandia.

Well, I have a MA in Translation and Interpreting Studies and was offered a salary of $13,000. I´m not sure about the weekly workload though.

mcm

Aug 12, 2010, 11:55 AM

Post #5 of 16 (5807 views)

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Re: [ametisto] Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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You might also want to find out whether you will also receive any benefits -- such as health insurance, vacation, any sort of vouchers for food, gas, eligibility for housing credits (credits towards buying a house, through a government program) etc. Ask whether you are eligible for the aguinaldo (year end "bonus", legally mandated as at least 15 days of salary).

These benefits could significantly increase the base salary.

In the public education system, many jobs are filled by contract employees who do not receive any of these benefits (although they sometimes are promised).

I'm not familiar with cost of living in Ciudad del Carmen, but here in Merida, 13,000 pesos a month would be a good salary, and more than enough to live a comfortable, if not luxurious life.

Hound Dog

Aug 12, 2010, 1:46 PM

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Re: [mcm] Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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I'm not familiar with cost of living in Ciudad del Carmen, but here in Merida, 13,000 pesos a month would be a good salary, and more than enough to live a comfortable, if not luxurious life.

Well, amestisto, this response goes to show the difficulty you will experience making a career decision based on comments hereabouts.

First of all, various individuals would define a "comfortable" life based on there own personal needs. It is my opinion that in most urban zones in Mexico of any consequence, $13,000 pesos would support a spartan existence at best. I would say that is especially true in the city of Mérida unless you are a homebody with simple tastes and needs - a fine thing to be but not for everyone.

I have never been to Ciudad del Carmen which on a map looks as though it is splendidly located on the sea but which, in reality, is said to be a rough hewn boom town with a reputedly difficult hot and humid climate much maligned by many who live there by virtue of their work with PEMEX and the oil industry. It is my understanding that, because housing is in great demand there as in any boomtown, local housing is very expensive and scarce. It seems to me that an understanding as to whether you qualify for a housing subsidy or other cost of living benefits is critical to your decision as to whether or not to take this job.

I hope this works out for you and wish you the best.

YucaLandia

Aug 12, 2010, 2:43 PM

Post #7 of 16 (5763 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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Hey Dawg,
The figures are all legit: My wife has been on the UADY faculty since 1980; I took the figures from an official UADY publication; and we eat our share of huevos blancos, frijoles, arroz, y tortillas, and daily almuerzos de Comidas Economicas, so, I assure you that the take-home figures are real in this case. (This makes me laugh in delight, as our daughters who live in the States take home 2X and 3X what she makes, yet, they expect . . .) Fortunately, my wife & I learned our lessons well, from Depression era parents. Note the hat in my foto from a complementary birthday dinner: I had to wear "it", and be serenaded by the waiters, just to score a free meal...

amestito,
If the $13,000 is pesos per month, I think mcm is correct. I also understand that you could live modestly in Campeche State on this wage. We have NOB friends who have lived in Mérida on that exact sum, but you may need to choose housing in a working-class area, and limit the amount of air conditioning you use.

Good (filling) meals can be had for $35 pesos at Cocina Economicas here - similar in San Cristobal?
& Ciudad del Carmen?

amestito, Have you lived in Mexico before?
steve
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Read-on MacDuff
E-visit at http://yucalandia.wordpress.com/

(This post was edited by YucaLandia on Aug 12, 2010, 6:37 PM)

ametisto

Aug 12, 2010, 7:06 PM

Post #8 of 16 (5719 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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Thanks again for your answers. I don´t have much time right now so I´ll have to keep my answer short, but I´ll make sure to go into a bit more detail as soon as I´m back home.

I was offered accommodation and meals for the first two months or so until all the paperwork has been sorted out (because apparently, while I´m allowed to work on a tourist visa I can´t earn any money). After that my wife and I can move into a house at the "Villa Universitaria" and will only have to pay for utilities. I asked about health insurance for my wife and myself and was told that both of us will be covered under the FM3 visa.
Also I was told that after having worked as a lecturer in Mexico for a year I am eligible to apply for an additional salary under one of two different government schemes (my academic work will be evaluated and based on the outcome of the evaluation I´ll get up to $14,000 extra per month).

It´s a tough decision since I have never lived in Mexico before and don´t really know anything about the country, either.

Mac539

Aug 17, 2010, 6:14 PM

Post #9 of 16 (5520 views)

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Re: [YucaLandia] Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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Carmen is a very nice city, similar to Campeche but with better beaches. The same type of old fixer upper colonials in both cities can be bought cheaply. Plus it has the largest fresh fish market I ever saw. And the annual motorcycle weekend is held there. What is not to like?

Vichil

Aug 17, 2010, 7:40 PM

Post #10 of 16 (5504 views)

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Re: [Mac539] Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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easy, the weather....

Mac539

Aug 18, 2010, 12:07 PM

Post #11 of 16 (5461 views)

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Re: [Vichil] Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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I bet you never lived in NY, Philadelphia, or Washington in the summer. All worse than Carmen.

La Isla

Aug 18, 2010, 12:51 PM

Post #12 of 16 (5449 views)

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Re: [Mac539] Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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In Reply To

I bet you never lived in NY, Philadelphia, or Washington in the summer. All worse than Carmen.

Yes, but apart from the summers, what about the rest of the year in Ciudad del Carmen? Is it ever pleasantly warm or cool like it can be in NYC, et al. in the spring and fall?

Vichil

Aug 18, 2010, 12:56 PM

Post #13 of 16 (5446 views)

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Re: [Mac539] Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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After two years of living in Mobile and New Orleans, I have a pretty good idea of what kind of climate I do not care for and Campeche, Tabasco and so on have an awful climate unless you like to be bathing in your sweat or being wet from the rain or the humidity coming from the ground. I can think of a lot more pleasant climates to spend the rest of my life.

La Isla

Aug 18, 2010, 1:26 PM

Post #14 of 16 (5443 views)

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Re: [Vichil] Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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In Reply To

I hate hot and humid climates and always dreaded the arrival of summer when I lived in NYC and Philly. The only thing that saved my sanity was AC. One of the reasons I chose to live in Mexico City is the generally benign climate!

Vichil

Aug 18, 2010, 5:21 PM

Post #15 of 16 (5417 views)

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Re: [La Isla] Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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I am with you 100% on that one. When I was younger I could tolerate the heat and humidity better and I rarely used the A/C the second year I lived in the Bayou near Mobile but the first year I thought I would die.
We also used to spend time in Death Valley in the summer and would go with the top down in a convertible...also worked in Arizona during the monsoon season and so on, I have had more heat than I could stand to enjoy it any more.
The climate in the highlands is wonderful and I would rather wear a sweater than have to live with A/C.

Mac539

Aug 19, 2010, 1:03 AM

Post #16 of 16 (5381 views)

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Re: [Vichil] Salary for a Lecturer/English teacher at university

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Most of the year is pleasant. 4 months of the year are hot.