English Teaching Jobs in
Dubai

Requirements  

What requirements do you need to reach to land teaching jobs in Dubai? ESL teachers hoping to find work in Dubai require excellent teaching qualifications and, for the most part, a high level of experience. 

At the very least, TEFL certification with over 120 hours of study and a bachelor’s degree - preferably in education - are required. Though 120 hours of TEFL certification is the industry standard to teach English abroad, many schools in Dubai will require a Level 5 qualification or higher. Usually, you'll need a teaching licence from your home country to land teaching jobs in Dubai, too.

Native English speaker-level proficiency is required to teach English in the United Arab Emirates, so native English speakers are often preferred. However, schools in Dubai will consider non-native ESL teachers for teaching positions provided they can demonstrate fluency. A bachelor’s degree from an English-speaking institution and an IELTS or TOEFL certificate can undoubtedly help you find teaching jobs as a non-native English teacher in Dubai.

While you’re living and teaching in the Arabian Gulf, it’s extremely useful to have at least some basic Arabic. While not all employers will see this as being a crucial skill, it’s certainly an advantage and can open up more teaching opportunities.

Salary and benefits 

So how much can you earn with a job teaching English in Dubai? What’s the average salary working in this home for the super-rich? 

As you might expect, teaching English in Dubai can be very lucrative, with excellent salaries on offer. Provided you meet all the requirements to teach English, you can expect wages of approximately AED 7,677-19,191 (£1,600-£4,000/$2,040-$5,110) a month working in Dubai.

These salaries can go even higher. Private international schools and similar elite institutions offer even more to long-tenured, successful teachers. In terms of benefits, it gets even better for English teachers - it’s not uncommon to hear of flight reimbursement, performance bonuses, free medical care, annual bonuses, free enrolment at schools for dependents, accommodation and other perks. 

Living and working in Dubai

With the considerable salaries on offer for teaching English, you might assume Dubai is prohibitively expensive to live in. Here are a couple of exciting bits of news on that front: 1. There’s no income tax on earnings. 2. You can live comfortably in Dubai with your salary from teaching English.

Let’s take a look at the cost of living in Dubai. If your teaching job doesn’t offer accommodation, renting will be your biggest expenditure. If you’re looking to rent in central Dubai, it’ll cost around £1,670/$2,186 per month for a one-bedroom apartment, but this price falls considerably to an average of £1,060/$1,385 outside of the Emirate’s central hub.

Basic utilities will cost about £152/$200 per month on average, which will include much-needed air conditioning, while internet access is usually around £75/$100 per month. If you’re hoping to teach English online and bolster your teaching income, Dubai’s wifi is famously excellent, so it’s arguably worth the expense.

As for eating and drinking? A solo meal at an inexpensive cafe will cost about £9/$11, while a three-course meal for two at a mid-priced restaurant will normally cost about £62/$82. If you’re craving a cappuccino, expect to pay about £5/$6.

So, while the cost of rent and utilities is quite high from a general perspective, there's still a lower cost of living than you might expect in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates. These costs are relative to a generous teaching salary, and with no income tax to pay, salaries do stretch that bit further.