15% pay cut from private sector to teach in Polytechnic

I am confused? So it's a yes that we have the same mid year and year end bonus?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I am confused? So it's a yes that we have the same mid year and year end bonus?

march end - Performance Bonus.

July - Mid-year Bonus (dependent on economy, most likely 0.5).

December - Year End Bonus. 13th month. anything more is dependent on economy.


yearly pay increment period varies from 1 institution to the next.
increment amount varies from rank to rank.

I hv 20 yrs of professional work exp and am considering teaching in poly / ITE. Gathered from the posts here that the pay in poly is similar to ITE. Pls advise what could be my PAX and estimated basic mthly salary ?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I hv 20 yrs of professional work exp and am considering teaching in poly / ITE. Gathered from the posts here that the pay in poly is similar to ITE. Pls advise what could be my PAX and estimated basic mthly salary ?

It really depends on the match between experience and the teaching post requirement. At least Pax5, $4500. Do not expect to have matching salary, pay cut of 30 -60% is pretty common. If you are here for the money, then dont.

I am really surprised. If that is the case, it is as good as not really recognising my years of work experience and equating me with someone with less than 10 years experience. You mean there is really no chance of me going in at 7k - 8k even ?

Forgot to add that my experience is very relevant to what I want to teach eg accounting and I have a professional qualification from the relevant body.

It is a question of whether the poly is desperately looking for Accounting lecturers or you desperately looking for teaching job.

It appears you are in a weaker position.

I have friends from the engineering professions who decided they had enough of office politics in the private sector and wanted to try out lecturing in poly. To their dismay, they have had to accept quite drastic pay cuts. They were drawing $8k - $9K pm in their engineering jobs and they had to settle for $5k+. Needless to say they didnt stay long in the poly, especially when they had to re-secure their contract every 2 to 3 years! It was not the iron-rice bowl they had thought.

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Forgot to add that my experience is very relevant to what I want to teach eg accounting and I have a professional qualification from the relevant body.

You have work experience but not teaching experience. Also whats your current pay? You can use it to negotiate.

Lets see the pay scale for CS (2015) and see roughly how the Poly pay scale is pegged:


Pay grade: MX9 (Superscale) (Poly equivalent - PAX 2)
Job title: Deputy Director, Director
Salary scale: S$11,110 – S$15,280 / S$15,280 – S$17,370

Pay grade: MX10 (PAX 3)
Job title: Assistant Director, Deputy Director
Salary scale: S$7,000 – S$9,980 / S$9,980 – S$11,470

Pay grade: MX11 (PAX 4A/E)
Job title: Manager, Assistant Director
Salary scale: S$4,740 – S$7,115 / S$7,115 – S$8,305

Pay grade: MX12 (PAX 5A/E)
Job title: Assistant Manager, Manager
Salary scale: S$2,945 – S$5,925

Pay grade: MX13 (PAX 6A/E)
Job title: Management Executive
Salary scale: up to S$3,000 for fresh graduates

Originally Posted by Unregistered

I am really surprised. If that is the case, it is as good as not really recognising my years of work experience and equating me with someone with less than 10 years experience. You mean there is really no chance of me going in at 7k - 8k even ?

Last drawn was around 10k and had done relief teaching in MOE schools (although this may be nothing). (1) What do you think is a reasonable monthly rate with this bkground ? (2) Are those basic mthly salary bands excl bonus that you had posted ?

Originally Posted by Unregistered

Last drawn was around 10k and had done relief teaching in MOE schools (although this may be nothing). (1) What do you think is a reasonable monthly rate with this bkground ? (2) Are those basic mthly salary bands excl bonus that you had posted ?

What is your 20 years experience in? If it's just work experience then it's as good as 0 years. If you are at least mid-mgmt you may be able to get in to "share your career experience" with young students, but better off you do it as a part time job. A teacher with 10 years TEACHING experience is worth a lot more than you with 20 years work experience.